Add an AP

Add an AP
Adding another AP (or two) can greatly increase your signal coverage,
as shown in Figure 18-2. The great thing about wireless is that it’s fairly
portable — you can literally plug it in anywhere. The main issues are getting
power to it and getting an Ethernet connection (which carries the data) to it.
Coverage by three Access Points – Strong combined signals
Figure 18-2:
Three APs
provide
a much
stronger
signal than
a single AP.
The first item is usually not a problem because many electrical codes require
that in a residence, a power outlet should be placed every eight feet. However,
if you’re mounting an AP high up on a wall, you might not want an electrical
power jack running to the spot. In that case, you might consider getting an AP
that supports a power over Ethernet (Power Over Ethernet; POE) option,
which delivers power to run the unit over the same wiring as carries the data
signal, meaning that only one Cat 5e (standard Ethernet cabling) wire has to
be run to where you want your AP to be.
Leviton also has a neat product called the PowerJack (www.leviton.com/
sections/prodinfo/newprod/powerjack/powerjack.htm; $25) that allows
you to hide the power cable behind a four-conductor RJ-11 jack, avoiding that
AC adapter cable strung across the wall as well. However, Leviton doesn’t yet
have a version for an eight-conductor RJ-45 jack, but we expect one soon.
Check the Leviton site to see whether one is available — and get one of these if
you have problems with an AC adapter cable with your cordless phone as well
because they’re great.
The second issue (getting the Ethernet connection to your access point) used
to be a matter of running all sorts of wiring around the house, but depending
on the actual throughput that you’re looking to provide, you might be able to
set up another access point by using the HomePlug, Home Phone Networking
Alliance (HPNA), or even wireless repeater functionality that we mention in
Chapter 3 and elsewhere in this chapter. We’re not going to repeat those
options here, but know that you have those options when moving away
from your office or other place where a lot of your network connections are
concentrated.
After you get the connectivity and power to the place you want it, what do you
need to consider when installing a second access point? Choose the right channel:
If you have auto channel selection in your AP, you don’t need to worry
about this because your AP’s smarts will handle it for you. If you’re setting this
manually, don’t choose the same channel that your other AP is set to.
Be sure to heed the previous advice about multiple access points on the
same or nearby channels. Make sure that you have proper spacing of your
channels if you have 802.11b or 802.11g access points (which have overlapping
bands). Read “Change Channels” earlier in this chapter for more information
on channels.