Coverage Options; Minimal Overlap Coverage Option; Heavy Overlap Coverage Option - Cisco AIR-AP1220B-A-K9 - Aironet 1200 - Wireless Access Point Hardware Installation Manual

Chapter 2 Installation

Coverage Options

The network architecture options of wireless stations and access points provide for a variety of coverage
alternatives and flexibility. The network can be designed to provide a wide coverage area with minimal
overlap or a narrow coverage area with heavy overlap. A narrow coverage area with heavy overlap
improves network performance and protection against downtime if a component fails.
Note The following coverage options apply to both 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz wireless LANs.

Minimal Overlap Coverage Option

By arranging the access points so that the overlap in a coverage area is minimized, a large area can be
covered with minimal cost (see
depends on the amount of data each mobile station needs to transfer and the number of stations located
in each cell. Seamless roaming is supported as a client device moves in and out of range of each access
point, thereby maintaining a constant connection to the wired LAN. Each device in the radio network
must be configured with the same SSID to provide roaming capability.
Figure 2-1

Heavy Overlap Coverage Option

By arranging the access points so the overlap in coverage area is nearly maximized, a large number of
mobile stations can be supported in the same wireless infrastructure. However, devices in overlapping
coverage areas on the same frequency detect adjacent cell traffic and delay transmissions that would
cause collisions. This configuration reduces the aggregate radio system throughput. Heavy cell overlap
is not recommended for maximum system throughput.
OL-2155-02
Figure 2-1). The total bandwidth available to each wireless client device
Minimal Overlap Coverage Option
Cisco Aironet 1200 Series Access Point Hardware Installation Guide
Wired LAN
Installation Guidelines
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