How to resolve the Wifi Coverage and Interference issue?

[samhopealpha]

Hi everybody, 

I am a newbie at wireless field, and currently using the AP9120/AP9130 with C9800 as WLC. 

After the wireless site survey with RF analysis tool

3 section were failed in the RF analysis report 

1. Desired Signal Coverage
   > Min. AP signal strength required: -67dBm
2. Multiple AP Signal Coverage
   > Number of AP's required to provide coverage: 2
   > Min. AP signal strength required to provide coverage: -67dBm
3. Channel interference
     > Interfered APs: Excl. AP's if signal strength is weaker than: -75dBm
   > interfering APs: Excl. AP's if signal strength is weaker than: -85dBm

Are there any settings which could resolve the above 3 issues?

Thanks in advance

Sam

[marce1000]

 - The first two items seem to indicate you need more APs in a certain area; but the most important conclusion
    from that is that you should have a real  wireless  site survey too , 

 M.

[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

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@samhopealpha wrote:

1. Desired Signal Coverage
   > Min. AP signal strength required: -67dBm
2. Multiple AP Signal Coverage
   > Number of AP's required to provide coverage: 2
   > Min. AP signal strength required to provide coverage: -67dBm

---

#1 says "not enough AP" and #2 says "too much AP".  

Logical option is to move the AP from #2 to #1. 

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@samhopealpha wrote:

1. Channel interference
     > Interfered APs: Excl. AP's if signal strength is weaker than: -75dBm
   > interfering APs: Excl. AP's if signal strength is weaker than: -85dBm

---

What is this, 2.4 Ghz?

[samhopealpha]

The site has 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. 
But the report shows the result of 5Ghz only. 
Maybe I need to run the wireless site survey tool in 2.4Ghz as well. and see any different ... 

[Leo Laohoo]

Do not run a survey for 2.4 Ghz.  It is a waste of time.

If this was for 5.0 Ghz, what is the channel width set to?

[samhopealpha]

Thanks for the feedback, May I know why it's waste of time for 2.4Ghz ?

[Leo Laohoo]

---

@samhopealpha wrote:
May I know why it's waste of time for 2.4Ghz ?

---

Because with only three useable channels to use, 2.4 Ghz is a fully-congested spectrum.  No professional WiFi person will survey/plan for 2.4 Ghz.  

[jagan.chowdam · Accepted solution]

Desired Signal Coverage
> Min. AP signal strength required: -67dBm

• This refers to the minimum signal strength (or RSSI) that the wireless network should provide from an access point (AP) in a given area.
• A signal strength of -67 dBm is typically the benchmark for reliable connectivity in many environments, especially for applications that require strong, stable wireless performance such as VoIP or video conferencing.

Multiple AP Signal Coverage
> Number of AP's required to provide coverage: 2
> Min. AP signal strength required to provide coverage: -67dBm

This specifies that for robust network coverage, at least two access points (APs) should be able to provide coverage in the same area. This is critical for ensuring:

• Redundancy: If one AP fails or its signal degrades, the second AP can maintain connectivity.
• Seamless roaming: As users move through the area, their devices can switch between APs without losing connection.
• Load balancing: Multiple APs can distribute traffic more effectively, avoiding congestion on any single AP in high client density areas.

Wireless survey results can be adjusted to present either a favorable or unfavorable view. Therefore, as @marce1000 & @Leo Laohoo suggested, it's essential to conduct a professional validation survey. A proper validation survey will be followed by observations and recommendations, which may include adjusting TPC/DCA settings, repositioning access points (APs), or even adding or removing APs to optimize the network performance.

We need to familiarize ourselves with how to read and interpret the survey data, as well as how to implement the recommendations provided in the validation survey report.

Here are some helpful resources to get started:

https://www.ekahau.com/blog/validating-your-wireless-design-with-a-wi-fi-site-survey/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMthdnBh3Vg&ab_channel=EkahauWi-FiDesignTools

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cRNfphOq6k&ab_channel=EkahauWi-FiDesignTools

Jagan Chowdam

/**Pls rate useful responses**/

[samhopealpha]

Thanks for the feedback, and the video covers a lot of major factors about the survey. 

Currently I am using the Airmagnet as the site survey tool
Apart from the Ekahau, are there any other options which is recommended?

[Leo Laohoo]

Try Hamina[.]com.