Does Enterasys make Wifi Extenders?

[Laura]

We use 3605 and 3610 APs in our buildings. We have an AP faced out a window to push the wifi signal out to smaller building, but the signal is too poor, and we don't have any cabling there. Is there a network extender that I can plug into a wall outlet, that will improve the signal?

[Timo1]

To clarify it for all, NEVER EVER USE A WIFI EXTENDER.

You place a WiFi extender at a place, where the wifi is already bad. After adding this extender it looks better. But what happens is, this extender us a bad signal with bad performance and create a new signal. This will give you less performance as without extender.

As all other write, use a Bridge or Mesh. But same for this, if the Mesh client have a bad signal, you wireless client will habe a bad signal. Although it shows a good signal, but this good signal is from Client to AP, from AP to AP to LAN you have a bad connection.

[Timo1]

Yes, but if I see it right, the AP3610 use diplexer radios, same antenna connector for 2.4GHz and 5 GHz. Is you need 2.4GHz as omni for client access, you can't use a 5GHz patch or directional antenna.

But for other APs you can use a 5GHz patch antenna pointed to the MESH client AP for better distance signal and a 2.4GHz omni antenna for client access.

[Eric_Burke]

I agree except in the case where the weak signal (the mesh / AP bridge example) is compensated for by a more directional and/or higher gain antenna. This simple and relatively inexpensive change can make a demonstrable difference in reliability of the connection by concentrating energy into a much smaller, focused region. As for the extender - agreed - never pays off as expected.

BigRic

[John_Romero]

Why don't you set up a mesh to extend the signal over. You put another AP in the smaller building?