[GLLUG] Charity WiFi, a bit off topic

[stuart taylor]

> Sent: Monday, March 26, 2018 at 9:14 PM
> From: "James Courtier-Dutton" <james.dutton at gmail.com>
> To: "stuart taylor" <stuart.taylor at linuxmail.org>
> Cc: gllug <gllug at mailman.lug.org.uk>
> Subject: Re: [GLLUG] Charity WiFi, a bit off topic
>
> On 26 March 2018 at 17:10, stuart taylor <stuart.taylor at linuxmail.org> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2018 at 11:41 AM
> > From: "James Courtier-Dutton" <james.dutton at gmail.com>
> > To: "stuart taylor" <stuart.taylor at linuxmail.org>, "The mailing list for the
> > Greater London Linux User Group" <gllug at mailman.lug.org.uk>
> > Subject: Re: [GLLUG] Charity WiFi, a bit off topic
> >
> > On Sat, 24 Mar 2018, 15:54 stuart taylor via GLLUG,
> > <gllug at mailman.lug.org.uk> wrote:
> >>
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> I'd like some advice, please. I voluteer at a charity and have got them
> >> all using Linux on their computers. Now they want me to install a WiFi
> >> system for them. They have recently refurbished part of the building and
> >> wish to turn it into a meeting room for 20-25 people. The current broadband
> >> WiFi doesn't reach up to the meeting room, so will need some additions.
> >>
> >> My local pub uses something called Open Mesh, has anyone used these, and
> >> are they any good?
> >>
> >> Stuart
> >
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > It is a shame that during the refurb, they did not think to add ethernet
> > sockets in each room.
> > It would have been very easy to add wifi then.
> >
> > While wifi is good, sometimes, having a physical ethernet cable in a meeting
> > room is a great thing to have, when everything else fails.
> >
> > Now the wifi.
> > The question is:
> > 1) Will users be happy having to switch to a different access point when
> > they move rooms, or
> > 2) would they prefer the wifi network to take care of that for them.
> >
> > (2) is often preferable, but tends to be more expensive.
> > I actually don't know why (2) is more expensive, if support for it was added
> > to every wifi router, then it would be cheap.
> >
> > With (2) the wifi network has a single central controller, and then
> > distributed antennas.
> > This permits the system to determine where every client PC/Phone is, and
> > ensure that the most efficient method is used to communicate with it. I.e.
> > Automatically use the closest antenna.
> >
> > Kind Regards
> >
> > James
> >
> >
> >
> > There will be special guest logins for the meeting room, so it will be 1).
> > I did suggest physical cable and sockets, but the facillities coordinator
> > was against this and I couldn't be bothered to argue. I might revisit this.
> >
>

been there this evening and had a good look around, talked to various people and emailed a few others

> I would strongly suggest getting at least 1 physical cable to the
> room, to handle the wifi router in the room.
> You will need a power socket for the wifi router also.
> Also, if you are running 1 cable, run 2 at the same time (the cost is
> the installation, and not the cable cost really), in case one fails
> over time, you can just use the other.

ok, thanks, the plan is now, two cables, running partly outside and partly inside. i may be able to run them completely inside, but i will have to investigate a partition wall.

> Also, there are some legal requirements around phones, so you might
> need a phone in the room and patching phones through the network
> cabling is easy.
> I think the legal requirement is that in case of emergency, there must
> be a working phone nearby to call 999.
>

there is already plans for a phone.


> I find running the cables under the floorboards, or above the ceiling
> tiles is the easiest.
>
> If you can get the ethernet cable, and power to above the ceiling
> tile, you can hide the router above the ceiling tile and you won't
> know it is there.

there aren't ceiling tiles, but there is a very small loft space.

>
> The ceiling tile option is quite good, because it hides everything
> away in the ceiling, and you don't have to dig out wall sockets.
> Just make sure it has ventilation, so it does not get too hot and
> cause a fire risk.
>
> I have designed wifi for entire warehouses and there it is far more
> complex, with things like noisy machines and metal structures
> interfering with wifi.


but what WiFi router do I use?

>
> Kind Regards
>
> James
>


Stuart