Monitoring multiple wireless networks

[fistv]

This is turning into issue, customer in restaurant plugged a WAP into a phone system jack, took a while to find. I now have 3 separate wireless networks here, all standalones connected to three cable modems, need to monitor them and keep track of connections. Running network watcher on my Win7pro/T43 which does an adequate job, one at a time, but you have to be connected to the specific network. Don't want to be dedicating one PC for each one. All my small form factor PC's have two PCI and one express PCI so I suppose I could put in three wireless cards or 3 USB dongles, possibly a quad wired network card and hardwire to each router, all the wireless are on Cisco 891W's with multiple aeronet AP's. Suggestions, ideas, recommendations. Thus just came up on Friday so I have not had time to dig into possibilities. Is there a wireless nic out there that can connect to multiple networks ?

 

[thiggins]

First, how did a WAP get plugged into a RJ11 phone jack?

As to your question, don't any of your APs have rogue network detect?

 

[fistv]

First, how did a WAP get plugged into a RJ11 phone jack?

As to your question, don't any of your APs have rogue network detect?

We have an avaya system, all cat6 rj45's. The wap happened to be in a spot where a POS/terminal and phone were for the maitre 'd, his podium, it got moved so I hung an AP there. In hind site I should have taken the phone jack out and just let it sit behind the wall plate out of sight. As far as the linksys WRT54G with ddwrt and wap300N, nope, do have an aeronet 1602E cane in friday all set to go as soon as the 891FW gets here, that aeronet is going up on the ceiling and being PoE'd from the 891 and the network cable pulled up with it. I don't think a customer did it maliciously, probably knocked it out and plugged back in to what ever port they saw. Played hell with the phone system though.
Wireless network watcher works over wired, now to add another nic and see how it does with two.
Even plugged into the phone system the 300N was still hollering out it's SSID. you just couldn't connect.

 

[Dreamslacker]

You could always create a VLAN trunk ports on the 891W units and chain them up just for management and SNMP monitoring. As I recall, the T43 has an Intel NIC that does support VLANs so all you need is 1 wired connection to get connected to all of them.

Throw in SNMP (Aironet units should handle this too) and you're set to go with a single point of management.

 

[fistv]

The T43 is a bit short in horse power. I kicked off two network watchers, one wired other wireless and pegged the CPU. we'll see how it does on an HP MT 3005 with a amd dual core as soon as I finish paving it over, doing the updates and adding two more nics.

 

[sfx2000]

Another reason perhaps why it is unwise to use consumer gear in hospitality setups...

rouge AP's are very dangerous...

 

[fistv]

Another reason perhaps why it is unwise to use consumer gear in hospitality setups...

rouge AP's are very dangerous...

For sure but the only thing on there are customers and the owners sonos boxes in the gym oh and a samsung 60", he finally sprang for the good stuff.