Wireless setup through cinder block walls--signal loss likely? Will it work?

[KevinMU1]

I am going to betting up a network in our church, and am currently debating between wired and wireless. What worries me is the cinder block construction of our church. Will wireless signals be able to make it through the cinder block walls? Some signals may have to go 40 feet or so through 3 such walls.

Any advice? Do I need to provide any additional information? If they were wooden walls I wouldn't be worried (like most homes), but I just don't know enough about the wireless signals to know if the cinder blocks would affect them.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ktwebb]

Test. That's the only way you'll know for sure. You'll likely be running some cable anyway because the educated guess answer is you'll likely have some trouble. If the block is filled then it becomes much more dificult of course. The thing with microwave is your dealing with many things when rigging your infrastructure, not just obstructions in the line of sight. Multipath and other interferences play a role. Power of your AP. Antenna gain and the like. If you can possibly run cable then you should do it. If not, spend some time with some wireless gear and map out your coverage, or lack there-of. Digest the answers you get here but in the end you will have to survey your enviroment to know with certainty whether it will or won't work. That's wireless. No absolutes.

 

[KevinMU1]

Thanks. Unfortunately, church budgets don't allow for such experimentation.

 

[ktwebb]

Bull. Go to one of the electronics superstore and get your AP with a good return policy if it won't work. You'll need a laptop and a client card. If you can't come up with that with a church full of people then yeah, I guess you are stuck. Sometimes you have to overcome obstacles. Did you really think someone was going to be able to give you exact answers without ever seeing the building?

 

[Abzstrak]

linksys has a power boosting unit for one of their AP's, it would probably help alot.

 

[Rwalter63]

Try purchasing one of the Dlink wireless routers that work with their new DWL800+ AP. This AP can act as a repeater so if your router doesn't make the distance all you will need to due is puchase the AP to extend your range. The AP will run under $80 and the router should run under $100.

I hope this helps.

 

[KevinMU1]

Yes, that helps, thank you, I'm just looking for ideas at this point and what options might be available that will help me.

Thanks!