[S-99]

Basically, this is what i have been tasked with at the place i work aside from being a cook and cashier. It's a big building. I've deduced that wifi amplifiers would be best as opposed to multiple routers with wds. Was also looking for a one router system that'll need to handle max 50 connections or more simultaneously that is more or less a good router that's affordable.

I just don't know which routers have fast processors and can handle more than 16 wireless connections at a time aside from stuff like really expensive equipment. I just need to deliver internet with some ports blocked (such as the torrent protocol, not a lot of people are smart enough to try a different port for this), and perhaps some quality of service. Really basic stuff, don't know if that can be done for cheap in a one router scenario.

EDIT: Meant to say wireless range extenders and not wireless amplifiers.

[Nuke]

i noticed with installations like in hotels they put access points (which were just a box with an antennae coming out of it) every few yards throughout the hallways all jacked in to what is probibly gigabit ports. i also didnt see any power connections so either it was in the wall behind the units or it was using some kind of poe. boosters wont increase the capacity at a centralized router where distributed routers with wds could do some load balancing. also having a single point of failure is probibly not a good thing for the long haul. where if your nearest access point is down, you can probibly have enough signal from the next one over to get some internet.

[S-99]

We're not allowed to plug into the ethernet in the walls otherwise i'd just position routers everywhere (military base with military internet for military approved computers, the internet for everyone was purchased separately by the staff operating the community center and will be run separately and not subjected to the same base internet guidelines and is also from a different isp).  I'm not planning on access points to increase the capacity of the router (they're not designed to do that of course). Actually not planning on using them at all. I used the wrong wording earlier because i apparently my brain in the case of wifi was mistaking amplification and range extension as pretty much the same thing i'm trying to go after (instead i confused the whole thing).

I meant to say was going to use wireless range extenders as opposed to wds. I should be able to set up a bunch of those to cover areas that need to be covered. Capacity is only what i'm worried about with the router.

[z64555]

If they make them, you might be able to use a sort of wifi repeater that extends the range of the main node. They don't need to be wired into the ethernet hub to provide coverage, but do need to be within the sweet spot of the router or another access point (so that they almost always have a signal).

In fact, I think some of the LinkSys access points had the repeater option on the configuration screen, but it's been a long time since I messed with one.

[LHN91]

You can get dedicated wireless repeaters from EnGenius and a couple other brands. Halfway decent looking ones start around 45$ up here in Canada, at Canada Computers. Keep in mind that when using wireless repeaters, one issue is that you often lose significant amounts of throughput, unless you can somehow get one with dual radios and set one to connect to the main AP exclusively and the other for the client computers to connect to exclusively. And then you lose some range.

Obviously, if you chain repeaters connecting to repeaters you will start getting serious increases in latency and reductions in throughput.

[JGZinv]

Ok some disclosure I do work for Asus, in the wireless support division, but I'm gonna tell you this either way.


If you want to go consumer/soho grade and not park to large area specialty grade devices such as the EnGenius...

One router, whatever the best that you can get a hold of. - make that the main unit.

Then repeaters or repeater mode.


If you want the Asus way of doing it, look at an RT-N16 or a RT-N66U as the main, and RT-N10 or RT-N12 as your repeaters.
The 10's or 12's are both units with a dedicated repeater mode, and they simply act as a wireless client and repeat more wireless in said location with stronger signal.

The RT-N16 is a nice unit, no 5GHz bad which I doubt you need for this application, both have external antenna jacks if you want to get higher gain antennas or need them later.
16 is still being supported and has nice up to date firmware, most of the same features of the more expensive 66U.


Otherwise, DD-WRT, with a main unit, and then use repeater bridge mode on the subsequent units. They have a wiki article on how to set this up, follow it precisely.
I've done this on old WRT54GL Linksys boxes several times, works great.  Repeater units will have half the bandwidth of the main unit for each leg. So if you have:
Main > Rep > Rep > Client   the client will have 1/4th the wireless bandwidth of the main system.

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Repeater_Bridge

Depending on the room shape, composition, what is in the way... etc, look at directional antennas or a mix of directional and omni to fill the space.


I've punched through a faraday cage like building before with 2 directionals, and thrown other signals up to 6 miles with directionals. That alone may make a
big difference in what you can do if something is blocking or too far away.

[jr2]

Ok some disclosure I do work for Asus, in the wireless support division, but I'm gonna tell you this either way.

I have two N-12s (and have bought several for customers / friends).  Great little unit; there was however an issue with some of the DD-WRT firmware and repeater mode (plenty about that on the DD-WRT Forums); however, the stock firmware, updated to Beta 9.0.1.3, (which is itself based on DD-WRT) is able to operate in Repeater mode successfully (if older firmware won't do repeater mode, just update to 9.0.1.3, has worked fine so far for me).

EDIT: just to clarify, the issue was only with N-12s and custom DD-WRT firmware, which I've heard some have managed to get working with newer builds.

[Davros]

why dont you use homeplug ?

[JGZinv]

EDIT: just to clarify, the issue was only with N-12s and custom DD-WRT firmware, which I've heard some have managed to get working with newer builds.

Well Asus's stance is that DD-WRT is not supported by them. What you do with it... well is another story.
Don't ask me why it's advertised on the box...

[jr2]

It's advertised on the box cause AFAIK the stock firmware is based on (extremely outdated) DD-WRT firmware, customized by Asus.  I could be very wrong about that, however.

[JGZinv]

ASUSWRT is not the same thing, it's a GUI graphical update and a few extra features depending on model.
The firmwares come out of Asus, not in partnership with DD-WRT.

Trust me on this, I sit and answer the phone 10 hours a day. Asus does not have anything to do with DD-WRT.
DD-WRT does have builds for some of the routers and is working on others, it's just WIP or partially "all there" on various units.

[jr2]

Huh.  Well, then, I guess it's kind of false advertising to have DD-WRT on the box like it's based for it or designed for it or something.