WiFi Issues at the Office

[jleboeuf]

WiFi Issues @ my Office:

Hello! I am a PC Technician for our organization and we just started to Rollout WiFi at our regional hub. First here are the details of my configuration:

Our network is setup w/ STATIC IP Addresses. I have defined a DHCP range that will be used by wireless clients. Wireless roaming clients (notebooks) will be using the DHCP. Desktops will be using the standard STATIC configuration. I have (2) cat5e cables coming from the Wireless Router into our Cisco 2600. One via a lan port (so the DHCP clients can talk to other machines on the network) and one via the WAN port (so that DHCP clients will route external information through the gateway).

Here is my experimental hardware:

(1) a.k.a. (a)Linksys WRT54G 2.4g Wireless Router
(1) a.k.a. (b)Toshiba notebook using internal Mini-WAN 802.11b WiFi Card
(2) a.k.a. (c)Toshiba notebooks using 3com OfficeConnect 802.11b WiFi Card(s)

Here are my experimental issues:

When using the Toshiba w/ the internal card. I have no issues anywhere in my building. I can use any/all applications w/o problems and can install programs from my internal server w/o issues. Unit is brand new and is using Windows XP

When using the Toshiba notebooks (2-3 years old) running Windows XP with these cards no matter how close to the router I have intermittent issues no matter how close I am to my Access Point. Everytime I click on something that uses the WiFI connection; it drops after 2-3 links into anything. My telnet program works but is disonnected shortly as well.

I am not sure if there is a compatibility problem w/ the PCMCIA cards and the Linksys Router, or if there is a software glitch between Windows XP and the cards. I have used these cards in another environment w/ Windows 98 machines and have had no issues w/ the same router.

Any and all ideas are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[mboy]

Since this is for business, how do you plan on securing it after you get it deployed? Your company does realize that unless they are using Ipsec or some of the new, expensive switch based security that they will have an extremely insecure network right?
ANyway, the next step would be to try one of the PCMCIA cards in the new toshiba while disabling it's built in wifi and see what happens. Could be the 3com drivers for XP suck or you don't have the latest ones.

 

[jleboeuf]

Are you saying that 128-bit WEP isn't secure enough? I have tried the most recent 3com drivers; although there is an update to the firmware i may try. Thanks again, and please let me know if you see any security issues. Thanks.