AirMagnetWirelessLANDesign

Source:AirMagnetSurveyPro+SpectrumXT

TomWoodyerSenior
Tom
Woodyer Senior
ProductSpecialist APAC
Q3,2010

Todaysagenda.
Understandthemedia
Understand the media
WirelessNetworkBasics
TypesofWirelessNetworks
Types of Wireless Networks
Data,Voice,RFIDorMixedPurpose

Whyperformasurveyandwhattosurveyfor?
Why
perform a survey and what to survey for?
TheimportanceofSpectrumAnalysis
T l
ToolsandRequirementsforSurveying
dR
i
t f S
i
SurveyProcess

UnderstandtheMedia
2.4and5GHz
WLANsutilizeradiocommunicationtotransferdataatvaryingdata
speeds.

Unlikewirednetworksthemediaissharedandnot
Unlike wired networks the media is shared and not protected
protected
Manydifferentdevicescanusetheairbothplannedandunplanned
HavetotakeintoaccountneighborsuseofWiFiandalso
environmentalinterference

UnderstandtheMedia(cont)
Sharedair
Onlyonedevicecantalkatatime(halfduplex)
Nocollisiondetection(CSMA/CDversusCSMA/CA)
Overheadondataexchange

Unpredictableperformance

Howmanyusers.Moreuserstypicallymeanslessthroughput
Air quality issues
Airqualityissues
Signalstrengtheffectsdatarate
FurtherawayfromAPmeanslowerdatarate

UnderstandtheMedia(cont)
802.11Standards
802.11band802.11g
2.4GHz
802.11bupto11Mbps
802.11g upto54Mbps

802.11a
5GHz
802.11aupto54Mbps

802.11n(LatestStandard)
5GHz(Alsoratifiedin2.4butthisistypicallyjustforhome
deployments)
802.11nupto600Mbps
Signalstrength(dbm)nottheonlyindicatorofsuccess
HIGHLYComplexcomparedto802.11a/b&g
HIGHLY C
l
d t 802 11 /b &

WirelessNetworkBasics
AccessPoints(AP
Access Points ( AP +Antenna)
Antenna )
AP
APssareconfiguredtooperateonasingleChannel
are configured to operate on a single Channel
withineitherthe2.4or5GHzfrequencybands
SomeAPshavetworadiosandcanoperateon
onechannelin2.4GHzandonechannelin5GHz
WhenconfiguringAPswemustchoseachannel
withminimalinterferenceandalsothepowerto
ith i i l i t f
d l th
t
transmit.
TransmitpowercontrolstheareacoveredbyanAP.
Transmit power controls the area covered by an AP.

WirelessNetworkBasics(cont)
Channels
Both2.4and5GHzaresplitintomultiplechannels
2.4has14 channelsofwhichonly3donotoverlap.
Nonoverlappingchannelsareimportantasthesedonotcauseinterference and
thereforedonotdegradeperformance.

5GHzhasover200channelsofwhich8channelsdonotoverlap.
MorenonoverlappingchannelsmeansitispossibletoinstallahigherdensityofAPs
withoutcausingchannelinterference.

WirelessNetworkBasics(cont)
APs
AP saredeployedtoavoid
are deployed to avoid
channeloverlap

AP sonnon
APs
on nonoverlapping
overlapping
channelscancoexist

TypesofWirelessNetworks
Data
D t
LaptopandDesktopaccesstoWiFinetworkfornormalofficework.
Highthroughputandstreamingdataapplicationswillneedhigher
density of APs
densityofAPs

Voice

Highsignalquality(Normallyaround65dbm)
LownumberofusersperAP
Minimumdatarateof11Mbps
HighAPdensityandAPcoverageareasmusthaveoverlap

RFID
Highdensitywithplacementstoprovidegoodtriangulation

TypesofWirelessNetworks(cont)
Special
considerationis
needed for voice
neededforvoice
(VoIP)networks.
Itisimportantthat
APcoveragehasa
reasonable overlap
reasonableoverlap
toallowdevicesto
roam

TheImportanceofSpectrumAnalysis
The2.4GHzfrequencybandishighlycongested
q
y
g y
g
asitisunlicensedspectrum.
Manydevicesuse2.4notjustWiFi

Youcanperformthebestsurveypossible,
definingthecorrectAPplacements,densityand
g
p
,
y
configurationBUTifyoumisssomesignificantRF
interferencetheWLANwillperformbadly
Measuretwice cutonce!

ExamplesofSpectrumInterference
BluetoothDevices
Bluetooth
Devices
Microwave
(Leaking)
(non-leaking)
PortablePhones
900 MHz
2.4 GHz
5.8
5 8 GHz
VideoMonitors
Wide Band
802.11
Jammers
Wide Band
Narrow Band

HistoryWirelessNetworkDesign
OldWay

Minimum#ofAccessPoints
MaximumPower
30+ Users per AP
30+UsersperAP
BandwidthwhatBandwidth

NewWay

<10UsersperAP
Minimum Power
MinimumPower
LotsofAccessPoints
Bandwidth(&SignalQuality)isParamount

WhyPerformaWirelessSurvey
Withoutapropersitesurveyitwilldifficultto
p p
y
determinecoststoimplementthewirelessLAN.
Moneyandtimemaybewastedonimplementing
inappropriatehardwareincorrectly.
Don
Donttwastecapexbudgetonunneededequipment
waste cap ex budget on unneeded equipment

ThewirelessLANmayneverworkproperly
resultinginfrustratedusers.
Ensurethenetworkdeliverstherequiredlevelof
coverage and performance to meet the users needs.
coverageandperformancetomeettheusersneeds.

DefinetheGoalsoftheWireless
Network
Understandthebusinessneedsofthewireless
LAN:
WhatwilltheWLANbeusedfor?
Bandwidth&Roamingrequirements

Determinesignalcoverageandcontrol:
Determine signal coverage and control:
WhereRFcoverageshouldandshouldnotbe

Understandandmeetanysecurityrequirements
Understand and meet any security requirements
Regulatoryrequirements
Typeandclassificationofdatabeingtransferred

TypeofWirelessSurveys
LiveSiteSurvey

SurveyengineerusesasingleAP
Goestosite,positionsandenablesAP
WalkthesitetoplotRFcoverageoftestAP
p
g
MovetheAPandthenrepeattheprocessuntilgoodAP
placementarefoundandthewholesiteiscovered

VirtualSiteSurvey(Planned)
ObtainfloorplanandmodelinRFplanningtool
p
p
g
EasytotryoutdifferentAPconfigurationsandplacements
Onceplannedgotocustomersitetotestsampledeployments

PreparetoSurvey
Obtaindetailedfloorplansofthesurveysite
Obtain detailed floor plans of the survey site
Understandnumberofuserstobesupported
Whataretheuserbandwidthrequirements
What are the user bandwidth requirements
Whereareareasofhighuserdensity
Meeting,TrainingandConferencerooms
Meeting Training and Conference rooms
CanteenandBreakareas

Whattypeofnetworkisit?(Data,Voice,RFID)
What type of network is it? (Data Voice RFID)
AretheresecurityrequirementssuchasnoWiFi
locations

SurveyProcess
Forlivesitesurveyyouwillneedtoobtainascaledfloorplan

EngineershouldmarkareaswhereAPsshouldnotbedeployed
Alsogoodtomarkcableclosetstoensureviablecableruns

SurveyProcess(cont)
Source:AirMagnetSurveyPro

LiveSiteSurvey
Engineerwalksthesite
whilst recording location.
whilstrecordinglocation.
Surveyapplicationlistens
to the test AP and records
tothetestAPandrecords
signalandthroughput
resultsagainstlocation.
OncegoodAPplacementis
foundengineermoveAPto
p
nextlocationandrepeats

SurveyProcess(cont)
LiveSiteSurvey
AftermultiplesAPplacements
have been testing the survey
havebeentestingthesurvey
toolcanbeusedtoplot
coveragefor:

Signal
SNR
Throughput
Interference

Createdesignreportsfor
deploymentandconfiguration
teams

Source:AirMagnetSurveyPro

SiteSurveyProcess(cont)
VirtualSiteSurvey
Afloorplanisloadedintosurvey
tool and building materials are
toolandbuildingmaterialsare
drawntocreatemapofhowRFis
likelytopropagate
APsareplacedonthefloorplan
andthensignalstrengthsandother
factors can be calculated
factorscanbe
calculated

Source:AirMagnetPlanner

SiteSurveyProcess(cont)
VirtualSiteSurvey
BenefitsofVirtualoverLive
Speed:Veryquicktoproducesurveyresults
AllowstestingofmanydifferentAPconfigurations
Placement
Pl
Channel
TxPower

Limitedtimeoncustomersitereducesstaffoverheadandaccess
problems
bl
Canplanforbuildingevenbeforeconstruction

CautionsforVirtualsurveying
Unlikealivesitesurveyresultsarecalculatedandthereforeareonly
asgoodastheoperatoroftheplannersoftware

Thank you
Thankyou
FormoreinformationpleaseseeusontheFlukeStandor
contact:
Tom Woodyer (tom woodyer@flukenetworks com)
TomWoodyer(tom.woodyer@flukenetworks.com)
EricLie(eric.lie@flukentworks.com)