Maximum Simultaneous Connections per Aironet WAP

[gaskincharles]

What WAP will provide me with the ability to connect 30 to 40 connections to a single WAP? i have a small business that is wanting to go with a wireless solution rather than a wired because of the difficulty of running cable in the building. I will probably only need one to two WAPs so no need for a WLC. Which WAP should I go with for this type of setup. And how can I determine the max connections for the WAP ? The data sheets don't seem to go into that type of detail.

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[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

Depends on the situation.

Cisco recommends no more than 25 clients per WAP.  But this value is subject to "debate" in regards to the type of traffic involved.

If, for instance, the type of traffic is mostly (sporadic) emails, web browsing, etc ... then the value can go up to 35 clients per WAP.  However, if the type of traffic is video then the value is around 8 to 10 clients per WAP.

[johncaston_2 · Accepted solution]

The important thing to realize about wireless is that it's a shared medium and only one device can transmit at any one time on a given channel so the number of users per AP will depend largely on what sort of traffic you'll be putting over the wireless.

If you expecting it to replace structured cabling in an office environment then you can probably expect quite a bit of data, especially if you have a Windows domain and fat clients.

I wouldn't put more than 7 - 15 users per radio (depending on load)

If you install a dual radio AP - something like an 1142a/g/n, then you can split the users between the two frequencies (assuming that some of the clients support 802.11a) and if they support N then that's even better

For that number of users I would strongly suggest you install 3x APs (dual radio), that way you can have 3 non over-lapping channels in the 802.11g frequency and will be able to provide the best possible performance to the users

As a side note you should also connect the APs to Gigabit ports so that you get the benefit of the higher throughputs provided by 802.11n

Cheers,

John

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[gaskincharles]

If I were to use a WAP with dual band capabilities of 2.4 and 5 Ghz, could I then double the amount of users on that one AP if I enabled both frequencies but still only used 802.11 g. Or would I need to enable g and n standards and then divide the users up evenly between both?

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[ruchirvaish]

Hi Leo and John,

I have a query here. How, do I use 802.11n data rate capabilities on Lightweight APs and still get good bandwidth? Take for instance, the Cisco AIR-LAP1142N-x-K9; if the PoE options are supported on it using the Cisco Catalyst 2960-48PST-L to power it up, then I believe the only speed that can be utilized per AP (back end connecting to the central switch) would be about 100Mbps, as the other RJ-45 Transmit Receive pairs are used for powering up the device. The APs shall also be connected to a central controller for allowing/restricting and Securing user access plus other management services.

There shall be about 15-25 connections (PCs, Laptops or other mobile devices) per AP.

What could be the best options, for building/tower of about 700-1000 connections / mobile access devices?

Thanks,

Ruchir

[Leo Laohoo]

I have a query here. How, do I use 802.11n data rate capabilities on Lightweight APs and still get good bandwidth? Take for instance, the Cisco AIR-LAP1142N-x-K9; if the PoE options are supported on it using the Cisco Catalyst 2960-48PST-L to power it up, then I believe the only speed that can be utilized per AP (back end connecting to the central switch) would be about 100Mbps, as the other RJ-45 Transmit Receive pairs are used for powering up the device. The APs shall also be connected to a central controller for allowing/restricting and Securing user access plus other management services.

Let's not muddle up the concept of wireless with the number of copper pairs in a patch cable for PoE because there are options available to have 1 Gbps copper rate with PoE.  So the equation you've presented can easily be dashed.

You want good wireless rates at 1 Gbps copper lines?  Make sure that you disable 802.11b data rates and ensure that your clients can fully utilize 802.11n.  When I say "clients" I do not mean smartphones and tablets.  I am talking about full-scale laptops which have the capabilities of 802.11n wireless NICs.

[Scott Fella · Accepted solution]

What you need to look at is over subscription if the Ethernet or gigabit ports. If you wanted to "double" this number, then like mentioned earlier, look at an 802.11N ap and maybe disable 802.11n. It really depends on the applications and how much bandwidth each user will require.

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[Scott Fella]

The connection from the AP to the switch is always the bottleneck no matter what. You can still utilize 802.11n rates, but the switch and AP will determine what network speed you will get. Users might not even notice the difference. Wireless is half duplex so if you obtain 300mbps connection speed it's really only around half 150mbps. Your at the average of users per AP, but your other bottle neck would be your connection from access switch to the core or even how many gigabit ports you use on the WLC. I wouldn't worry too much unless your users do heavy transfers of data. It's the application that you have to look at that can tell you if your oversubscribed on the network.

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