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MVP5200 Networking Issue

sonnysonny Posts: 208
in AMX Control Products
Hoping one of you wireless gurus out there may offer some insight into an issue I'm having. The environment is a high-rise residential building, single floor unit (about 2500 sq ft). We have an MVP5200 at each end of the unit. Wireless is 2 Cisco WAP200 with WPA2, one channels 11 & 1. Additionally there is an Apple Time Machine with matching profile on channel 6. It is in an office that is pretty isolated. 5200's have static IP, no encryption or security on Master communications. Core of the network is a Cisco 24 port switch with a Linksys VPN router.

The panels are requiring reboot a couple of times a day. They show to still be connected to the WAPs (good signal), but cannot be pinged. Resetting either the WAP or the MVP resets the connection. The panels are typically docked in a table top when not in use. The client undocks and has no connection to the master. Nothing suspicious in WAP's log.

There is wireless in adjacent units, although I haven't done a full assessment for channel interference. Although there is no problem once the panel is re-started. All tech support could come up with was some sort of WPA timeout?

Any thoughts, tips, ideas are certainly appreciated!!

Thanks, Sonny

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    ericmedleyericmedley Posts: 4,177
    Even though the panels show being connected to the WAP doesn't mean it's a good connection. Neighboring WAPs on the same broadcast channel might be causing enough interference to slow or stop altogether the data transfer. It's kind of like the picket-fencing you get when driving between large cities on your FM Radio. You get two stations jumping back and forth but both sound fine when they're on for the few seconds before switching.

    You might have enough connection time to keep the session alive on the WAP but not enough to actually transfer any data. I'd recommend doing a RF scan and then you'll know more about what's going on. You'll need something like MetaGeek, not just a WiFi finder.

    If you're in a MDU and they don't monitor/control client WiFi, I'm afraid you're in for a long day. MDU's are notorious for having terrible problems with WiFI.
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    DHawthorneDHawthorne Posts: 4,584
    Make sure neither your Time Machine or WAP are using 802.11n. N has a broader spectrum, and tends to step all over the rest of the bandwidth, and AMX doesn't yet support it. A neighbor running N may be more problematic.
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    the8thstthe8thst Posts: 470
    First use a wifi analyzer to see how much noise and interference is floating around on channels 1,6,11. If there doesn't look like much interference try switching the wireless security to WEP.

    I was having the same issue with some HP Procurve access points and AMX Engineering told me the wireless cards in the 5200 panels are not the best and they sometimes get confused with the extra overhead from WPA encryption.

    I ended up switching the wireless network out to an AMX/Ruckus system with a zone director and 3 APs using WPA encryption and haven't had problems since, but AMX did say WEP should be more reliable.
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    DHawthorneDHawthorne Posts: 4,584
    I have had some success with switching to WEP in a noisy environment, but WPA works fine if there is nothing else going on.

    Another thing you might try is getting rid of the Ciscos and put in an Apple Extreme in. I'm no great Apple fan, but I have to admit this is a nice WAP with very good range. Then you can use the Time Machine to extend the Extreme, or even link more than one off the other. Overall you may be able to have less transmitters on the job, which can't be bad, and a single wireless network, instead of several with the same SSID. Having multiple wireless networks like that really only works well if there is little to no overlap, otherwise you can get a machine on the boundaries blipping in and out as it decides which to connect to.
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    elsap213elsap213 Posts: 12
    I'm having some problems too with MVP 5200 in a house that has 5 Apple Airports. The panels go disconnect from the master. When I enter in the wireless connection I can see the connection to the network but I always have to reset the master to get connection. Also everytime that happend the Router that is from Apple too (Extreme) ha a orange light and not the green that should have.

    Has anyone know anything that could help??

    Thank you.
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