NXA-WAP200G - What is the deal

rolo

I am using those NXA WAP200G access points. I have three in a house, one on each floor. Wood frame house...anyway I cannot get connection with panels or pcs outside, (approx 40 feet away from second floor access point), in the master bed (about the same distance) Anywhere on my bottom floor except for the theater where the access point is... there is not a single point on thisa floor more than 30 feet away from the AP. On the third floor, immediately around the access point works, but not 25 feet away. In short, I am severly displeased with the wap's performance. My panels become unresponsive, then queue commands then issue them all at once...this is terrible and intolerable...have you guys experienced this same issue? What do you do to deal with this horrific range problem? Am I totally doing something wrong or not doing something that I dont know exists?(all ap's are on sufficiently spread channels, 1,6,11)


HELP!!!


Thanks In Advance

Rolo

vining

Are all AP's using identical SSID's? Download NetStumbler and do a survey to verify all AP's are functioning and at what levels and at what levels from various locations. Initial set up should be with out WEP or WPA security set. Once satisfied with set up then go with encryption.

I personally use the Linksys WAP54g's but depending on type of framing, siding and lack of window (windows are more transparent) a poor signal can be expected. I believe the standard range of AP's is 150' in free air and as a general rule only expect one wall of penetration (next room ok). You can always get an exterior omni or directional antenae if exterior coverage is required.

rolo

All Are Set access point mode, hard wired same SSID, different channels...would it be better to use repeater mode?

I dont get it..I read that everyome has such great range, an I am getting nothing...I am not as concerned about the outside, but in the house it sucks...doesnt work 50 feet away

Hedberg

If the touch panels stay on a designated floor, you might try to set up three separate networks with distinct SSIDs -- one on each floor. If you want to be able to take any of the touch panels to any floor, I would think that you would need to set up a repeater mode network. I think that you would need good wireless communications between floors to do this, though, because when using repeater mode (as I understand it) all communications to the master go through just one access point and the access points communicate through each other. I don't know enough about how the touchpanels communicate through the access points to be able to say how a touch panel will behave when it's within range of three seperate access point all with the same SSID when they're not functioning as repeaters. I don''t know how it would be determined which AP to associate with if there was more than one within range. I suppose you could watch in the TP setup status pages to see which WAP200G the TPs are associating with. Or you could access the WAP web servers to see which touch panels are associating with each WAP. Is it possible that the TPs are associating with a WAP that is not the physically closest WAP? I am assuming that a TP can only associate with one WAP at a time -- that's my understanding of how they work.

About the WAP200Gs in general: we've had pretty good success with them. We have one commercial installation with three WAPS configured in repeater mode and the touchpanels seem to work fine when being moved from room to room. In another installation, we've got three WAP200gs set up as three separate networks with three distinct SSIDs in rooms that are about 100' apart -- the TPs don't go from room to room. In that installation I can get useable (though not very good) communications from the center room to the remote WAPS. (Of course, that's not how the system is actually used.) This is in a 23 floor steel and concrete building with maybe 6-8 walls between the WAPS-all rooms on the same floor. We've even gone back on a Cre$tron installation and installed a WAP200G to use with the wireless TP because the customer's wireless network (which they wanted to be used) wouldn't work reliably with the Cre$tron wireless TP. Works fine with the 200G.

As has already been suggested, you can install NetStumbler and do a survey to see what sort of coverage you are getting. I'm not sure how the program would behave with three APs configured as APs all with the same SSID, though. Perhaps you could survey with only one of the APs on at a time. You could do a similar test with just the TPs and the WAP200Gs as the AP wireless setup pages will give you a qualitative indication of signal strength and connection quality. With just one WAP on at at time you could walk around the house with a TP and get an indication of where the signal is good and where it is weak.

Maybe you could get your hands on one of those Netgear commercial WAPs (some here have good luck with them and I don't recall anyone ever saying bad things about them) or a Linksys WAP54G (which seem to be excellent WAPS too) to compare to. If you do and your experience turns out to be like mine, I think you will find that the AMX WAP200G provides as good and consistent a signal as any of them.

One final thought -- AMX sells aux antennas which are supposed to provide better signal. I've no experience with them. I consider myself lucky to have never had an installation where we've not been able to get good signal strength right off the bat.

Good luck with it.

vining

SSID's on the same network should be set to all the same identical name otherwise you are setting up three seperate wireless networks. With the AP's using the same SSID's and on different RF channels device on the wireless network should automatically hand off the the AP providing the best signal providing the signal level difference is enough to warrant a hand off.

NetStumbler show's the AP's with out a problem when all on the same SSID and differentiates by MAC address.

In AP's are used in repeater mode your through put is reduced by 50% for each repeater and a repeater does not operate as an AP but as a repeater. You need another AP to connect to a repeater LAN >><< AP >><< Repeater >><< AP >><< PC/TP.

Sounds like your configuration is OK but take a look with NetStumbler and look at your signal levels. It may be your closet AP to the outside isn't working or isn't working properly. Just because you can connect to the AP's web server doesn't mean the RF transceiver is functioning properly. See if they are all broadcasting and at what levels and very RF channels.

DHawthorne

You can't discount RFI from other sources either. I've had lots of bizarre trouble on that account. I have a customer who lives close to some high-tension power lines (it's a major power corridor for the area, huge towers with massive power lines), and it was a nightmare getting anything wireless to work right. We went through three wireless phone systems just so he could walk more than a room away from the base. I had to install a WAP in every room that had a panel in it.

And it seems the WAP200G is particularly susceptible to RFI. I've had better success with the Netgear WAPS, and they are a heck of a lot cheaper too.

JustinC

I have installed maybe three WAP200s and we have one in our office and in my experience they don't perform well at all.

We now only use Linksys WRT54G router/switches in all of our installations.

The problem I have most with the WAP200 is that it will only hold a connection through netlinx studio for about 30-45 seconds before it disconnects from the master. I swap it out with a Linksys using the same settings and I never have a problem.

You would think a 60 dollar router wouldn't out perform a commercial grade ap, but in my experience it does everytime.

vining

Like Dave mentioned RFI can be a big problem, besides EMI,IMI problems from high power source the RFI from 2.4ghz devices like cordless phone, Panasonic phone systems using multi cell cordless, portable RF TV's, etc. I won't install the new Panasonic phones for that reason and opt for the older less functional 900mhz models.

Snoop around and see what local (in home) equipment might also be on 2.4ghz and if there's any make it disappear and once you have clean air with security off use NetStumbler and do a site survey. You may have neigbors AP's stepping on the same channel as your near exterior AP which may requirer you to shift your channels around. You'll see all AP's with NetStumbler and what channels they are all on.

Although AMX recommends a 6 channel seperation Cisco recommends as little as 4 channels.

Also, I don't think the MVP's shift or associate with the stronger AP's like they should. I have noticed that they sometimes hold on longer than they should where as a laptop re-associates with out delay.

Spire_Jeff

I had horrible results running the AMX Waps on seperate channels (The way I have always done). I couldn't get consistent performance nor coverage. I switched them to repeater mode and they worked a lot better. I'm not sure that I am happy about this, but it seems to be working well covering a 10,000 sq ft house with heavy duty construction.

Jeff

DHawthorne

Spire_Jeff wrote:

I had horrible results running the AMX Waps on seperate channels (The way I have always done). I couldn't get consistent performance nor coverage. I switched them to repeater mode and they worked a lot better. I'm not sure that I am happy about this, but it seems to be working well covering a 10,000 sq ft house with heavy duty construction.

Jeff

That's funny, because the one job where I used them, I needed three, and I absolutely could not get them to run in repeater mode no matter how hard I tried. They kept continually falling on and off line until I gave up, and put them on seperate channels. No problem since, and they have been running like that for months.

ericmedley

Here's an idea that took me quite a time to ferrit out. Check to see if your client has any wierless phones nearby. The newer wireless phones operate at the same frequency range as the WAP's. They can cause major problems. My solution was to get the client some of the older (but still very reliable) 800mhz phones. that solved the problem completely.

If they do have wireless phones, you can test this theory by completely unplugging them and see how your WIP network is working.

along the same lines, you might see if there are any other wirless devices being used that might cause interference.

I use a variety of brands of WAPs and I've always found the AMX WAP to work quite well.

maxifox

Rolo,

Can you run a sniffer on the traffic to see what exactly happening? The panels might fight for better signal between access points... Is that the case? Along with the sniffer (Ethereal, for example) you may run a Wi-Spy Spectrum Analyzer (http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/80ce/) to get a more full picture...

rolo

I ended up putting these things in many different places about the house, playing with the channels, etc..until they finally got reasonably good coverage... IMO, I dont think these access points are all that great...The repeater mode never worked when i tried it...anyway...I think (cross my fingers) that this is going to be ok now...Thanks for all your help guys...you are all the best...

Later

Rolo

vining

I was just checking out the new G card (wireless 802.11G card) which has a new antennae design that connects to the NIC via a tiny wire and mounts to the inside of the MVPs cover.

ecerpt from card description:
"Freedom To Roam - New antenna design doubles wireless transmission range".

If coverage range is critical to owners you might give this a shot. It says it also provides site survey similar to Net stumbler. I don't know how true that is but....