Many thanks all for suggestions and advice, on and off list. We shall
be getting some eval kit in for both from our existing resellers.
Helpful as always, thanks Wireless Admins!
Alasdair Sowerby
Information Systems Team Leader
The Courtauld Institute of Art
Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN
Tel: 0207 8481272 www.courtauld.ac.uk
Currently at The Courtauld Gallery:
MICHELANGELO'S DREAM
18 February - 16 May 2010
-----Original Message-----
From: Wireless Issues in the JANET community
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Alan Buxey
Sent: 13 April 2010 17:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: WLAN Upgrade
Hi,
> We're looking at upgrading our small wireless network by replacing
some/all of the Linksys residential WAPS we're currently using with
enterprise class APs (to overcome the "AP fell over because of too many
users" issues we're having) and possibly adding a management controller.
We're a small site with only about 20 APs in total and
authentication/dhcp is already dealt with by a Bradford Campus Manager.
> Anyone have any strong feelings either way about Meru products,
particularly the MC1500 and AP320s? I was thinking of going with Cisco
Aironets and a 4400 series controller, but have been impressed by the
Meru sales blurb as well as reading good thing about them in this thread
not to long ago.
> Anyone got Meru/Cisco horror/love stories that they would be willing
to share with me?
from hearing/seeing things, it seems that ALL wireless vendors have
strengths and weaknesses...and all have good things and good stories,
mixed with bad things and horror stories. A lot of the horrors are
mainly due to installation and/or confusion of features or even how
wireless works(!)
do you have an existing relationship with a vendor? you might get
better support/pricing rather than just starting fresh and only using
them for wireless.
why the 4400? if i were to buy a cisco standalone now it'd be the 5500
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10315/index.html - as thats geared
up for new wireless methods and fixes a few 4400 things that cant be
fixed
in hardware....it also allows remote access points.
for a smaller deployment you might also look at the 3750G with
integrated
wireless controller -
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6915/index.html
not heard bad or good reviews from this device...might be more
suitable for size of deployment?
really, for a small (2 dozen) AP system, any of the players - Meru,
Cisco,
Trapeze, Aruba, that already have presence in the HEFE have suitable
small
scale controller and licence packages. though, no matter how small,
for such an environment I believe you still need to have minimal
featureset
802.11b (though some may state that it should be dropped..have 802.11g
is minimum)
802.11g
802.11a
802.11n (in both 2.4GHz and 5GHz - 40MHz mode supported)
mobility (full layer2/layer3 mobility so clients can jump from one AP to
another)
security (TKIP/AES attacks, EAP attacks, FakeAP and wifi scan attacks
etc)
spectrum management (dealing with channels and allocation thereof)
mapping tools
user location /asset tracking (and visualisation)
proper accouting/reporting of AP statistics
support for multiple SSIDs and VLAN ovreriding (via RADIUS)
centralised login/auth support - RADIUS/AD/TACACS+
captive portal support (so you dont need another appliance)
RADIUS support (so you can do proper wifi - aka WPA/WPA2 enterprise -
and thus eduroam)
power management (turn unused APs/radios down eg overnight)
802.11d - support for location and channel allocation in beacons
APs that can be powered via PoE (802.11af or 802.11at)
1Gig connection on AP (if its 802.11n)
..the list can go on - i'm sure other people can add into this.
alan
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