How to deploy the wireless Network

 

Whether you provide wireless deployment as a courtesy or utilize it as a money-maker, you can find definite do's and don'ts to establishing and sustaining a practical local wireless environment where many clients will depend on it. There's also no hard and fast rules and individual wireless access points have different features but the typical principles of AP placement are well understood. Regardless of wireless access point vendor you utilize, follow these steps for an effective deployment.

Up-front analysis is key. Have a scale drawing of your neighborhood in order to map out your AP placement.  A free tool like Meraki's WiFi Stumbler will help any environment size up neighboring wireless networks that have to be worked around by showing adjacent network names, channels being used and how strong they're being felt in your space. As soon as you map the airspace, you are able to design your own personal access point placement. Remember that your airspace will change with time as neighbors add or remove their own access points, but you are able to adjust your network as needed.

Estimate how many users are likely to be on the wireless network at a given time. If a lot more than 15-20 users might be on the wireless network at the same time frame, you'll need to plan for more access points even if just it's possible to fill the given area with signal. Wireless is a shared medium and when you get over 20 simultaneous users, contention will end up a limiting aspect in performance.

Determine the minimum throughput you'd want to provide. 802.11 a/g offers upto 54Mbps while 802.11n can reach, theoretically 600 Mbps (though actually data rates is going to be much, much lower). The information rates increases and decrease predicated on conditions in the airwaves. Balancing the data rate and number of users is a tricky process. Web and mail traffic might be looked at lightweight, but an individual YouTube video is usually around 500 Kbps. Consider what your users are likely to be doing; 10 users all streaming video might max out an 11g access point, for example.

 

Map out the size of the area do you need to cover. APs are often "rated" for open areas when distances are claimed. You could get 200 feet of good signal outdoors, but only a couple of rooms inside. Construction materials make effective wireless barriers, particularly in older buildings where metal screening was often used to put up plaster. Verification is a must. In the event that you see signal falling below 70 dBm, you will need another AP. That you don't have to have your AP blasting at full power either. If you are at an advantage, try adjusting the power levels so that you have adequate power for your neighborhood, but may also be being a nice neighbor.  It's also a great time to go speak to your neighbors that are using maximum power to see if they can change it down a bit.