Wireless survey using 'stadium' antennas

[Brett Verney]

Hello hello!

I have been asked to do a site survey in a small stadium as the client has coverage and performance issues. I think it's a perfect case to use the 3702p access points with the 'stadium' (directional/patch) antennas (AIR-ANT2513P4M-N).

They want a predictive survey with heatmaps. This is where I am lost. Airmagnet doesn't allow me to 'tilt' the directional antenna and face downwards; the RF pattern is propagates in horizontal 2D motion only.

I have two questions;

1.) Can you tell AirMagnet to rotate an Antenna's RF pattern on the Elevation Plane?

2.) If not, does Cisco have any recommendations as to the general square coverage achieved depending on the height of the antenna?

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated. I can't see myself doing an 'AP on a stick at 30-40 metres high (or whatever it may be).

Regards,

Brett

[Patrick Richter · Accepted solution]

Hi Brett,

i've done a stadium (auditorium) AIR-3702p installtaion with the help of ekahau last year.

In my case ekahau hasn't this antennas within the database, I have completed the first planning by hand. I've tried to get the square coverage by an triangle calculation with the high and the elevation/azimuth of the antenna. So I got the approximate mounting locations.

After the aps were mounted, was also an update for ekahau available where this antenna was included. So that i could fine adjust my aps and antennas.

Maybe my Power Session Presentation from the last Cisco Connect in Berlin will help you a little bit.

http://www.cisco.com/assets/global/DE/events/2014/CiscoConnect/pdfs/Enterprise-Networking/123__CiscoConnect__PowerSession__HD_WLAN_Design_im_Audimax__PatrickRichter__TU-Berlin.pdf

Regards

Patrick

[Leo Laohoo]

Nice slideshow, Patrick.  

[Jussi Kiviniemi]

Patrick, Brett, Leo, all,

BTW, starting from version 8.0.1 (our "Cisco Live San Diego" version), we should not have all the Cisco antennas and APs in the tool. If this is not the case, feel free to contact me.

Thanks,

Jussi Kiviniemi

https://linkedin.com/in/jussos
https://www.twitter.com/jussikiviniemi

[Leo Laohoo]

Thanks, Jussi. 

I hope to see Ekahau have a presence at Cisco Live (Melbourne) 2016.

[Jussi Kiviniemi · Accepted solution]

Hi folks,

First of all, thank you so much for using Ekahau Site Survey! Hope you like it!

I just checked from ESS 8.0 (out next week) that AIR-ANT2513P4M-N is included at least in that version. Not sure about the older ESS versions.

To see videos on how to use the 3D planning stuff (uptilt/downtilt, height, etc), just go to www.ekahau.com/training .

Anyways, good luck with your designs. Should you have any questions or comments, you can find me, for example, on Twitter: @jussikiviniemi .
 

Cheers,
Jussi

Jussi Kiviniemi
Vice President / Wi-Fi Design Tools
Ekahau

[Brett Verney]

Patrick / Jussi...

Thank you both for your help. I obtained a trial copy of Ekahau and immediately found the 'downtilt' option for the Antennas. This was exactly what I was after. This functionality alone convinced management to let me obtain a full version of ESS.

Regards

Brett

[Jussi Kiviniemi]

Great to hear that, Brett. Any questions, let us know.

---
Jussi
https://linkedin.com/in/jussos
https://www.twitter.com/jussikiviniemi