Wireless Network Only Allows 14 Users

Have been a reader for awhile, excellent help around here, hopefully you can assist me with this one.

Have a wireless network using a Linksys SRX400 router. All PC's and laptops are connecting wirelessly, nothing on the wired ports. As I was adding PC's, some users began losing connection. It the problem did not stay with the same users as each day went by. I tested a therory where I powered down one PC and another PC would find the router and connect. In the DHCP client list shows 14 users connected although a couple of times it did issue more than 14 IP's in one day.

DHCP is set for 30 users, although I have changed this to 40 and 50 in hopes of fixinig. All PC's running WinXPSP2. Almost all PC's have Linksys SRX PCI cards. One using USB and two laptops using internal wirelees cards. Linksys support is not coming up with any solutions. Any clues as to what's going on and how to solve?

 

Did you reboot the router after making the changes? Most likely it could be that you are maxing out the router with the connections you have, especially if doing file sharing, or intinse tasks.

 

Have rebooted/reset the router multiple times. Only using it for Internet traffic for each PC users, no file sharing going on.

Router is connected to a T-1 line that balances Internet traffic with phone lines, so throughput is always changing based on phone traffic. Max users for the router are listed as 253, but I need around 20 connected at the same time.

 

You most likely found the limitation of the router. Majority of WiFi routers out there for consumers have a max connections allowed for computers connected at the same time. 20 sounds like the max on this router. I would look at a Business grade WiFi router, then a Consumer grade at this point.

 

I wish 20 was the max, but I am stuck at 14.

 

Depends on what the speed of all connections. Some are 15, others are 20.

 

Doing a quick search, you will only be limited to a max of 15 users. Looks like you will have to find either a Business grade WiFi router, or, go with a Hotspot or Mesh solution.

 

Ah....Do you have a link or somewhere I can reference this for the higher-ups in my office?

 

I did a search. What it comes down is that you are going to have to have more then one device for users to connect to. My question is, why would your office go with a interface that is going to give more trouble then Wired?

Personally I would use WiFi in a area such as a conference room, not for every user to connect to, due to one your VPN connections are limited, two WiFi causes more headaches for the fact that you are not getting 54mbps for all users.

What happens is that the connection is split by all simultaneous connections, and if there is file transfer happening, you end up bottlenecking and causing all the others to end up either getting disconnected, or the connection will freeze.

This is a known fact with WiFi, and the fact is that it only works if you have enough devices to not kill the network.

 

This post on DSLReports.com is from real use of a Linksys SRX router, and the findings where not that great: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15277262

 

Well, considering the owner of this office just moved from a dial-up that achived 31.2K because of pair gains, this is a quantum leap for us. There is an Intranet already installed and using the wired space. The Intranet company advised the owner that they could piggyback to T-1 signal on the existing CAT5 cabling. The owner decided not to do that and definately did not want to "re-wire" for another connection. He had heard about "wireless", pointed at me and said make it happen! I'm just trying to make the best out of what little budget they throw at me and go from there.

Although the Linksys SRX400 is a consumer level product, all PC's are connected at 108mbps and if I use the SRX PCIMIA card for the laptop, it gets 240mbps. The T-1 is piping out at 1.5mbps, so I would figure the bottleneck would occur on the T-1 end and not the router. Why would the DHCP allow up to 253 users when you can't get 10% of that online at the same time?

(BTW, thanks for taking time with this. I am by no means an expert when it comes to networking or wireless, but I would like to think I know a little more than the average bear.)

 

DHCP allows for Wired users of up to 253 at the lowest mbps (1mb). I would start looking at possibly Zxyel routers, due to better in the long term. Also as for the owner wanting WiFi, that me and you could sit here and argue the good and bad points, and probalby come to an agreement.

I would at this point, get with a Networking consultant, explain what you are wanting to do, and they will most likely state that WiFi would be the poorest choice in an office environment (Hotspots it is okay, because users are browsing the Internet, getting their email, and pretty much nothing else), where as in an office environment, you have users moving files between desktop and servers, sharing files, VPN connections to other outside vendors or satellite offices, simultaneous email retrival from exchange servers.

What this comes down is that doing it as one person is not the best route, and getting with a consultant that knows this field would be the best part, or you may end up getting in a situation where the owner will find that you cannot handle it, and end up causing you grief.

 

I forgot to add, that with SRX, you are using multiple channels, and saturating the channels to the point that you can only have a small amount of users. If 802.11G, then you can get more users, due to they are only using one channel.

 

Already have a conference call scheduled for Monday! The only thing being done via the wireless is Internet Access. No one is configured to share files, desktops or anything else.

Thanks again for your time with this. It's got me looking in other directions at least!