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Thread ID: 98681	2009-04-02 20:53:00	Wireless in a Hostel?	sarel (2490)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
761840	2009-04-02 20:53:00	Hi guys Part of my job is that I have oversight over a staff Hostel at our local Hospital. The Hostel will be part of a Hospital-wide VPN network in a year or two, but I need to upgrade our current single PC on dial-up to BB, wireless, that will reach almost every room. The building - quite old (thick walls). Had a guy in, and he quoted on multiple access points running off a wireless modem, but it's quite expensive. I also checked out www.webgauge.co.nz but this looks to me as if depends on the modem you get (as to how far the signal would go). I've got no idea of how far a normal BB signal can be picked up in the environment mentioned, but to me it's kind of logical that an old building (circa 1960) will have frickin thick walls that may interfere with the signal. I also thought of perhaps a dish-type "signal distributor" that I can put outside the building, beaming the signal in but that also looks quite expensive. I can't run out cabling to all rooms, due to the age of the building so I am kind of stuffed in what I can and can't do. Anybody got any suggestions? Thanks sarel	sarel (2490)
761841	2009-04-02 21:50:00	I agree with the guy you got in. It is hard to say without knowing how many computers (or is it only going to be one), the floor plan, telephone jackpoint location, location of nearby buildings.	Rob99 (151)
761842	2009-04-02 21:53:00	Yep - multiple access points running in WDS mode would be the easier way to go there. If set up right it works really well.	wratterus (105)
761843	2009-04-02 22:14:00	It is hard to say without knowing how many computers - 30 or so laptops plus the one PC (currently on dialup) the floor plan - the hostel occupies the top two floors of a four storey building. Straight line construction (it was a Nurses Home previously). Loooooong corridor on each floor with rooms, etc going off to both sides. telephone jackpoint location - situated in the centre of the third floor (not the top) location of nearby buildings - this building is attached to another single story complex. No other buildings nearby. Few high lighting poles around. sarel	sarel (2490)
761844	2009-04-02 22:23:00	You could also look at those ethernet over power devices. Then have the access points connected to those so that they use a wired connection back to the router.	CYaBro (73)
761845	2009-04-02 22:27:00	You would get ADSL to the dial up computer. Then try with one Linksys router mounted on the wall in the hall "situated in the centre of the third floor" Walk around and test, you will need to add more accesspoints where needed, running WDS like previously mentioned. In this mode you may be able to space them further apart, it is slower but much more stable, this would not affect the internet speed.	Rob99 (151)
761846	2009-04-02 22:34:00	The long corridors will pose the biggest challenge - wireless signals tend to dissipate in a circular fashion around the antenna, and are not good at doing "long and narrow" areas. How long is the corridor? 10-20M or so?	somebody (208)
761847	2009-04-03 00:05:00	Industrial wireless @ 5.8ghz with multiple access points.....Go for the roll royce setup, that way when they knock back your budget you will have leeway and valid reasons for poor performance.....they may even decide wireless in not suitable!	SolMiester (139)
761848	2009-04-03 00:40:00	Yeah, corridors very long, I would say 10-15 m to each side. I also got the idea that Cyabro had - powerline networking - as it only needs a few adapters from a central router? Anybody any experience with powerline networking? Solmiester - this is all unbudgeted so there's no knocking back, it's fight for every penny. sarel	sarel (2490)
761849	2009-04-03 00:45:00	How "nice" does it all have to look? I know of a school that (about 6 years ago) retrofitted a couple of classrooms with network cable by using plastic trunking running along the top of the walls. It looked horrible, but worked fine - and from what I have heard, it is still in place and working today. I guess another question is, what will happen when this "hospital-wide" network is implemented? Do they plan to wire network cabling everywhere at that point?	somebody (208)
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