I'm getting frustrated with not being able to get a decent wireless signal in my lounge room, and I'm looking at two different approaches:

Option 1: Stronger Antenna
Pros:
- Cheaper
Cons:
- Might make it easier to wardrive.

Option 2: Add another AP (/or 2) in multipoint bridge(/bridge-dedicated)
Pros:
- You could fit the stronger antenna on the bridge AP.
- In my case, the bridge AP would be located well outside where anybody could wardrive
Cons:
- Pings from bridge AP clients might be awful
( my school uses this with Orinoco based Avaya AP's to link a building to the main part of the campus, where 2 AP's are located on both sides and on the remote end, an AP is there for client use. problem is, that the pings from the remote building are outright awful).

edit: See this image to see what I'm thinking:
http://images.mcbridematt.sniperhq.net/proposedwireless.png

I'm leaning towards the bridge approach more. Also, could I use a 802.11g AP (from a yet to be decided vendor) in Point-To-Multipoint bridge with a Minitar 802.11b AP? I ain't considering doing this now, but in the future I might place a Prism GT card in my router box in FirmwareAP mode and use my current Minitar in the local wireless network.

I personally would prefer laying Cat5 cable, but there are too many !@#$ rodents in the house to warrant it (we had some TV coax knocked out by them).

Hi there,

You should have no problems using another vendor's AP in bridge mode with the Minitar. It's a standard that should work across vendor's units. Saying that though you won't really know until you test it.

Won't you be wanted WDS mode not bridge point-to-point modes so wireless clients can still associate with each AP ? Or will you just plug the AP into a switch in each location and wire your clients ?

S.

Yeah, WDS would be the preferred solution. But AFAIK I can't do that without either a) using a wireless AP in point to point mode to get a network connection over there B) laying a cable from my existing switch to over there right?
(in other words, I can't WDS in AP without pluging a cable which somehow connects to my current network right?)

Nope.

WDS "rebroadcasts" over all interfaces. You can basically have an AP in WDS mode sitting out there by itself with no ethernet plugged into it. It will take the signal from your main AP and rebroadcast it over the wireless and wired Interfaces.

For example,

I have my wireless network setup upstairs with the 54g Residential Gateway and bridging enabled. I have another MNWAPB downstairs in WDS mode. It's ethernet is plugged into a hub with two other machines connected to it. The upstairs and downstairs networks are connected via wireless only and I can associate with either (though downstairs is stronger and hence why im using WDS).

S.

Ahh good. I'll be out to buy my 2nd AP then. I'll probably use that one for firmware hacking too

Always handy to have a spare :-)

S.

Got my second one today. Config'ed WDS, place the 2nd AP in my lounge room and wham, I have decent network access for all of my house

The good thing is that I can just plug a straight thru cable in and connect it to my lappy directly (if I feel like using a cable).

I think my first mod will be to replace those darn green leds if possible - I prefer blue because I can actually sleep with blue LEDS on at night - not bright green ones