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Some questions about 802.11a/802.11b

C

Chu

Banned
Hello all. I currently go to Purdue University, and for us in the dorms the connections are rate limited, and the pipes are slow, however . . .

There is currently a project to extend wireless access to the internet and Purdue's intranet to the entire campus, and most of the dorms are now covered. These connections ride off of Purdue's backbone instead of the crappy resnet connections, and are (currently) unmetered. So all of a sudden I?m looking for a good 802.11a/b solution.

Here is the problem. There are two access points within range for me. One is through two drywall walls and one brick wall. The other is through 5-6 drywalls. They are both within 100m, and there are probably lots of people with microwaves between me and either access point.
In essence, I already know signal strength will be a problem, but if I can get anything close to 50KB/s I will be happy. I currently see three solutions out there:

#1: Standard USB 802.11b adaptor. Specifically the linksys one over in Hot Deals for $50

#2: Those D-Link 22mb 802.11b adaptors. I don't know exactly how they get that extra speed, but if it is something affecting signal strength . . . this might be a much better option.

#3: 802.11a. I know this operates on a different frequency, but if it is trying to operate /w an 802.11b network does it drop back to 2.4ghz (and right back into microwave hell)? This solution is TWICE as expensive as either 802.11b option, but if it will get me a more solid link it will be well worth it.

Anyways, so what do you all think? The rebates for #1 and #2 end on the 30th, so time is sorta key here.

-Chu

~~~~~~~~~~~

EDIT: Wow that was a lot of typo's
 
Here is a review of an 802.11a device. Among other things, it notes that "Much like with Wi-Fi's theoretical throughput, promised speeds are never delivered in real life. 54Mbps is not going to happen, even with a laptop in the same room as an access point -- though you will see anything from three to five times the speed of Wi-Fi. Also, 802.11a isn't compatible with 802.11b - in fact, until the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Association (WECA) gets the Wi-Fi5 logo program for 802.11a products running, there's no guarantee 802.11a products from different companies will interoperate well. "

So, 802.11a doesn't like an option to me.
 
Also, here is a review of the new and faster 802.11b devices. I beleive both the AP and the wireless NIC have to support 22MB for you to get the higher speed, so again, this may not be a particularly attractive option to you.

Most people here seem to recommend the Orinoco Gold adapter if you want the best. At 100M away though, I think you'll be lucky if anything works well.
 
Jack is right. If you are worried about connection strength and it is an 802.11b network, get an Orinoco Gold PC card and PCI adapter for your desktop, and then you can get a small external antenna from www.hdcom.com. They can mean the difference of nothing vs. strong connections. That is what I did when my neighbor could not reach my house (about 60 feet apart) and he gets good signal now. I share my internet access with three neighbors, each over 60ft away from me.

You may run into many problems with cordless phones and microwaves and such, but the only way you will know is to test it.

Hope it works for you.
 
Unless you find out your university has installed 802.11a Access Points, then there is nothing to consider when thinking about client cards. 802.11b AP's, then you get an 802.11b card. 802.11a AP's, 802.11a cards. Their are AP's surfacing with both radios but no client cards are available that have both. Not yet anyway. Beyond that, your going to be hard pressed to get an association at that distance. 300 feet is just to much to ask if you have obstructions. If the university is using Cisco 350's with good squint omni antennas then the coverage would be exceptional but 300' is just a little much to expect. Every environment varies but that is probably a no-go situation. I hesitate to say definitively that it won't work though because I have seen some very good coverage in areas and distances that you would not expect in site surveys over the last few years. I don't think 300 feet through obstructions is one that I can recall though. Even if you got a good directional antenna on your end that would only serve to push your signal to the AP. Is anybody close to you on the wireless network that would have client utility software. That would give you an idea of how large the cell was and if you had a shot.
 
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