MatthewDK
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Too many users on WIFI bogs down network
We have a Cisco 5508 WLAN controller with AIR-LAP1142N-A-K9 WAPs.
Every other Friday, when we have our general sales meetings, there'll be 60 people, all with iPads and iPhones, connected to our wireless network. When we attempt to run presentations with web video and/or audio, of course, we have problems.
We've been told by a vendor there's nothing that can be done to address this with QoS or priority tagging on our network since the wireless devices and PCs we use for our presentations are all fighting for data and internet access. I'm just throwing this out there to see if we have any options outside of having our users turn off WIFI on their devices during meetings.
Every other Friday, when we have our general sales meetings, there'll be 60 people, all with iPads and iPhones, connected to our wireless network. When we attempt to run presentations with web video and/or audio, of course, we have problems.
We've been told by a vendor there's nothing that can be done to address this with QoS or priority tagging on our network since the wireless devices and PCs we use for our presentations are all fighting for data and internet access. I'm just throwing this out there to see if we have any options outside of having our users turn off WIFI on their devices during meetings.
You could set up another Wi-Fi router on the same network but password protected and directly connected (Ethernet) to the network. Keep that for your presentation and for a select few who need it. That will help.
The WiFi itself is fighting for bandwidth. Because of the nature of WiFi, clients have to listen before they send, and potentially perform collision detection like in the old Ethernet days with coax (shared media). Access Points having more than one WiFi connection allow for separating streams from each other. E.g. main WiFi is on channel 11, other WiFi on channel 6. Those on 6 compete with each other, while on channel 11 there are only a few participants.
sounds like you're having collision problem in your domain, you may need to setup spanning tree protocol and ip forward fast to help alleviate the problem, just because everyone in on does not mean everyone using the Internet, you may also need to setup QOS, and give priority to your preferred traffic.
So your wired internet connection can't keep up?
Wireless needs the basic wired network to keep up first.
If their wired ISP can't keep up ,then the wireless question is moot.
If it can ,then their are other wireless AP's that can be set up to limit bandwidth (Ruckess and Aruba come to mind).
http://www.option-hk.com/2011/08/ruckus-wi-fi-guest-access-solution/
Bandwidth thresholds per SSID
Administrators can limit capacity for a given guest network (SSID) as well as bandwidth per user within a given guest network
If it can ,then their are other wireless AP's that can be set up to limit bandwidth (Ruckess and Aruba come to mind).
http://www.option-hk.com/2011/08/ruckus-wi-fi-guest-access-solution/
Bandwidth thresholds per SSID
Administrators can limit capacity for a given guest network (SSID) as well as bandwidth per user within a given guest network
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If you have the bandwidth ,I recommend one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Ruckus-Wireless-ZoneFlex-901-R600-US00-Dual-Band/dp/B00PWITS1W
Supports up to 500 users.
http://www.amazon.com/Ruckus-Wireless-ZoneFlex-901-R600-US00-Dual-Band/dp/B00PWITS1W
Supports up to 500 users.
My $0.02 for you is to provide an AP specifically for presenters to stream their data.
Let all other attendees fight over bandwidth for their browsing which may or may not be work related.
Alternatively, invest in UniFi wireless AP hardware. This hardware gives you the ability to control how much bandwidth each client can have. In one client environment, I limited them(with approval) to 384kbps. This was just enough to to allow web/email access but not enough to stream videos and were able to get about 55 clients connecting simultaneously.
Let all other attendees fight over bandwidth for their browsing which may or may not be work related.
Alternatively, invest in UniFi wireless AP hardware. This hardware gives you the ability to control how much bandwidth each client can have. In one client environment, I limited them(with approval) to 384kbps. This was just enough to to allow web/email access but not enough to stream videos and were able to get about 55 clients connecting simultaneously.
Your fixed PC will be on another port without this limitation.
All the wireless will be fighting for bandwidth, but it won't surpass the 50%, leaving the other 50% for the PC (unless the PC is now fighting for bandwidth with the other PC's, then do the same trick, have all the other PC's on another switch, then connect this switch to one port on the smart switch.
Obviously, one thinking flaw can ruin the whole network, for instance, having the file server on another "group", suddenly all the PC's will get files from the server at "internet" speeds.