Hello, > > The files they are usually exchanging are anywhere > > from 10K to 500K so that means that I could use > > 802.11b and USB adapters
I would suggest a real serious site survey before making any conclusions as to what to use and what protocol. Allot depends on the congestion of people and physical surroundings. I would tend to believe that you are giving the users Internet access, your throughput would be quite a bit more variable and heavy at lunchtime for example. It also depends on the required reliability and stability of the system. What are the management expectations and how much are they willing to pay for that level of operation. It is very difficult to second guess a poorly built wireless network. I also would stay away from USB adaptors, they have a very poor track record with my clients. I used them at first for the ease of installation, but as normal that was overruled by many nagging problems that forced my to replace all of them with PC cards or PCI adapters. It would help if you could explain the topology of the network you had in mind and the physical size of the area. I read that this might also involve another floor in the same building. that will have its own set of problems. > > like to know which AP should I use having in mind very > > basic needs and tight budget I agree with Mr. Ben here, you need to use Enterprise quality equipment. Cisco and Smart Bridges are two very high quality suppliers. Tight budget or not, it makes no sense to scrimp here and then pay for it in down time and lost productivity. I know I have been there. >>and how many computers > > could I connect with one ap. This again is dependent on the throughput required and what protocol you decide on. 802.11b has at best 11mB throughput with everything perfect. 802.11g has at best 54mB throughput, it costs more. Another factor to consider is that of interference, in any one coverage area using 802.11b you can only have 3 clients accessing an AP without some interference and loss due to overlapping channels. This is where 802.11a has a big advantage in that it can have up to 26 users accessing one AP without interference (15 if it is synchronized) as it uses a different modulation scheme and carrier frequency >>I would appreciate help > > with locations from which I could buy equipment with > > best prices here in New York. Again I agree with Mr. Ben, shop the Internet, depending on what you decide on. Cisco is more prevalent then Smart Bridges, but I personally prefer them as they are totally commercial grade equipment. I have some experience > > with home wireless routers (D-link and LinkSys) and I > > was wondering could I use one of those for my case? As we stated, not a good idea, Cisco recently purchased LinkSys if that tells you something. > > Any other suggestions would be highly appreciated. I hope that this is Ok and I will not incur the wrath of NYCWUG, but this website has a very good FAQ section and might help you figure out your needs and help you ask more detailed questions. http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/FrequentlyAskedQuestions HTH mpkn3rd/k0pbx -- NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/
