wireless network

Hi all,

We would like to set up a wireless network for our village school and will be using about 6 wireless routers placed in different areas of the school.

Should we use six different names for the routers or should it be the same name for all 6 since it's on one network.

If anyone can point us to a website where we can read more on this and any security issues that would be appreciated.

Thank you.

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

Hi all,

We would like to set up a wireless network for our village school and will be using about 6 wireless routers placed in different areas of the school.

Should we use six different names for the routers or should it be the same name for all 6 since it's on one network.

If anyone can point us to a website where we can read more on this and any security issues that would be appreciated.

Thank you.

You should give them all the same SSID.

However, I don't know if they should be on different channels or all the same.

I'd hope that should be 6 access points not routers.
Normally the SSID would be the same if you were creating an encompassing network but if you want distinct areas then different names. However with different names it becomes more complex as you would not have effective roaming about the building.

The hard part is managing to use the channels effectively. 1, 6 and 13 (or sometimes 11) are the best to use but you would need to work out coverage so that the devices on the same channel would not be close together. A programme like net-stumbler will help with that.

WPA security is a must, together with a strong pass phrase, plenty of numbers, special characters etc.

Thanks guys for all the advice. Shall set them all up with the same SSID. The members of staff and the pupils will be coming to school sometimes with laptops. What will be the easiest way to get them to use the wireless connection with the security on. Do we have to give them the pass phrase which in that case can be passed on to others?

Thank you.

Unless your school is unique I think once pupils and staff know the passphrase you can assume that the whole world and its dog also knows. I'd spend time ensuring that nobody has access to sensitive data over your wireless network.

If the system is being used by 2 different set of users ie teachers and pupils then it could well be a security issue. The only real way round that bar implementing network authentication (radius) would be to change the pass phrase everyday and not to repeat it.
That could be an administrative nightmare.

You could have a second visitors network which is only available when you choose but that again would require additional hardware and some administration.

Does that mean pointless to use a passphrase in a school since the whole world would know anyway?

Does it absolutely have to be wireless? Even if a single router, a few switches and hard cabling aren't suitable, would a "thru' the mains" system like Devolo or Homeplug suffice?