[MLB-WIRELESS] DLink Gear - Where I recommend you go.

[Michael Carey]

I have been experimenting with a couple of DLink 900AP+'s over the last few
months. One is set up as an access point on a hill overlooking Port Lincoln,
check out :-
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~michaelcarey/wireless.html
The other has been set up at my home in client mode with a Austar/Hill
antenna aimed at the above access point.
I have had mixed success with various firmware and find that the 2.50 (on
both ends) seems to be the most stable and gives the best throughput with
minimal lost wireless packets.
Other clients of the AP are a mix of DLink and Netgear PCI WiFi cards, none
of these seem to have any problem with communicating with the access point,
each other or a shoutcast/email server connected directly to the access
point.
However I find that I have to power reset the client mode AP at my home at
least every few days. Through the web confing, it looks like it has
associated itself with the AP on the hill but you get no IP pings, no
network access, just frustration.
The 900AP+ access point on the hill gets quite a hammering with network
gaming, netmeeting and "file sharing" it seems to work quite well, only
needing a couple of power resets over the last few months.
I am in two minds about the DWL900AP+, easy to use and set up, and certainly
the right price but I wouldn't like to rely on it for anything serious.
I am now looking toward a Lucent AP for the hill and a 900AP (no +) for the
client at my home.
Pity, cause the 900AP+ is great if only the firmware made for a reliable
unit..
Just my two cents (and a few paragraphs) worth...
Regards,
Michael Carey.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Hovel" <joe.hovel at med.monash.edu.au>
To: "'vak'" <vak at alphalink.com.au>
Cc: <melbwireless at wireless.org.au>
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2003 1931
Subject: RE: [MLB-WIRELESS] DLink Gear - Where I recommend you go.


> Vak et al,
> We (Bendigo Wireless group www.bendigowireless.net) have now established
> that the AP900+ has an issue with working in AP mode. We have tested and
> retested a number of AP900+, a number of antennas (D-link, Hills, self
> manufactured and modified payTV antennas) on a variety of cable lengths.
> In each case, the AP worked perfectly in client mode, irrespective of
> what was connected to it, but in AP mode, they are very fickle! Any
> losses or less than optimal setup (eg distance or tree braches in the
> fresnel zone) will result in major packet losses from 10% to 95%.
> We also tested my AP900 (not+) and it does not exhibit this behaviour!
> In a "commercial" installation in which two of our members are
> responsible, a link between the hospital and one of its clinics was
> unworkable and they returned the D-link APs and replaced them Cisco (no
> other changes at all: same cables, same antennas) and the system has
> been running at full 11Mbps ever since - out of the box.
> We are currently extending our tests with a Lucent AP (mine) and a
> D-link AP900+ in client mode. Thus far (no more than 700 meters) this
> seems to also work flawlessly.
> Just to confirm: we have tried both 2.5.2 and 2.5.6 Firmware and the
> 2.5.6 makes it simply MUCH worse.
> Thanks for selling me the AP 900 (not +) ;)
>
> Joe
>
>
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