High Power Router Recommendations

[CAMRAMan]

I'm looking to install wireless in a customer's warehouse. It's being done on a tight budget. Are there any home routers that would cover a 50 x 15m (max) warehouse? The main need - apart from coverage, of course - is reliability, as it will be stuck up in the roof and inaccessible.

TIA

[tiermat]

I was asked a similar question when I worked at eBuyer.

Most WAPs will cover a similar sort of area, providing the WAP is placed intelligently.  A range extender, such as those sold by Hawking Technology should also help.

[Tewdric]

My Draytek one has 3 screw in antannae which can be replaced with larger  and higher-gain omnidirectional antennae - something I will get round to here at some point as thick stone walls and wi fi signals don't really work.  They are alledgedly better although choosing specialist antennae for specific environments is a complex, specialist and occasionally counter-intuitive science..

You can also get unidirectional ones which give substantially improved range but over a much  narrower angle. 

[Feanor]

Every time I've seen WAPs serving large warehouses, they have been Cisco 1200 series units.

That's what I use here at Lowe Towers, and I do think they have better range that the more domestic units, but I have no actual data to back that up.

[Rhys W]

[Valiant]

If they're serious, they'd want a net. I'd do with standalone router + a distributed network of access points.

[CAMRAMan]

Well, I've covered my bases by saying they should go for a Cisco set-up, but that they might (subject to a survey) get away with a Daytek one fitted with the super-duper antennae at extra cost.

[Kim]

Like Valiant, I'd go for multiple access points (preferably with wired backhaul) over clever aerials for this sort of thing.  The ability to roam is likely to provide better coverage in awkward corners, and increases the total network capacity (probably not an issue for a warehouse).

You're unlikely to go wrong with Cisco kit, but half-decent domestic gear should be okay if the firmware's known to be reliable.

[CAMRAMan]

Forgive my ignorance, but what are multiple access points? Do you mean wired network points?

The application is for mobile warehouse operatives using scanners, so wireless is pretty key to the needs.

[Valiant]

Basically you'd have a router as per normal, and wired into that I'd say 4 or 6 evenly distributed wireless gateways, which are basically points at which the wired system becomes wireless, like the wireless bit of your standard wireless router.

We have a Draytek which covers at least 17x12m, so it might be that you only need two access points but it never hurts to have extra points. 4 should be more than enough.

[pcolbeck]

Warehouses are problamatic as the stock on the shelves blocks and scatters the signal.  The best way is with APs with directional antennas pointing down each row. Usually this is done using light weight access points and a wireless LAN controller. The APs arent configured individually they are all wired back to the wireless LAN controller that configures them all and automatically handles power output, channel assignment and the like, It also allows seamless roaming between access points as people walk about. I would recommend a Cisco Wireless LAN contoller and matching access points (as thats what I know) but Aruba also do very good kit.

[CAMRAMan]

Thanks, I have made my recommendations somewhat vaguer!