Question

Networking:

Customer has a 1500 square foot wood and drywall house, and the closet where the modem is is in the middle of the house. How many access points would you place in the house if there is no interference issues and Wifi is only needed inside? Where would you place the access point(s)?

Answer 1

3 common wireless network design mistakes you should avoid when trying to decide where to place your WLAN’s access points.

1. Placing AP’s in the Hallway ( AP - Access Point)

Location has a big part to do with it but so does the type of access point. Today’s newest standard of 802.11ac and the performance features it packs has led to new best practices like room placement over hallway placement.

Here are a few reasons why:

Channel Interference

By placing your 802.11ac APs in the room you can limit or completely avoid both co-channel and adjacent channel interference associated with older less efficient 802.11n APs. Room installation also provides a natural buffer to the signal by using the walls to further reduce channel interference.

Low Powered Devices

We always recommend designing to the lowest powered devices, in today’s world those would include smartphones, tablets like iPads, and wearables. These types of devices need to be closer to the AP to get the best performance from them.

RF Management

802.11ac has many new features, one of which is the ability to send out RF signal everywhere. Because of this these new APs have the ability to automate their power levels to avoid adding interference.

This is great but it does reduce the RF in terms of coverage and thus signal to your users. By placing your APs in the room you can solve this problem for good.

Ultimately room placement provides better performance for your users where they need it the most as well as providing ample coverage in your hallways as seen in the graphic below.

2. Placing AP’s on Walls

Let’s just get this out of the way no access point or antenna is perfect for all locations. Some manufacturers say access points can be deployed both on the wall and on the ceiling but this typically isn’t the case without sacrificing performance.

From what we’ve seen placing AP’s on the ceiling provides the best experience to your users. Mostly because there are less things that can get in the way of the RF signal, providing a clean, direct path to the devices below.

However, sometimes there are situations where the ceiling isn’t an option, in this case you have to be more strategic with the type of antenna you choose, as well as where you place it on the wall.

For example, you might want to place your AP’s on two adjacent walls so you can ensure your end users still have a direct signal path.

3. Placing AP’s Above the Ceiling

Installing your access points below the ceiling has many advantages and benefits, for example, placing an AP below the ceiling limits obstructions from things like HVAC ducts, utility pipes, and various metal fixtures that can negatively impact your RF signal and therefore your wireless performance.

Below the ceiling installations also allow you to avoid placing your APs in a harmful environment full of dust, warmer temperatures and unshielded electrical components. All of these things can lead to poor performance and potentially broken access points.

Ultimately there are several things to think about when determining where to place your access points. Success starts with proper planning and a proper assessment of your current environment.

Hope this solves your query and gives you crystal & clear idea for the same.