Specifications

Crestron Best Practices RF Products

Reference Guide – DOC. 6689E Best Practices – RF Products

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Improving Wi-Fi Network Performance

Extra communication parameters can be configured on Wi-Fi networks to improve

the performance of the network. If a Crestron access point is being used, those

parameters are configured for the network using the wizard.

Increasing Reliability

The following are some tips beyond the channel selection discussed in previous

sections that can help improve the reliability of touch screens on a Wi-Fi network:

• Do not hide the SSID (service set identifier). Hiding the SSID can be

troublesome for touch screens.

• WPA and WPA2 authentication can be problematic; therefore, using WEP

may be a useful alternative.

NOTE: Using WEP or disabling security can be risky in certain

environments. If using WEP, it is recommended that MAC address filtering

also be used. Disable security only if the site is safe from security threats.

• Do not attempt a roaming configuration with a touch screen as they do not

perform the hand-off between access points well.

Improving Reconnection Time

Several parameters can be set to improve Wi-Fi reconnection time:

• For a secure network without reconnect delays, use an open key static WEP

encryption in combination with MAC address filtering.

NOTE: Encryption provides a more secure network but it can also increase

the reconnection time. WEP shared authentication and WPA and WPA2

increase the reconnect time for touch screens.

• Use a static IP address on the touch screen so that it does not have to wait to

receive a DHCP address before communicating with the control system.

• Configure only one access point in each touch screen. By doing this, the

touch screen only scans for one network and does not attempt to look for

other networks.

• Since the wireless radio does not shut down until the power down timeout is

reached, performance can be improved and battery life can be maintained

by setting the standby and power down timeouts for the customer. It is

recommended that the standby timeout be set to a minimum time (1–2

minutes) to turn off the screen backlight but keep the Wi-Fi radio running

and connected to the system. The power down timeout can then be set to a

longer time based on the user’s preference (15–30 minutes is

recommended).