Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2002 06:48:36 -0800
From: "J.R. Hacker" <jrandom@xxx.xx>
To: <schuyler@oreilly.com>
Subject: 802.11b Question

I sure hope you can shed a little light on a couple of 802.11b wireless
questions I have.  I have a book by Rob Flickenger, "Wireless Community
Networks".  This book has helped me understand some of the basics, but
unless I missed it, it seems to have a couple of important omissions.  Like
how many users one AP can support, and how far away from the AP can the
users be?

I am considering a small community wireless ISP project, with a T1 feed into
a central AP.  I hope to be able to have only one AP with an
omni-directional gain-antenna at a high central location, and maybe as many
as 100 or more fixed-location users located around the AP.

I have heard that there are some timing issues that limit the maximum
distance that any given user can be from the access point.  Is this a fact?
If so what is the maximum distance?    And is there any way to extend the
user’s radius from the AP?

The small community is located on very flat ground, little vegetation, and
few tall buildings, so I would hope I could get away with only one central
AP.

Am I out to lunch here?    Or can this actually be done?

Any light, books, or links, you can shed on my clouded thinking would be
greatly appreciated.

Thanks.