Router and WAP install this weekend

[harddrive]

I just want to take a minute to let you know about my experience with installing a Cisco 881W and 1041n wireless access point (WAP).

My building was built in stages over the years. the original building was built in mid-1970's and is all concrete block and brick on the outside. This also had a room that was designed as our waste water treatment room. Eventually this room became our FHC since late 2003. This is also where our Internet connection comes into the building. It is provided by Comcast.

In the mid 1980's, we were able to finally have our addition added, which made our building a phase 3 building. This section was stick built with red brick on the outside.

This past Friday, i went in and installed the 881W and it went off without a hitch. I knew that I was going to have to use one 1041N WAP. I had another building in my stake, very similarly design, but all brick and I put a d-link in there and was able to cover the entire building.

The 1041n was automatically set up and good to go quicker than the router. So I figured that I could get away with the one WAP and the 881W, but boy was I wrong.

I was told by my previous stake president that he wanted us to use wireless on the clerk computers and there are 2 in this building. So with the old setup, I was fine and it had 4 wireless access points in the building using the aironet 1200 series.

One of the clerks offices is about 50' from the FHC, and it would not find the signal for the 881W and it was having a very difficult time with one from the foyer that was again about 50 feet away.

So I had to put a second one outside the primary room and the hall heading past the bishop's offices. Even then I get a fair signal on the clerk's computer. I thought I could cover the rest of the building with the WAP in the foyer outside of the chapel. I tested it with a streaming video and everything seemed fine.

However, I have a CES employee that has his office at the end of the hallway about 75 plus or minus feet from the WAP in the foyer. He could not get a signal at all.

The interesting part is that he told me that the FHC is suppose to have it's own connection, the bishops' have another and the CES have a third. This was the first that I heard anything like that and not sure if that is covered anywhere in this WIKI.

I want to use as few WAPS as possible to give good coverage to the building. I don't feel like this building needs 4 Wireless access points (this includes the 881W) to cover this building. I feel like I should be able to get by with 3 and possible 2, but in this case it will be a minimum of 3 and I might be going for 4.

So the information that I was provide from my CES person was interesting. Also to help out with Wireless signals, there is an app that you can get for the Andrioid phone that is called Wi-Fi Analyzer that I HIGHLY recommend anyone to get. It showed me a lot. I don't have that type of phone, but there are wi-fi analyzer for Windows and I have installed them on my laptop. They tell you the signal strength, channels and so much more to help to place the WAPS in the best place to cover the entire building.

My plan for tonight is to move the two WAPS I have in there now and see if I can cover the entire building with just the two, if not, then I will be putting the fourth in. One question that I have is the white noise that is outside of the bishops' office potentially causing issues? Also how about speakers in the buildings because of the magnet that is in them?

Thanks for reading and I hope that someone can get some help out of my post.

[russellhltn]

The interesting part is that he told me that the FHC is suppose to have it's own connection, the bishops' have another and the CES have a third.

I'd sure like to see where he got that information. If it was me, I'd tell him "The STS isn't responsible CES stuff, so if you're not supposed to share ours, you need to go though CES to get yours." and then see how he does. See if he can sell the FM group on that.

One question that I have is the white noise that is outside of the bishops' office potentially causing issues? Also how about speakers in the buildings because of the magnet that is in them?

No worse then any other chunk of metal in the ceiling. Given the size, probably not much. I'd worry more about rebar and air ducts.

[harddrive]

I'd sure like to see where he got that information. If it was me, I'd tell him "The STS isn't responsible CES stuff, so if you're not supposed to share ours, you need to go though CES to get yours." and then see how he does. See if he can sell the FM group on that.



No worse then any other chunk of metal in the ceiling. Given the size, probably not much. I'd worry more about rebar and air ducts.

thanks Russell, I will add to that insulation.

[russellhltn]

thanks Russell, I will add to that insulation.

If it has foil backing. I don't think fibreglass would make any difference.

[aebrown]

The interesting part is that he told me that the FHC is suppose to have it's own connection, the bishops' have another and the CES have a third. This was the first that I heard anything like that and not sure if that is covered anywhere in this WIKI.

That alleged policy is not covered in the wiki because it is contrary to specific instructions we have been given before. Although the ASA 5505 firewall is no longer the default firewall, its installation guide said (right at the beginning, on page 1):

NOTE: If a Church-managed firewall or wireless network for Internet use is already in the building, contact the facility manager to share the existing service.

It is Church policy to share existing filtered Internet connections between ecclesiastical units (wards, stakes, districts, and branches) and field office units (family history centers, seminaries and institutes, facilities management offices, LDS Employment Resource Centers, etc.).

That clearly states that Church policy is to have just one connection per meetinghouse, and that policy has not been retracted or superseded, as far as I know.

[harddrive]

If it has foil backing. I don't think fibreglass would make any difference.

Russell the insulation in the building has a foil backing which is pointing down towards the floor and it does degrade the signal.

I went back in and I ended up adding the 3rd WAP to cover the entire building and to make sure that the two clerk computers were still on.

There is plans in the future to hardware the 2 clerk computers for future webcasting receivers. Then I will probably take one of the WAPS out at that time, but we will see.

AEBrown, I think he was meaning that there should be a separate access points, either wireless or hardwired for each of the areas in the building, namely FHC, CES and bishop, not multiple Internet connections.

[johnshaw]

i believe there is an additional vlan required for FM.. dont know about about ces

[harddrive]

i believe there is an additional vlan required for FM.. dont know about about ces

John as far as I know there is no additional VLAN for FM. If there was then things would have to have changed when I put the new router in. I put it in at their office and they actually connect to church HQ using VPN access, not their own dedicated VLAN.

[aebrown]

AEBrown, I think he was meaning that there should be a separate access points, either wireless or hardwired for each of the areas in the building, namely FHC, CES and bishop, not multiple Internet connections.

Last time I checked, wireless signals did not respect physical boundaries between different entities in a building, so that's a strange use of the word "connection." But I could see how he might have meant that each entity should have a wire running to it. I still doubt that's in any general policy instructions, but if for his particular building he'd like to make that request and the FM group is happy to pay for it, then he might get what he wants.

[Aczlan]

John as far as I know there is no additional VLAN for FM. If there was then things would have to have changed when I put the new router in. I put it in at their office and they actually connect to church HQ using VPN access, not their own dedicated VLAN.

There may be a separate VLAN for FM to remotely control network enabled HVAC systems and other such devices, but not for their general internet use.

Aaron Z