Can wireless access points have the same SSID?

Question

In my network at work I want to have wireless but our property is larger than one access point can handle. With multiple access points is there any downside to giving them all the same SSID so the computer system picks them up when they come into range? In the beginning they all had different SSIDs but we are using Windows 2000 and it doesnt automatically hop wireless networks like Windows XP. If I give the WAPs all the same SSID once Windows 2000 connects to one of them it will connect to all of them, correct?

Answer 1

Some of the answer depends on your AP's. The other part depends on the network.

If all of the AP's are on the same subnet and using the same gateway this usually works well. The client computers will pick up the strongest AP (just like cellular and switch to it.) Be sure you only have ONE DHCP server for ALL AP's! Do not enable DHCP on each access point just on the gateway!

Some of the better AP's (Orinoco, Motorola, Aviya, Smart Bridges, etc) will actually do this very well since they are designed for that... others don't do as well a lot depends on the firmware in the AP but this does work. If you are "encrypted" you have to set the same information / key on each (and it will cause some issues sometime).

Answer 2

We've done this exact thing at multiple locations. As we carry a laptop across the campus, it begins to lose one signal, then picks up the other as it comes into range. Never once had an issue.

Answer 3

They can have the same name, but that will be your problem to access. The difference is the MAC address of each of them. They're different.

Good Luck,

Answer 4

yes you can, but prefer not as each has it's own MAC address, which will confuse client devices.

try using similar names

Answer 5

conflicts of ssid?

mercury of love