Most, if not all, client adaptors are pre-programmed to search for the best network first by the NIC manufacturer. So when someone turns on their laptop, the first network a NIC card will scan for is 802.11a, then 802.11g and finally (sigh) 802.11b.
Good points by all in this topic... On another point, if you really want to reduce the amount of 'trouble tickets', you should adopt policies that require a user to use approved wireless NIC cards only, and use them on a perferred network (as Nolan is doing per previous email). This is really just an extension of making them use certain authentication mechanisms to access the network so that'others' don't infect and cause issues with your network. Well, if you can dictate that only enterprise class NIC devices are used to access the network, and also that the devices 'prefer' a better performing network such as 802.11a over 'b/g', you will create a better environment for all. At the other extreme, if you allow them to bring 'cheapo' NIC devices they buy at Best Buy that can pollute the spectrum and only work in the 2.4 Ghz range where the spectrum is crowded already, you will raise the trouble ticket noise without realizing it. My two cents of course... -----Original Message----- From: King, Michael [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Fri 2/24/2006 8:40 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] 802.11a How do you make them prefer A? ________________________________ From: Nolan Banks [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 9:24 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] 802.11a Here at FHSU we just finished deploying 250+ AP's to cover the majority of our campus. We enabled 802.11 A/B/G on our network with the understand that the majority of our students will be using B/G. However we are purchasing all university laptops to be A/B/G and are setting them to prefer 802.11 A If anything this well help with load on the network, by not having university owned machines and student machines competing for bandwidth. I don't foresee any additional support problems from deploying A. I consider the additional amount of channels to provide more separation to be a great feature of A. Nolan Banks FHSU Wireless Network Administrator (785) 628-5688 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ********** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/. ********** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/. ********** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/.
