[Sussex] Networking problem

[John Crowhurst]

On 08/12/2010 17:08, Desmond Armstrong wrote:
>  On 08/12/10 16:25, John Crowhurst wrote:
>> I have a customer that has their office network and a wifi connection 
>> to another building. The wifi connection is on a different network 
>> and a different port on the firewall.
>>
>> The current setup involves a piece of ethernet running down the front 
>> of their office from their first floor to their basement. Over time, 
>> this ethernet cable must be getting damp and corroding, and it will 
>> fail after about 6 months of use requiring a new cable.
>>
>> I had thought this could be worked around using a VLAN switch but all 
>> the machines and phones on the wifi connection are DHCP and the 
>> company wants to keep them separate, since the people in the other 
>> building are different companies they provide phone and internet 
>> access for.
>>
>> As you've probably guessed, the company is too cheap to install a 
>> second telephone line at their other office, hook up broadband and 
>> provide the service in that office. They thought it cheaper to have 
>> the buildings linked by wifi.
>>
>> What would you advise a possible solution?
>
> Before you mess around too much, and I do find that Wi-Fi does tend to 
> be very iffy at times, I would invest in a pair of the power-line 
> ethernet devices, and at least try those.
>
Sadly, not an option for this customer, their second building is line of 
sight across a public square using two engenius wifi boxes.

This was one of a few little 'projects' their technical director 
implemented to save money at the time.

Best,

John