Hmmmm. That doesn't seem right at all.
The wifi analyzer isn't a perfect tool, but it sure helps. For instance, channels 1, 6, and 11 are the only non-overlapping channels. We make it a point to always set our APs for clients in one of these 3 channels. The UC540W installations that we do often have a standard setting of channel 4 for some reason. . .
In the event that don't have access to a wifi analyzer, you can use your 7921. Open the toolbox, scroll down to "status", then select "site survey". It will show you broadcasting SSIDs, channels, and RSSI (signal strength). You should be seeing somewhere in the neighborhood of -45dB right in front of the SR520W, but it will degrade as you get further away. Everything should work well until approximately -80dB. At that point, I think you'll have some problems. If you click on a specific SSID/channel, you can see more specific info, including a better view of the signal strength. In this new page you will be able to see something like this:
RSSI: -30(-43,-26)
The -30 is the current RSSI, -43 is the lowest that the devices has seen, and the -26 is the highest that the device has seen. This can be very helpful.
Best practices include:
1. Line of Sight works best. Some materials scatter or absorb 2.4 GHz including wood, metal, etc. You may notice that as you enter an office where you may be trying to communicate through a huge wooden cupboard that your coverage gets much worse.
2. Other devices in the 2.4 GHz range can interfere with the signal. This includes microwaves, cordless phones that operate in the 2.4GHz spectrum, and other devices
3. Ensure that your antenna is tightly screwed onto the antenna port on the SR520
Hopefully this helps. Let me know what you find out.
Seth
