Cisco 1040AP client limit

[kenanderson]

I've been reading that the 1040 access points have a hard limit on the number of clients they support but I can't find that limit. Does anyone know? We have 4 access points and 1 881W. We have 172 connected devices and new devices are having difficulty connecting depend on where in the building they are. I know the new firewall configuration allows for 990 but can the wireless devices support it?

[russellhltn]

Good question. I tried to look for an answer, but while I found different things, I couldn't find a solid answer. I did see one link that said there was a limit of 200 connections per radio. But I'm not sure what constitutes a "connection" for the AP. There could be a IP leased but the radio might be silent at any given time.

[kenanderson]

Hmm...technically it should be able to handle 2096 clients but that isn't practically feasible with 144mbps. Either way I think I'm going to just talk to our stake presidency about encouraging people to put their phones into airplane mode or forget the church network.

[russellhltn]

At least have those who have data plans turn off the WiFi to let those who have WiFi only devices connect.

[CleggGP]

There is no simple answer to this question; it depends upon the AP bandwidth consumed by users. While 200+ AP connections is possible, if users are consuming the majority of the AP bandwidth then other users may have difficulty connecting. For example, several people simultaneously streaming videos may prevent others from connecting to (or using) AP wireless.

Any wireless device that recognizes and connects to the network uses AP wireless bandwidth. Even if the user is not doing anything with the device, network traffic takes place between the device and the AP. More connected devices results in more AP bandwidth consumed. Automatic software updates may happen (unknown to the user) which consumes more AP bandwidth. The number of AP connections depends on the number of “active” connection users; the more AP bandwidth users consume, the less users can connect.

There is an upper AP limit for connected devices, but it’s not feasible to reach that limit. Everything depends on how much AP bandwidth connected users consume. The 1041N AP may be able to accommodate 20-30 people doing light Internet browsing or small downloads (like Gospel Library content). It depends upon what users are doing on the network. The new 2.4/5.0 Ghz band Cisco 702i APs (not previously discussed) may connect more simultaneous users, but again it depends on AP bandwidth usage.

[kenanderson]

That makes sense. We are getting the new 891F firewall and a new switch, but not the new 702i APs. We have about 40 concurrent connections per AP with little to no usage, but it is still killing the bandwidth, even to/from our internal media server. People will just have to deal with it.

[russellhltn]

Automatic software updates may happen (unknown to the user) which consumes more AP bandwidth.

And I'm sure they're also checking for emails - even without the user's knowledge.

There's another factor to consider: Hidden node problem. I understand that WiFi has some tools to deal with that, but I'm not sure how effective they are or if our 1040s are configured to use them.

But the fact you're eating up bandwidth to your media server suggests there's high-bandwidth stuff going on. If it was me, I'd start by looking at how it is being used and what resolution you're streaming. I really doubt anyone need 1080 in most church settings. The next step might be to install jacks in the rooms that are using it - get that bandwidth off the air and keep it in the wires. And then there's the option of installing more APs.