[olpc-software] Servers

[James Clark]

> > A related issue is networking.  In all but the smallest schools, I would
> > envisage deploying some number of cheap, commodity access points and
> > having them connected via wired ethernet.  
> 
> Most commodity access points don't work well with large numbers of
> clients; their design center is a house with a few users. Identifying
> pretty cheap, access points that don't have this problem would be good
> to do.

I talked to some people here in Thailand that make access points, and
they reckoned on a maximum of about 30 users per access point.

> The laptops, even used as an access point, will function much better
> than the typical cheap access points you buy in a store.

How many users would you expect to handle with the laptop as an access
point?  Is there any inherent hardware reason why the laptop should be
able to handle more users or is it just a matter of most access point
manufacturers not making an effort in this direction?  Access points are
still quite a bit cheaper that the laptops and also have the advantage
of including wired ethernet capability.

James