Using 802.11n bridging for fast wireless speeds

In companies, wireless networking serves multiple purposes: Free wireless for corporate visitors, media streaming for the marketing department to a conference room, and a hot spot in the cafeteria, for example.

[ See further coverage: Is 802.11n ready for the enterprise? ]

In most cases, these Wi-Fi offerings are slim, burdened by slow speeds and poor coverage.

But what if you really need a premium connection at the fastest speeds possible running to the far corners of the building with airtight, industrial-strength encryption?

With the current crop of Cisco, Netgear ProSafe, Juniper Networks, and ImageStream products, you will find part of the answer. You will find 802.11g wireless routers that tend to run too slow, although they do support bridging, which helps extend the signal. And you will find super-fast 802.11n access points running as high as 130Mbps, but they have limited range — only about 300 feet in some instances — and do not support bridging, so you can’t extend the signal.

The speed vs. range conundrum

For example, many 802.11g routers, such as the Belkin Wireless Pre-N F5D8230-4, do support bridging, but throughput only runs at 40Mbps. Routers like the Linksys Wireless-N WRT300N support fast throughput — as high as 120Mbps under ideal conditions without other wireless signals present — but don’t support bridging, and the signal only covers about 600 feet. (All 802.11n products are designed for fast speeds but not the longest range.)

It’s a conundrum, but it’s one that can be solved.

For the best combination of speed, range, and security, the only choice is to look at the emerging “prosumer” line of routers that support the 802.11n Draft 2.0 specification for bridge mode, advanced WPA-TKIP security, and a signal that runs at 100Mbps. The idea is to benefit from the fast throughput of 802.11n — which runs at 100Mbps or more — over long distances.

Netgear, D-Link, and Trendnet are the leaders in the prosumer wireless networking field. These devices are meant for the home market but have many advanced features that work well for some corporate installations, such as streaming video or fast intranet downloads.

On the Trendnet TEW-630APB, for example, you can bridge as many as six other routers so the signal can stretch from one end of a building to the other and still run at 100Mbit/sec. speeds with WPA protection. You could put one TEW-630APB in the center of a building and place six additional models around the floor for the widest coverage — at the highest speeds possible.

The only missing puzzle piece is that these noncorporate routers often don’t support hardware VPN or other corporate security functions, so I don’t recommend them for corporate LAN access. Instead, they are ideal for wirelessly streaming video from one end of the building to the other or providing extra bandwidth for laptop users to archive their files or just downloading massive amounts of data from a secure departmental intranet site.

Here’s a roundup of the best models to consider along with details on how to configure bridging mode. Note: On most of these models, you will need the latest firmware patch for the 802.11n Draft 2.0 specification; just check the company Web site, click support, find the specific router model, and download and install the latest firmware patch.

Netgear RangeMax Next WNR834B

The Netgear RangeMax Next WNR834BV2 supports bridging between two of the same models. One runs in “base station” mode, and the other runs in “wireless repeater” mode. Before setting up the network, note the MAC (media access control) address written on the router label.

For the unit that will run in base station mode, run an Ethernet cable to a server for Internet access and connect another Ethernet cable to one of the four open ports and to a PC. (Netgear doesn’t recommend configuring the router using wireless.) Follow the CD install procedure, and then access the router’s IP address in your browser — the default IP is listed in the manual.

Now click the Wireless Repeating Function. Click the Enable option and click the radio button for the wireless base station. Type in the MAC address for the second router — or as many routers as you want to add. Now install the second router. Click the same option for the Wireless Repeating Function, enable it and select the Wireless Repeater. Enter a new IP address that is similar to the first router — if the base station is 192.168.1.1, use 192.168.2.2, for example.

On both routers, I recommend using Windows Vista with Wi-Fi Protected Setup to configure security. While your PC is still wired to the routers, go to Network and Sharing Center. Click “Set up a connection or network.” Select the option to “Set up a wireless router…” and click Next. Name the router — this will be the new SSID — and click Next. Type in the Security PIN found on the label for the router and click Next. Vista will suggest a complex passcode to use; write this down and click Next to complete the WPS process and repeat for the second router.

Trendnet Wireless N TEW-630APB

Currently, the Trendnet TEW-630APB supports bridging through 802.11n Draft 1.0. (A firmware update to Draft 2.0 is expected within about six weeks.) It uses Wireless Distribution System for bridging the router, which is actually a bit easier to configure but will only work when you have two or more TEW-630APB routers that use the exact same firmware. Make sure you have the latest firmware installed by visiting Trendnet, clicking Support, finding the router model, and downloading and installing the latest firmware.

Follow the basic CD install for both routers and note the MAC address written on the router’s label. On the first (bridge mode) router, go to the IP address of the router in your browser — the default IP is printed in the manual. Click “Advanced,” then “Advanced Wireless.” Place a check next to “WDS Enable” and type in the MAC address for the second (repeater) router. Click “Basic,” then “Wireless” and uncheck the “Enable Auto Scan” option and select a channel that won’t conflict with other wireless signals. (Use NetStumbler to determine which other routers are present and their channel number.)

On the other router that will repeat, follow the same steps, but this time use the MAC address for the base station router. Be sure to use the same channel.

Now, on both routers, enable WPA-Personal security. Click Basic, then Wireless, then scroll down to the bottom of the screen and choose WPA-Personal in the pop-up and type a Pre-Shared Key. Write the number down and repeat for the second router, using the same key. The second router will run in repeater mode to extend the 802.11n wireless signal father.

Conclusion

So what’s the next step in the evolution of 802.11n? Corporate support, which is coming this year. D-Link, Netgear, and Linksys are all releasing corporate-class wireless routers that will support 802.11n and bridging mode as well as VPN and corporate-class WPA-TKIP. And, unlike the prosumer market, these models will be rack-mountable in the data center. Stay tuned for these advancements; until then, 802.11n Draft 2.0 is the best answer.

John Brandon is a freelance writer and book author who worked as an IT manager for 10 years.