Design a WLAN - Best Practices

[bravealikhan]

Hello,

I'd like to ask few questions and appreciate guidance to help me in my solution design.

1. we have 11 nearby classes (as in the attached .jpg), we have four Cisco 1852e AP in hallway, each class wall is solid concert with wooden door, 25 students sits in each classroom.

To provide smooth and best internet bandwidth to each end user, some technical engineers suggest us to install Cisco access point into each class instead of hallway. I'll appreciate any expert suggestions shall go with it?

2. similarly, we have students' hostels, each floor we have 20 rooms, and we have installed four 1852e APs into the hallway, do we need to install one AP into each room to provide best Wireless connectivity to the students in their rooms? 

I will appreciate any possible support!

Thanks

[Scott Fella]

I hate hallway designs first off. Also in my experience, education has started going one for one, AP in every classroom or every other. This is from my projects in the last 2-3 years. You will have better user experience I will say.

[Leo Laohoo]

I agree with Scott.
One AP per classroom.

[bravealikhan]

Thanks for prompt replies, appreciated!

Could we technically see that's wrong in hallway design Vs. one AP per class? in approximate 100 meter Hallway we have placed 4 APs every 25 meter distance, their range is good enough to cover each classes!

[Leo Laohoo]

Wireless APs must be positioned as-close-as-possible to the wireless clients.  

I have tried putting an AP in the hallway.  Didn't work. 

I have tried putting alternate APs in classroom.  Didn't work.  We wound up getting MORE complaints/calls daily. 

We finally put an AP in every classroom.  The complaints stopped.  

[Scott Fella]

Just to add to Leo’s comment
From my experience, back in the days hallway placements worked okay because Wireless was not the primary network connection. In the last 5 or so years, it has transformed to a primary network connection. Hallway designs don’t work even if you have coverage. This is the biggest challenge that folks get stuck in their heads. Until you actually work in an environment which was old school hallway design to a new design with AP’s in the rooms and AP’s in the hallway for secondary coverage, you will truly be able to distinguish the experience yourself.