[Asterisk-Users] Wireless LANs and Asterisk

[Steven Critchfield]

On Thu, 2005-02-10 at 12:39 -0600, Mike Meyer wrote:
> Has anyone had any experience with wireless LANs and Asterisk?
> 
> We have and here are my impressions.
> 
> We configured an Asterisk in the office as a precaution to see how it
> would work for our own retail customers. Our office is open space, about
> 800 sq ft. (20x40 area). We use Snom200 and Grandstream SIP phones.
> 
> Using the latest Linksys wireless access point (WAP54g) and 3 wireless
> bridges (WET54g), I have found that it works most of the time with WPA
> encryption on, but will occasionally drop voice (loosing packets). With
> no encryption on the WLAN it seems to work without a hitch! Using a less
> CPU intense encryption such as 64bit WEP, things also work fine. There
> must be too much delay with higher rate encryption.
> 
> Also we had one bridge that seemed to be a week puppy in the litter. It
> could only muster 60-70% signal strength. It seemed to have problems
> under all configurations. Finally we positioned it such that it too
> works well running WEP 64b. I wonder if having 3 wireless bridges in
> close proximity would have anything to do with the signal strength? I
> would doubt it though.
> 
> Anyone else with other experiences to share regarding wireless LANs and
> encryption? I'd me interested to hear them.

I wonder if you wouldn't have been better off price and performance wise
to have used the 10 mbit to powerline adapters. For corded phones, you
have to be at a power outlet and you could easily have bought a few of
them for the same price as one bridge.

My recent playing with a wireless bridge semi annoyed me. I had to put a
firewall behind it to get more than 1 device to hop the bridge. I do
have to admit though that I enjoy only plugging into power for my remote
office space now.

-- 
Steven Critchfield <critch at basesys.com>