Distance Between Aps; Multicast Rate - Proxim Orinoco AP-2500 User Manual

Network Parameters
NOTE: If you enable Closed System, you will need to inform your subscribers of the AP's Network Name; your
subscribers will need to configure their client card's SSID to match this setting before gaining access to the
network.
• Load Balancing: Enable this option so clients can evaluate which Access Point to associate with, based on
current AP loads. This feature is enabled by default; it helps distribute the wireless load between APs. This feature
is not available if you are using an ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard or a non-ORiNOCO client with the AP.
• Medium Density Distribution: When enabled, the Access Point automatically notifies wireless clients of its
Distance Between APs, Interference Robustness, and RTS/CTS Medium Reservation settings. This feature is
enabled by default and allows clients to automatically adopt the values used by its current Access Point (even if
these values differ from the client's default values or from the values supported by other Access Points). Note that
this feature is not available if you are using an ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard or a non-ORiNOCO client with
the AP. Proxim recommends that you enable this parameter, particularly if your subscribers have ORiNOCO
clients on your wireless network (leaving this parameter enabled should not adversely affect the performance of
any ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCards or non-ORiNOCO cards on your network).

Distance Between APs

Distance Between APs defines how far apart (physically) your APs are located, which in turn determines the size of
your cell. Cells of different sizes have different capacities and, therefore, suit different applications. For instance, a
typical office has many clients that require high bandwidth for complex, high-speed data processing. In contrast, a
typical warehouse has a few forklifts requiring low bandwidth for simple transactions.
This parameter is particularly useful in roaming environments with traditional access points. However, this feature has
limited applications with AP-2500 since the AP is designed for small to medium hotspot and offers only a few options
for roaming (see Limitations on
ORiNOCO ComboCard or a non-ORiNOCO client with the AP.
The Distance Between Cells parameter supports five values: Large, Medium, Small, Minicell, and Microcell. You
should set this parameter so you can provide your subscribers with the highest Multicast Rate for your environment.
For example, if the AP provides strong coverage to wireless clients in all areas of your hotspot, you can set this value
to Small. But if the connection is weak on the edges of your hotspot, set this value to Large.
CAUTION: You should conduct a Site Survey to determine the strength of the wireless connection on the borders of
your hotspot. Contact your reseller for information on how to conduct a Site Survey.

Multicast Rate

The multicast rate determines the rate at which broadcast and multicast packets are transmitted by the Access Point to
the wireless network. Stations that are closer to the Access Point can receive multicast packets at a faster data rate
than stations that are farther away from the AP. Therefore, you should set the Multicast Rate based on the size of the
Access Point's cell. For example, if the Access Point's cell is very small (e.g., Distance Between APs is set to
Microcell), you can expect that all stations should be able to successfully receive multicast packets at 11 Mbits/sec so
you can set Multicast Rate to 11 Mbits/sec. However, if the Access Point's cell is large, you need to accommodate
stations that may not be able to receive multicast packets at the higher rates; in this case, you should set Multicast
Rate to 1 or 2 Mbits/sec.
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Roaming). Also, this feature is not available if you or your subscribers are using an