Wireless Distances Outdoors Brides vs Access Points

[NPT_2]

I am looking into setting up an outdoor 802.11G mobile network using Cisco 1200 or 1300 AP's. I've yet to decide on the client hardware yet. What I am having an issue with is I have several vendors that are telling me that I cannot get distances beyond abount a mile using an access point (something about some sort of TCP/IP time-out issue). I am looking a possible coverage area of a 3 to 5 mile radius using an omnidirectional antenna, and these vendors are telling me the only way to get this distance is by bridging rather than using access points. I have not heard of this before and have always assumed I could just use a 1200 AP without issue. Any thoughts?

[gamccall]

What do you mean by "mobile"? Are you trying to provide service for users with laptops and PDAs, or for a trailer with a dish antenna on top?

In general, coverage for normal client devices associating with an omni AP is limited to a few hundred feet. Long distance links require static point-to-point links using carefully-oriented directional antennas. Can you describe in more detail exactly what your scenario is?

[NPT_2]

We will actually be serving 2 types of clients, the first are fixed locations we simply want to provide internet access to via a client adapter or wireless router and external building mounted antenna (basically ISP type clients). The mobile clients would be vehicles (SUV's, Car's, Pickup's, etc). That need access to the network via a client adapter and external roof mounted antenna. Can this be done just using 1200 series AP's, and some type of client adapter with external antennas and cover this several mile radius (line of site permitting)?

[gamccall]

It definitely sounds like you'll want to get 1300's instead of the 1200's; they're a lot more flexible as far as bridging modes and the kinds of connections they'll support. You should probably also try to get in touch with a Cisco SE to discuss their metropolitan mobility solution; I don't know enough about it to advise you.

[NPT_2]

Thanks for the good info, unfortunately our Cisco rep is telling me the 1300's will not have repeater functionality until next year, so they will not be able to repeat a signal from our existing 1200 base AP.

[gamccall]

Just got email from Cisco with a link to a presentation about their outdoor/mobile wireless stuff. Take a look at http://emessage.cisco.com/data/126378_3&LANGUAGE=E&METHOD=E&TOPIC_CODE=S2544/Key=7169.DwJ.C.H.PFbSFc if you're so inclined.

[aghoneim]

If you plan to deploy coverage for large area; you can use the AP/BR 1310 with Omni Directional Antenna talking into considration that "no more than two hops away from a layer 3 device".

Now you can use Cisco Wireless Mobile Router 3200 Series to do this layer 3 role.

At some cases you can use these 3200 Routers for the whole network to offer layer 3 at the edge and can use IOS security Feature Set for adding additional security level.

[sorvarit]

"no more than two hops away from a layer 3 device".

Could somebody explain why? So layer3-layer2-layer2-BR1310 hops could not beused, or?

So anathor reply in this post that repeater function is not implemented yet, but its there now. My problem is that devices connected to a workgroup bridge (ethernet int) that use the repeater seems to be disconnected.

Orjan