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Can an 802.11g access point happily coexist with an 802.11b access point if they are on different channels (e.g. 1 and 11)? I'd like to get the benefits of 802.11g for some clients on my home network without having to upgrade all of the clients from 802.11b. Wondering if limiting the g and b devices to their own channels will do the trick.
The answer to this question seems obvious, but my understanding of the issues is limited, so I'm hoping that someone more knowledgeable than me will let me know if the obvious answer is correct.
Thanks for the help
That should work just fine if you have the channels separated like that. If you are using Windows XP, you may have to turn off the automatic config utility and use the drivers/configuration software that came with the wireless card. It might help keep the clients from hunting and then trying to connect to the strongest AP all the time.
impartial
03-16-2004, 07:24 PM
I know it may sound weird, but some AP's let you select the data rates you offer to your clients. This way you can keep the B clients on the B radio and the G clients on a G radio.
Of course you could always set each AP's SSID to non-broadcast and use different SSIDs for each radio, but that'll just be a bandage.
Keeping the channels to non-overlapping is a must.
If you need more specific help, post the type of AP you are using.
Impartial, not trying to be a butthead, but I thought it important to maybe clear something up in your post. Using different SSID is alright to do, but it really will not affect anything. It is the non-interfering channels that makes it work.
As for the AP not broadcasting the SSID, that is an issue. It will actually decrease the throughput bandwidth. The reasoning is that you are then requiring the clients to increase the number of active request frames to find the AP they want to associate with. This increase in activity is of course dependent on the number of clients, but it has no benefit from being turned off. If there are enough clients it will really affect the throughput.
The real reason I write about this all the time, is because many people disable the broadcast to help security. It is of no real value in that respect and as I tried to explain it hurts the system performance. This link will explain it better than I can. The writer is a huge guru in the wireless field:
http://www.icsalabs.com/html/communities/WLAN/wp_ssid_hiding.pdf
impartial
03-16-2004, 09:11 PM
I liked the article, the information is all well known and nothing new (in fact I have posted on this forum about the ease of finding hidden SSIDs), but I found it lacking in statistics to back up the diminished bandwidth issue. Perhaps someone has some data?...
That being said, that's why I called it a bandage and not a end all cure all. I don't think I misrepresented or implied anything. The point of the post is to seperate the clients, not impose security measures. That's a whole other post.
I have a lot of clients who use the specific data rates to seperate the B from the G clients. It works well, non-broadcast SSID and all.