Wireless design - stacking access point between floors

[per.guttu]

We have an existing installation where access points are stacked in the same positions in all floors - on a campus with 6-8 floors in each building. The dampening between floors are only 20db so the access points hear each other between floors better than the neighours at the same floor. Up to -49/-50db between floors at 2.4 and -62 at 5ghz. We have a new building where the project tries to use the same design, just with additional access points in between compared to the old design that was based on 2.4ghz coverage.

Any ideas with regard to complications related to the auto rf management algoritms, roaming etc. 

My idea was to ask for a redesign both in the new building and also in the existing buildings when we now are upgradering coverage there for 802.11ac.

[Scott Fella]

It is always better to have a site survey performed. The reason for stacking in my opinion is when it can to location services.  The other thing is that if the AP's were staggered, clients would probably roam to AP's on the adjacent floor more than if AP's were stacked.   I have seen both done and when the building had a sparse deployment, staggered approach helps with coverage using adjacent floor AP's.  When you have a good to high density install, stacking was better to keep clients associated to AP's on the same floor. 

These days however, AP's are placed on the floor that provides the best density, coverage and SNR for the services you want to provide which at times will most likely never be stacked unless the floors are exactly the same.

-Scott 

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