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Cutting Through a Wi-Fi Traffic Jam?
eric3xxx asks: "A week or so after Christmas, I tried to connect to my home wireless network and while I could see my access point I could not connect. After scanning the network, it turned out that there were at least twenty new access points in my apartment building (and in the surrounding buildings). Most of them had names such as 'linksys' and were all set on their respective vendors default channel (apparently a lot of people received 802.11b/g WAPs as presents). I tried changing the channel on my access point, starting at 1 and continuing through all of the channels, and none of them worked (probably since the channels overlap). In any case, I have no clear solution to this problem. I suppose I could boost the signal, however, that also increases noise. Perhaps I could convince my neighbors to put together a shared wireless network. I may just switch to 802.11a since it isn't as widely used." Has anyone else had success in configuring their APs to work in an areas of heavy wireless traffic?
How about some Wi-Fi Proof Paint? Or just freeload on your neighbor's network...
Okay, here's the procedure: (1) Call your DSL or Cable provider and cancel your internet, (2) sell your wireless router on eBay, (3) choose an unsecured connection and go nuts. Simple, no? Plus it has the advantage that when the MPAA or RIAA come knocking, it won't be on your door...
Or you could install a Faraday cage in your apartment. Much more expensive, but much more cool IMO.
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
I'd probably opt to cooperate rather than isolate, specifically:
:-D
1) Contact the neighbors (door to door, flyers, etc) and inform them of the problem, offer to secure their WAP's and put them on a Wi-Fi co-op that would give the entire complex a single Wi-Fi connection
2) Contact an ISP that's willing (I know Speakeasy, Slashdot's sponsor is doing this) and get a big pipe from them (High power DSL or T-1)
3) Set up one WAP as the main station and configure everyone else as a repeater
Advantages:
1) Big fat Wi-Fi pipe
2) Wide range (entire complex and then some)
3) Everyone has tighter security if you know how to set up Wi-Fi properly
4) Joint budgets make this more affordable
Disadvantages:
1) Bandwidth hogs (though it can be mitigated)
2) Bickering neighbors or those who refuse for whatever reasons (good diplomacy skills here)
3) Large initial expense (those T-1's aren't cheap if you go that route, good equipment and setup charge investments involved)
So far it hasn't been a problem in my area, I personally appreciate being the one secure well guarded WAP with 3 other Default SSID's around me
Unfortunately if this isn't plausible for you, I fear you might be stuck going 802.11a or how about just plugging in the ol' cat 5/6 again?
...in bed
This works fine, until just one of them discovers Napster.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
No, no, no. You need to think 'efficiency' and 'best utilization of available resources'.
Install a computer that connects to many open access points, and get more than 10Mbps overall. Hopefully you can find enough (up to six non-overrlapping) to get 18Mbps or more.
Of course, the reality is that everyone in the apartment installed their own, but since they all conflict they are all using the one that doesn't conflict, and boy is that guy mad. His connections been 80% slower since he got wireless!
-Adam
ok, you have a high density of Access points, but you said it didn't work, not that it performed poorly.
If you do a search on the Internet you'll find several documents refering to a 4 channel configuration with minimal overlap (4%). The actual amount of interference caused by that layout is minimal due to the actual nature of the signal. (As opposed to the simplified version people have in there heads of why channels 1, 6 and 11 are the only ones to use).
Within an apartment you should be able to get a strong enough signal as long as all your immediate neighbors aren't on the same channel as you, and assuming your walls are not paper-thin.
If your trying to receive your signal across the street you will have issues.
On the other hand I only have 2 or 3 neighbors with access points and atleast one of them isn't clueless (WEP enabled) (even if it does suck)).
Am I the only one who finds this situation ridiculous? We have 10-20 families in and around your apartment building, each with their own wireless access point. An entire building could probably be adequately served by two or three, depending on the size and construction of the building. Yet everyone greedily has to have their own, and because of this, performance suffers for everyone. I find it delightfully ironic. Linksys and their ilk must also be rubbing their hands together with glee.
Here's a novel idea: Why not get together with your neighbors and set up a wireless system for the entire building, with everyone who wants to use it chipping in for the AP's? Probably simple to implement, and with a smaller environmental impact (only 3 or so cheap plastic boxes eventually go into a landfill rather than 20). You can cut down on fees to your ISP(s) too since you don't need that many.
Read the FCC notice for your WAP lately?
There's a reason folks that're "serious" about RF tech shy away from Part 15 gear.
I quote:
"This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.(emphasis mine)
Part 15 devices have no protection, no guarantee of function.
Seems quite the platform to base your IT world on, don't it.
Title 47 CFR:
http://www.fcc.gov/oet/info/rules/
Senior NCO in the fight against entropy. I've seen things, man. Things no one should have to see.....
I hate dorks like you for whom the FIRST answer is often a power increase. It does little good to increase transmit power at the AP. Now how does the AP hear the client better? In fact it doesn't hear it any better and this is a 2-WAY communications medium. Increasing transmit power is like giving everyone bigger bullhorns. They can't hear any better but they SURE CAN SHOUT NOW!
Directional antenna should always be the FIRST choice to resolve signal problems, and power increase the LAST choice.
Mythbusters busted this myth.
The only way to superheat water is to use PURE (distilled) water.
Water out of the tap is not pure, and won't become superheated and explode.
My email addy? should be easy enough.
Antennas get their gain by boosting the signal in one direction at the expense of signal in other directions. Your typical 8 dBi "omnidirectional" antenna sends very little of its signal up or down, while greatly increasing the signal it sends in the horizontal plane. Result: less interference for your upstairs & downstairs neighbors, and a much stronger signal on your level.
Or get a 14 dBi panel antenna (which focuses its signal in about a 60 degree arc IIRC) and stick it in a corner of your apartment.
The solution isn't adding more power or screwing with the neighbors' access points - it's
using external antennas to send the signal where you want it to go
figuring out which neighbor's AP is interfering with your signal the most and nicely asking him to choose another channel
This should be the last resort because it is not a nice thing to do. So try all the other suggestions first.
A ham is allowed to use far more power on the 2.4Ghz band. Now there are limits to what you can do with this (which more or less exclude putting your AP on it). However as a licensed radio operators they must make sure their routers do not interfere with you when you are using your ham equipment!
A combination of cranking your power up, when they most want to use the net (shuts them off), and turning it way down othertimes until you cannot receive a signal because of their interference, and you can have the FCC shut them down.
Of course as a ham you need to check the laws closely. Make sure you are on the right side of everything.
If it's not working for you, how is it working for anyone?
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley