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Question, what happens to clients when access points are placed on the same channel, in the same physical space? How will the clients react to the access points? I understand that the access points will interfere with each other as stated in the Study Guide (2nd ed.), but it doesn?¡é?€??t discuss what happens on the client side. Will ANY bandwidth be available? Do they try and hop from one to the other?

Also, I know can change my frame fragmentation threshold setting in my AP, both vendors equipment I have allow it, but for purposes of the CWNA test, can it be change any place else?

ThanX for ANY insight.

WiFibajan

Hello...

"Do they try and hop from one to the other?" Yes. I saw this at home with a neibers AP on 6. The client kept hoping from one to the other. And when I tunred SSID brodcasting off. My wifes laptop alwas wanted the first that was seen. Throuw put was knowing! As the clients kept roaming to the other one with better signal. Mov ed to ch11. No problem at all!

Phil
CWNA

If both APs are on the same channel, and both have a full load (maximum throughput capacity), you will most likely see that the total bandwidth of an 802.11b channel is shared between them minus about 20% from the total. For example, if an 802.11b network can reach 5.5 Mbps of throughput, that means that two of them could theoretically reach 11 Mbps of throughput together. YOu'll see that they share approximately 4.5 Mbps between them total, which is horrible throughput. Additionally, the "stickiness" of the client is what will determine whether or not they hop back and forth. Some chipsets or stickier than others, and some newer cards (like the new Intel 2915ABG) even have a "Sticky" adjustment that the user can set in the client utilities (Intel's new 2915ABG MiniPCI cards ROCK).

Devinator