can't daisy chain expanders??????????

[wpatters1229]

I have setup an apartment complex with a linksys wireless access point in the lobby where the linksys router is located. I then added 4 expanders, one for each floor....1 in the lobby area across from access point, one on the second floor etc.. I setup each one with a different ip address..i.e. 241,242,243,244.

The first two expanders seem to work just fine and I can see them from my wireless pc down in the lobby. The other two that are on the third flr and 4th flr can not be seen by the wireless pc. If I bring thenm down to the lobby and plug them in I can access them with their ip addresses.

Is the problem that expanders can not be daisy chained? I thought each one would feed the next and so on all the way up to the 4th floor. Does this mean I have to wire several more access points to the other flrs and not use the expanders?
What would be the best way?

[thats_wright]

wpatters1229,

expanders need to be able to see the primary node/AP. the only devices that "daisy chain" are mesh AP's. They can be a bit pricey and kind of tricky to install, but if you are unable to relocate/add/hard-wire any of the AP's, it may be the only option.

(w/o seeing the actual apartment complex)
can you relocate the primary AP to the ceiling of the second floor (roughly the middle of the apt complex). then put your expanders on the 1st, third, and fourth floors. if your fourth floor expander simply can't "see" the primary AP, then i would experiment w/ different antennas at the AP. i am NOT saying pump its power level up to some insane dB level, just focusing/directing the signal a bit.

if you're still having problems, some me a rough floor plan and i'll take a look at it w/ my co-worker. i can fully sympathisize with coverage issues. i'm in England right now (from the states though) and the max power output is 20dBm out here (versus 30 in the states) and we've had to really creative with covering up dead spots in these cursed brick buildings.

- Nate
CWNA
support@trafalgarnetworks.com

[wpatters1229]

We are able to run another cat5 cable from the router up to the third flr using the outside fire escape and putting another AP up there. If we set up the WEP exactly the same as the first AP but use a different access IP for talking to the AP for configuration...will that work? Then the 3rd flr and 4th flr expanders will see this AP and the first and second flr expanders will see the first floor AP...If they are using the same WEP setups then the crossing over at the mid point should not matter...right? Never used two APs that are that close and will actually be putting out double coverag in some spots.

Thanks