Multiple WNAP210

I notice you say ...

AP1 - Hard Wired
AP2 - Hard Wired
AP3 - Hard Wired

You appear to have the access points hard wired back to the main router - is this correct? If it is, then you do not need to enable repeater mode.

Repeater mode is when you use the access point to "repeat" a wireless signal - in this mode it must first receive the signal via the wireless, and then retransmit it, again via the wireless.

Repeater mode, in my opinion, should only be used as a last resport, as the need to receive & retransmit causes a 50% drop in available bandwidth.

Foredem,

thanks for the reply so if im using them hard wired do you suggest I just switch off repeating and bridging and then configure them all with the exact same config except maybe make AP1 channel 1, AP2 Channel 6, AP3 Channel 11.

I use skype alot and VPN so dont want walking between floors to cause it to drop out.

Im using hard wired so i can use the POE on the WNAP210

Thank you again for your reply

Let me put it this way - if I were using them hard wired, I would not be using repeating or bridging (we'll discuss bridging in a minute) - the potential problem with a multiple AP configuration is dropped connections if you move between the APs - there is no mechanism in place to ensure a "transparent handover" from one AP to the next as there is in, for example, a cellular telephone system.

You probably could hardwire for PoE and repeat the signal, but, I don't think this will guarantee a transparent handover, and taking the performance hit into consideration, I would try to avoid it.

Back to the bridging - a wireless bridge uses a wireless link to bridge two wired network segments, joining them into a single network - imagine two road networks that stop on opposite banks of a river - just as you could join those road networks and allow the free flow of traffic by building a suspension bridge, you can join two wired networks and allow data traffic to flow using a wireless bridge. I'm sure you will agree it's not applicable to your network installation.

And yes, you do need to configure the access points for the same SSID & encryption key, and use different channels as you have suggested.

Forded,

Thank you again for the reply, your explanation works for me, I'll just put them in as 3 identical access points except for ip address and channel.

Thanks for your help much appreciated, I had started confusing myself with too much thought :)