Locking onto specfic access point?

[Marc_G]

Hi folks-

I've got a new job where I sit right in the middle of the building, midway between two wireless access points. The two access points are identical except for their MAC address and the channel they use. At my location, both give strong signal (>50%).

My laptop plays pingpong all day long, switching from one access point to the other, disconnecting me each time, then automatically reconnecting to the other access point. This frequently interrupts transfers and other network operations. If I camp out at either end of the building, I don't get this effect; the laptop locks solidly onto the closer access point.

I'm using Access Connections (version 3.7.1) to handle my profiles. I have a profile ("Company") that includes the ssid name and security settings necessary to connect here. How can I also train it to use one access point over the other, based either on the MAC addy or the channel?

Thanks in advance!

Marc

[aabram]

Are you sure you're letting AC to manage your wireless? Windows' own management tends to swing between access points but I've never had that problem with AC. I switch to a profile and it stays there until I either disconnect or switch to another profile.

Do these access points have same SSID also? Try letting AC "find wireless network" and creating a separate profile for both access-points. I suspect you have generic wifi profile with no assigned SSID and it just hooks up to one that it sees first. Do they have large beacon intervals? Maybe too large an interval confuses your card to think it has lost the original signal and tries to connect to another AP instead?

[Marc_G]

Hi aabram-

Thanks for your reply. In answer to your question, indeed I'm using Access Connections to manage the profiles. Windows doesn't do it. I switch between various profiles depending on where I am (Generic for hotspots in airports, restaurants etc., Home to connect to my home network, and Company to link to the wireless here at work).

The profile I have here at work, "Company," is far from generic! It includes a specfic ssid, and LEAP encryption.

Using the Find Wireless Network, I'll find two nodes. One on one channel, one on another channel. And of course they each have a unique MAC address.

However, there's nothing in the profile that seems to allow me to connect to one or the other differentially. I haven't yet found a way to specify either channel or MAC address of the access point in order to differentiate them.

If I go into Find Wireless Network, I can pick which one to connect to, but not long after that, the pingpong match starts, because the profile apparently doesn't differentiate between them. It continually picks the stronger one at whatever sampling interval it uses.

So, to restate my question, how can I set up a profile that uses either the MAC or channel as a criterion for selecting which access point to use?

Thanks in advance.

Marc

[Marc_G]

One quick clarification:

If I scan for wireless networks, and choose one particular access point, and connect to it, it offers me the option of which profile to apply in connecting to it. My only realistic option is "Company."

The SSIDs of both APs are the same.

Any thoughts?

Marc

[GomJabbar]

I would think that the 2 access points would have different IP addresses. So all you need to do is see what the IP address is when you are logged into each access point, then put the IP addresses in manually under TCP/IP. Just go to Manage Location Profiles, Edit the wireless profile, and check the TCP/IP tab. You will probably want to create 2 different profiles, each with their own IP address.

EDIT: I just looked, and YOU CAN specify the MAC address. Go to Manage Location Profiles, Edit the wireless profile, check the Wireless tab, click on Edit Wireless LAN settings..., click on the Advanced Wireless Settings.... button, and you will see where to put in the MAC addresses. Note, if for some reason you don't see this, I am using Access Connections 3.81.

[Marc_G]

Great. I'll try this tomorrow when I get to work!

I don't see the option under version 3.71 but I'll upgrade to 3.81 and give it a whirl.

Will post results when available!

Sincerely
Marc

[Marc_G]

GomJabber-

Help! I've upgraded to 3.81 but still don't see the option you described about advanced wireless settings. Could you please be so kind as to walk me through it once more? Here's the path I'm following, according to your post:


1. Go to Manage Location Profiles... DONE

2. Edit the wireless profile... DONE

3. check the Wireless tab... DONE

4. click on Edit Wireless LAN settings... DONE

5. click on the Advanced Wireless Settings button... OOPS

Where's that Advanced Wireless Settings button? On the wireless LAN page, I can enter the SSID, Find Network, set peer-to-peer versus Access Point (channel selection allowed for peer to peer only), and security type. There's a Next option to take me to security settings. No MAC address stuff anywhere there.

If I back up a bit, and go to the Advanced tab (step 3) instead of the Wireless tab, in that page there's no place for MAC addresses either.


I must be missing one little thing. Any clarification appreciated!!

Sincerely,

Marc

[GomJabbar]

I'll upgrade to 3.81 and give it a whirl.

Make sure you are using a compatible version of your wireless driver. 3.81 generally requires the latest wireless adapter drivers. See the chart halfway down the following page for compatible versions. Click on the appropriate link in the chart to get the wireless driver. I would recommend uninstalling AC first, reboot, (if necessary: uninstall wireless driver, install new wireless driver, reboot), install AC.

ThinkVantage Access Connections for Windows 2000 and XP - ThinkPad General

[GomJabbar]

GomJabber-

Help! I've upgraded to 3.81 but still don't see the option you described about advanced wireless settings. Could you please be so kind as to walk me through it once more? Here's the path I'm following, according to your post:


1. Go to Manage Location Profiles... DONE

2. Edit the wireless profile... DONE

3. check the Wireless tab... DONE

4. click on Edit Wireless LAN settings... DONE

5. click on the Advanced Wireless Settings button... OOPS

Where's that Advanced Wireless Settings button?

The Advanced Wireless Settings button is on the right-hand side of the page under the drop-down menu for Wireless Security Type.

I have a T42 with the Intel 2200BG wireless adapter, using WPA-PSK /TKIP security. I wouldn't think this would make a difference, but maybe it does.

[Marc_G]

[quote="GomJabbar]

The Advanced Wireless Settings button is on the right-hand side of the page under the drop-down menu for Wireless Security Type.

I have a T42 with the Intel 2200BG wireless adapter, using WPA-PSK /TKIP security. I wouldn't think this would make a difference, but maybe it does.[/quote]

Ah, that must be the difference. I've upgraded AC to 3.81 and my wireless driver to the most current version (August I think). My wireless card is the LAN 2100 3B. Perhaps it just has less support for some of the extended functionality in the 2200 BG. Under the Wireless Security Type, there's just empty space rather than a button for Advanced settings. Sigh.

Updating to the latest driver/AC version did help a bit, however. The ping pong match between access points seems less vigorous today. It's a bit more stable.

I'll keep on this and see if I can eventually get a complete resolution.

Marc