Re: Difference between Linkys WAP54G and WET54G
- From: Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:41:27 -0700
"jch" <jch@xxxxxxxxxx> hath wroth:
I read a past post (possibly
from you) on a different subject and saw a table of the max simultaneous
connections a list of routers could handle
(http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/component/option,com_chart/Itemid,189/chart,124/)
No, no. Totally different issue. The chart reflects the number of
clients or connections (or simulated connections) that can connect to
a wireless router before something inside the router firmware
overflows or blows up. Chances that you would hit one of these limits
is fairly small unless you were planning a commercial hot spot or
building a public system.
The limit to the number of MAC addresses that can be passed through a
single wireless ethernet bridge is quite different. That's limited by
implimentation of the 802.11 protocol and has nothing to do with the
router running out of table space or horsepower. In the beginning
daze of wireless, it was assumed that each wireless client bridge
would pass exactly one MAC address and no more. If you wanted more,
you setup a transparent bridge, which is usually just point to point,
not point to multipoint. Somewhere along the line, someone clever
figured out how to connect a transparent bridge to a wireless access
point, thus allowing multiple MAC addresses to connect. This was not
exactly in the 802.11 standard, but became a highly desireable feature
in only some sectors. So, implementation was spotty and little
testing was done.
My little WRT54G is working just fine now but I plan to quickly bring on two
more computers and of course the 2 devices listed in this post (Xbox and
DVR). Since this router maxs out at 8 connections (per the referenced
table),
You didn't specify which WRT54G hardware mutation you're using. The
v5 and v6 mutations certainly had problems with horsepower and would
barely handle 8 connections. The V1 thru V4 versions have no problems
with more. I don't have Ixia Chariot, so I can't duplicate the tests
in SmallNetBuilder, but I've setup coffee shops where there are far
more than 8 simultaneous users and never had a problem. The
difference is probably that I use DD-WRT firmware instead of the stock
Linksys firmware.
I'm thinking I want a new router and am considering the Zyxel X-550
also from that router list. I could go with the WRT54GL but as happy as
I've been with Linksys, I wouldn't mind trying something new. In that case,
I would use the existing WRT54G ver.5 as an AP and provide connectivity to
the XBox and DVR.
I'm not sure what I would suggest. I'm having decent luck with
various Buffalo products including their client bridge. The WRT54G v5
is not my favorite product. When I find them, they get returned or
exchanged for something better as I can't do much with them. Try it
with whatever wireless bridge you select, but be prepared to change if
there are problems.
From your response above, it would appear to be a crapshoot as to if the WAP54G would support multi-MACs.
No. I said that the WAP54G was hanging erratically at 3 different
sites. All are used as point to point transparent bridges so it's not
exactly an exact prediction of what you'll experience. However,
that's not the problem. The problem is that *ALL* the wireless
ethernet bridges listed on the shopping list may be suspect because
nobody has bothered to test for passing multiple MAC addresses on
every conceivable combination of client bridge and wireless access
point available. At one point, I posted a list of wireless clients
that worked for me. Almost immediately, I started getting email which
seemed to indicate that various hardware mutations, and various
firmware versions, didn't work with various routers, each with their
own assortment of hardware and firmware combinations.
The best I can suggest is to buy it from some place where you can
return it or possibly borrow one from someone for testing. Chances
are good that anything on the list will work, but there's no
guarantee.
--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@xxxxxxxxxx
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
.
- References:
- Difference between Linkys WAP54G and WET54G
- From: jch
- Re: Difference between Linkys WAP54G and WET54G
- From: Jeff Liebermann
- Re: Difference between Linkys WAP54G and WET54G
- From: jch
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