How many AP?

[joao]

Good morning,

I need a wireless solution that supports around 400 clients. All are located within a large room. How many AP i need?

Thanks.

[Nicolas Darchis · Accepted solution]

This question is not just a question you can throw in one line and get a straightforward number as answer.

It all depends on the size of the room, it all depends on the precise location of the client and it depends also on the network usage they will make.

You'll first want to use 5ghz radios to have more channels (400 IS a huge load) but not sure if that is feasible with all your clients. And you'll want as much APs as you can afford. If you're on 2.4ghz and thus have only 3 channels available, you can reduce their transmit power and squeeze more than 3 APs in the location.

The target I'm thinking about would be to have 10 APs, that would mean 40 clients by AP which is already a lot and won't offer much throughput but better than nothing.

It again all depends if you can use the 5ghz or not. If yes, one AP offers double the bandwtich (2.4 and 5ghz) so 5 APs would then be needed.

Nicolas

[joao]

A controller can help me in this configuration?

[Peter Nugent]

A controller will help in many situations however as Nicolas said its all about density.

You need to give us a few more details such as

Are all the client 802.11a capable

How big is the room

Will you need roaming?

What are the clients

What applications will they use.

You can do it with autonomous of llightweight the numbers dont change but that is a lot of clients in a small space and as a rule of thumb you will need about 20 aps

[joao]

All clients are smartphones, which probably are not 802.11a capable.  The room size is 1000 m². In stan alone mode i cant do load balance.

[Peter Nugent]

ap in autonomous can load balance however it is more tunable in a controller solution. Yet again it isnt really upto the ap who joins its a client decision so if you say allow x clients the lightweight access point only sends a message saying please find anothe ap. In my experience this is usually ignored by clients and they join anyway.

You will struggle with that number of clients in that space, basicaly you are saying you have a client roughly every 2sq m using just 2.4GHz.

[George Stefanick]

You could check pico cell with cisco ... May be overkill ...

Google cisco pico cell

[joao]

Yes, I gonna have a client roughly every 2sq m using just 2.4GHz. It's a party!

I cant configure Pico Cell because, Pico Cell require a specific supplicant to function correctly.

The scenario is as fallows. I gonna have around 200 client in a party that gonna need connect simultaneously. I cant imagine how i do that.

I thought the following:

- 1 x AIR-WLC2106-K9

- 6 x AIR-LAP1041N

Enable Agressive Load Balance.

Is this OK?

[Nicolas Darchis]

200 clients over a 2106 that has only 100Mbps FastEthernet throughput for everyone.

You are really looking to collect all possible troubles right ? :-D

6 11n access points with that many client will just bring the 21xx series on their knees.

[Leo Laohoo]

- 1 x AIR-WLC2106-K9 
- 6 x AIR-LAP1041N
Enable Agressive Load Balance.

I agree with Nico.  You've got a recipe for a disaster in the making.  200 clients, if I follow the rule-of-thumb of 1 AP per 25 clients, would mean AT LEAST 8 AP of your choice.

8 APs would, most likely, mean a WLC 4400.  But since you can no longer get a 4400 then your next step is a 5508.

AP1041 only has ONE radio, 802.11b.

What speed are the ports of the switch the APs will be connected to?  Is or are the switches PoE to a minimum of 15.4w?

Yes, I gonna have a client roughly every 2sq m using just 2.4GHz. It's a party!

"party" is an understatement of the century.  Again, this is another ingredient to the proverbial s_hit hitting the proverbial fan.  Y'know about the number of non-overlapping channels 802.11b has right?  This is sooooo NOT going to work well.

I think you need to really, really and fully re-think and re-design what you are doing.  You're spending a good amount of money for something that would work very, very badly.  People will not only have a bad experience but they'll blame Cisco for it. 

[Peter Nugent]

Not my kind of party looking at stuff on my handheld device ove wirelees. Usually theres alcohol and wireless is far from my mind. If the party is dependent on wireless it wont be much of a party just complaints.

Its problems waiting to happen that I see every day. Do it right do it once

[Leo Laohoo]

Do it right do it once.

Or don't bother doing it at all.

Agree with you on this one Pete.

[joao]

Thanks for the answers but  I still without a solution.

Anybody can help me?

What is the best solution?

1 x AIR-WLC4402-12-K9

8 x AIR-LAP1041N

[George Stefanick]

My 2 cents ... You will need to shape the RF with low power design.

[Leo Laohoo]

1 x AIR-WLC4402-12-K9

That's good ... if you can still lay your hands on a 4400.

8 x AIR-LAP1041N

The quantity is good BUT get a 1041?  Why?  Put more than 3 in a wrong proximity and the three 802.11b channels will, most likely, interfere with each other.

You'll need to consdeer with a dual radio like the 1042 instead.  Otherwise you can purchase 3 x 1041 and 5 x 1042.