Wireless Polycom

[VTCZealot]

I have a customer that wants a wireless ethernet solution for a Polycom. Has anyone done this before? I found the Linksys Wireless Ethernet Bridge that looks like it will do the trick. Has any one tried this to see if this is a feasible and reliable solution?

VTCZealot

[trapped]

I haven't tried it personally, but I did see the setup you describe at a couple of tradeshows when I was at Polycom. They were using this with the iPower and ViewStation systems for a mobile telehealth system. They even went so far as to connect a UPS to the system to make it totatlly mobile. From a technical standpoint, I can't see a reason why it wouldn't work.

[Gary Miyakawa]

I've been doing wireless H.323/LAN Video conferencing since 1998.. Back then it was Intel ProShare with some of the early Wireless (pre 802.11b) stuff... Worked very well..

I have setup wireless with iPower, ViewStation and PVX with great success.

The main thing that you MUST do is prevent the wireless stuff (wheather it be .b or .g) from "renegociating" the speed. Strap it down to 1 or 2 mb (plenty for video) and you should be just fine. I've got an old laptop in my basement that I have PVX loaded on just so I can make sure the cats aren't partying too much... Works great !

Good Luck,

Gary Miyakawa

[VTCZealot]

Trapped,
Do you know what bridge they used to get the polycom on the wireless network? What was the quality of video that you saw?

Gary,
What bridge are you using to get your Viewstation on the wireless network?

VTCZealot

[Gary Miyakawa]

At the time, we were using the Enterasys Bridge.

I'm not sure what bridge Eric was using in the iPower demo, I can ask him if you would like.

Gary Miyakawa

[Slimey]

You could put a switch and a AP on your H.323 network and go that way...

[trapped]

I don't recall which bridge he was using, it was several years ago when I saw it. Eric was doing the demos with iPowers and ViewStations so if Gary can ask him, he would know.

[Gannan]

I do wireless connections when I set up demos in older buildings that don't have ethernet in every room. It works very well.

I use an SMC EZ Connect 2.4GHz Wireless Ethernet adapter SMC2671W. I ordered off the web (http://www.smc.com/index.cfm?event=viewProduct&localeCode=EN_USA&cid=5&scid=30&pid=498). The thing I like about it is that it uses standard RJ45 connection.

They also have a 54 Mbs verson (http://www.smc.com/index.cfm?event=viewProduct&localeCode=EN_USA&cid=5&scid=&pid=586) available.

[VTCZealot]

Very helpfull all.

Thank you!!!!

VTCZealot

[Skylark]

Yes this can be done but be carefull how you do it, remember that every endpoint is sharing the bandwith and wireless LAN works in one collission domain so that each enpoint will cause delay in traffic and lower the bandwith.

Best way to do tis is to have a "Peer to Peer" (direct) connection betwine two AP and not allow any other traffic on them.

(not shure "Peer to Peer" is the correct wording , sorry im Icelandic)

[kfloo]

Sorry , i you all connect polycom to wireless. it not same as Tandberg which hava a Pcmcia slot to put in the wireless card?

[orish]

Hi all,

I set up two AP (11b) and connect two vc devices - space between the AP's about 20m. It was working unbelieveable bad at 512kbps - if a person walks through or a door made of wood - that causes such a lot of packet loss that doing a business videoconference was not possible.

Gary - is your hint (preventing the renogotiation of speed) the main solution?

Some other hints?

thanks.

[smoody]

I've been able to successfully "wireless" several VTC sessions using a Linksys bridge (and Cisco AP's) for some time now. One thing to note is that I had to hard code an IP Address on the Polycom codec, the DHCP requests never made it through (although a PC was able to successfully pull a DHCP IP through the same Linksys bridge).

As everyone else has suggested there's a lot of inherent caveats using wireless (what speeds you want to connect at, what type of encryption your using, physical obstructions, etc...); however once you address these issues this is definately doable.

Good Luck