Naming overlapping hotspots

I'm setting up wireless at my church. We're big enough that it takes
three wireless routers to cover the entire building. The routers are
not serving DHCP. The central server is the DHCP server. I have
several questions.

Can I set all three to the same SSID and password or should I give
each a different SSID? Last night I observed that of the three laptops
in a room, with the routers using the same SSID, two laptops connected
to the much weaker signal of the further router. If I use different
SSID's, the laptop seems to need to manually change the preferred
wireless network order so to get the nearest router. Is there a better
way?

If a laptop is carried while connected from one area to another which
is closer to a different router, should the laptop automatically
switch to the strongest signal? Or must the user manually disconnect
and reconnect to get the stronger signal?

Should I make sure that each router is using a different channel?

Thank you
Brian

Another Brian

Hi Brian,
what you want to do is set up the routers to be on the same network (same
SSID)
an SSID is just the network name, its used as a "password" in the header of
each packet sent over the LAN.
Note, an SSID doesn't provide any kind of security

Mike Powell
www.ramuseco.com


"Another Brian" <> wrote in message
news:uzrS$...
> I'm setting up wireless at my church. We're big enough that it takes three
> wireless routers to cover the entire building. The routers are not serving
> DHCP. The central server is the DHCP server. I have several questions.
>
> Can I set all three to the same SSID and password or should I give each a
> different SSID? Last night I observed that of the three laptops in a room,
> with the routers using the same SSID, two laptops connected to the much
> weaker signal of the further router. If I use different SSID's, the laptop
> seems to need to manually change the preferred wireless network order so
> to get the nearest router. Is there a better way?
>
> If a laptop is carried while connected from one area to another which is
> closer to a different router, should the laptop automatically switch to
> the strongest signal? Or must the user manually disconnect and reconnect
> to get the stronger signal?
>
> Should I make sure that each router is using a different channel?
>
> Thank you
> Brian
>

Depends on just what you are trying to accomplish. In general I have found
that it is best to give all AP the same SSID, and put them on different
channels, 1, 6, 11. A laptop once connected to an AP will remain connected
to that AP, until the signal is lost, then it will switch to the strongest
signal at that point. Generally it is undesirable to have your laptops
switching APs at random times.

--
David Hettel

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group for everyone
to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions addressed directly to me in
E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

DISCLAIMER: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranty of any kind,
either expressed or implied, made in relation to the accuracy, reliability
or content of this post. The author shall not be liable for any direct,
indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use of, or
inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this post and confers
no rights.



"Another Brian" <> wrote in message
news:uzrS$...
> I'm setting up wireless at my church. We're big enough that it takes three
> wireless routers to cover the entire building. The routers are not serving
> DHCP. The central server is the DHCP server. I have several questions.
>
> Can I set all three to the same SSID and password or should I give each a
> different SSID? Last night I observed that of the three laptops in a room,
> with the routers using the same SSID, two laptops connected to the much
> weaker signal of the further router. If I use different SSID's, the laptop
> seems to need to manually change the preferred wireless network order so
> to get the nearest router. Is there a better way?
>
> If a laptop is carried while connected from one area to another which is
> closer to a different router, should the laptop automatically switch to
> the strongest signal? Or must the user manually disconnect and reconnect
> to get the stronger signal?
>
> Should I make sure that each router is using a different channel?
>
> Thank you
> Brian
>

Thanks David. That's what I thought. I'll reconfigure it tonight.

Brian

"David Hettel" <> wrote in message
news:%23VH$...
> Depends on just what you are trying to accomplish. In general I have
> found that it is best to give all AP the same SSID, and put them on
> different channels, 1, 6, 11. A laptop once connected to an AP will
> remain connected to that AP, until the signal is lost, then it will
> switch to the strongest signal at that point. Generally it is
> undesirable to have your laptops switching APs at random times.
>
> --
> David Hettel
>
> Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group for
> everyone
> to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions addressed directly
> to me in
> E-mail or news groups.
>
> Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
>
> DISCLAIMER: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranty of any
> kind,
> either expressed or implied, made in relation to the accuracy,
> reliability
> or content of this post. The author shall not be liable for any
> direct,
> indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use
> of, or
> inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this post and
> confers
> no rights.
>
>
>
> "Another Brian" <> wrote in message
> news:uzrS$...
>> I'm setting up wireless at my church. We're big enough that it
>> takes three wireless routers to cover the entire building. The
>> routers are not serving DHCP. The central server is the DHCP
>> server. I have several questions.
>>
>> Can I set all three to the same SSID and password or should I give
>> each a different SSID? Last night I observed that of the three
>> laptops in a room, with the routers using the same SSID, two
>> laptops connected to the much weaker signal of the further router.
>> If I use different SSID's, the laptop seems to need to manually
>> change the preferred wireless network order so to get the nearest
>> router. Is there a better way?
>>
>> If a laptop is carried while connected from one area to another
>> which is closer to a different router, should the laptop
>> automatically switch to the strongest signal? Or must the user
>> manually disconnect and reconnect to get the stronger signal?
>>
>> Should I make sure that each router is using a different channel?
>>
>> Thank you
>> Brian
>>
>