Auto-Rf; Auto-Rf With Modelling; Rf Planning - Nortel 2350 User Manual

Why is this important?: By understanding available RF coverage planning techniques, you can use the
technique that meets your organization's requirements.
The following are three techniques you can use to start your wireless network:
• Auto-RF lets you use the default auto tuning feature to select power and channel settings for RF signals in your RF
coverage area. You upload the WSSs into WMS, configure the APs, enable Auto-RF, and deploy.
• Auto-RF with Modelling, as with the Auto-RF technique, lets you set the auto tuning feature to adjust power and
channel settings to provide RF signals to the coverage area for your users. Enhance the auto tuning feature by
providing modelling information about your geographic location. By providing some information about your
buildings and floors, you add enough details into WMS so that you can better visualize your network topology and
support improved monitoring at your site.
• RF Planning is a technique you can use to create a detailed network plan that provides powerful monitoring and
visualization benefits. Unlike Auto-RF or Auto-RF with Modelling, you do not rely on the auto tuning feature.
Instead, you fully model your geographic location with detailed information about your floors and specify your RF
coverage areas and your RF obstacles.
Each of these methods is described in the sections that follow.

Auto-RF

Perform the following steps to use the Auto-RF technique:
• Physically place WSSs and the APs in their desired locations.
• Upload a WSS configuration and deploy it.
• Enable the Auto-RF feature.
This is a great way to install a WSS and some APs and observe how the network operates. The Auto-RF plan is best
suited to networks containing fewer APs.

Auto-RF with Modelling

To use the Auto-RF with Modelling technique, you add to the Auto-RF technique by providing some geographical
modelling about your building, floors, and RF coverage area. You also add RF obstacle information for major obstacles
(like concrete walls, windows, and elevator shafts) that affect attenuation—the quality of RF signals emitted from and
received by the APs. By adding geographical modelling, you will be able to manage your network in the context of that
geographical information. For example, you will be able to manage your network overlaid on a floor plan, versus
managing an abstract logical group of switches and APs.

RF Planning

To do RF Planning, you provide detailed information about your site and buildings by importing AutoCAD DXF™,
AutoCAD DWG, JPEG, or GIF floor plan files of the buildings into WMS. As you import the floor plans, you can
modify them to add or remove RF obstacles. You define RF obstacles by specifying the attenuation factor in decibels for
the obstacle. In addition, WMS includes a library of attenuators for building obstacles. The library includes doors, walls,
ceilings, and other physical obstructions that you can select. WMS factors in the impact these objects have on how the
radio frequency (RF) signals flow through a given site.
Planning and Managing Your Wireless Network with WMS 37
Nortel WLAN Management Software 2300 Series User Guide