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Access Point Positioning

348865
Level 1
Level 1

Am struggling with a couple of things regarding Access Points to cover a space of 100 by 100 meters.

I am thinking of using 802.11g AP which covers 55 meters.

Will 2 of the above AP cover the space and where do i position them.

Also, is it better to use 2 Access Points or 1 AP and a Bridge and what are the difference between the two set up.

1 Accepted Solution

Accepted Solutions

Ric Beeching
Level 7
Level 7

APs don't cover a set amount of space due to a number of factors such as:

  1. Is the AP on the ceiling or wall.
  2. How are the antennas placed (internal vs external "bunny ears").
  3. Is the space open plan or does it contain walls / metal shelving / giant lead lined treasure chests.
  4. What power level is the AP set at.
  5. What type of AP is it (Cisco, Netgear, Linksys)

etc etc. 

The quickest, low budget, way to determine coverage would be to place one AP down in the middle of the space but off centre (AP1 in attached pic), turn it on and then walk around with a laptop and mark down the coverage area based off signal strength / data rate you are connected with.

Laptops are likely to report better statistics then mobile phones so be mindful of what devices you are testing with.

Repeat this with a second AP on the opposite side of the room in the centre (AP2) and confirm that coverage is possible across the whole area. It may be that placing AP1 in the centre provides you with enough coverage.

You should also be aware of how many devices may be used.. anything over 25 on a single AP and you may need to install a second AP.

Configuring them as separate APs would probably be better (as opposed to a bridge) but I am assuming they aren't setup as standalone and are in an enterprise setup so roaming is easier.

This is all very.. best guess as there are many more factors that will affect your deployment and what I've suggested may not be the best approach. Ideally you would talk to your vendor about what is best for some advice.

-----------------------------
Please rate helpful / correct posts

View solution in original post

4 Replies 4

Ric Beeching
Level 7
Level 7

APs don't cover a set amount of space due to a number of factors such as:

  1. Is the AP on the ceiling or wall.
  2. How are the antennas placed (internal vs external "bunny ears").
  3. Is the space open plan or does it contain walls / metal shelving / giant lead lined treasure chests.
  4. What power level is the AP set at.
  5. What type of AP is it (Cisco, Netgear, Linksys)

etc etc. 

The quickest, low budget, way to determine coverage would be to place one AP down in the middle of the space but off centre (AP1 in attached pic), turn it on and then walk around with a laptop and mark down the coverage area based off signal strength / data rate you are connected with.

Laptops are likely to report better statistics then mobile phones so be mindful of what devices you are testing with.

Repeat this with a second AP on the opposite side of the room in the centre (AP2) and confirm that coverage is possible across the whole area. It may be that placing AP1 in the centre provides you with enough coverage.

You should also be aware of how many devices may be used.. anything over 25 on a single AP and you may need to install a second AP.

Configuring them as separate APs would probably be better (as opposed to a bridge) but I am assuming they aren't setup as standalone and are in an enterprise setup so roaming is easier.

This is all very.. best guess as there are many more factors that will affect your deployment and what I've suggested may not be the best approach. Ideally you would talk to your vendor about what is best for some advice.

-----------------------------
Please rate helpful / correct posts

mohanak
Cisco Employee
Cisco Employee

Refer the link for access point details : http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/wireless/buyers-guide.html#~accesspoints

Number of access points required will depend on number of users, not more than 25 users for single access point.

Cheers dude.

348865
Level 1
Level 1

Thanks your response is very helpful.

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