Placing Access Points - SonicWALL SonicPoint-Ne Getting Started Manual

Placing Access Points

Physical placement of an access point has a measurable effect
on who can and cannot access your wireless signal. The
following sections provide an overview of wireless access point
placement, signal strength, and signal direction in common
wireless deployment situations:
• Making Hardware Decisions
• Solutions to RF Interference and Barriers
Tip:
For the latest SonicPoint wireless deployment
information from switching recommendations to
site survey, see the SonicWALL SonicPoint
Deployment Best Practices Guide at:
<http://www.sonicwall.com/us/support.html>
Making Hardware Decisions
The first decision in hardware is the access point. While access
point technology (802.11a/b/g/n) is one factor in determining
your placement, based on distance served and bandwidth
needed, taking note of other hardware-based factors is just as
important.
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Some of the more important hardware decisions include:
• Number of access points versus user density – If too
many users are serviced by a single access point,
maximum transfer rates are reached and that point may
become a bottleneck for the whole system.
• Bandwidth – How much data is moving upstream and
downstream for a given type of user?
• Ethernet cabling – Where are you running the powered
Ethernet (PoE) cable to and how are you securing that
cable. Is your PoE switch able to power all access points?
• Hubs / Switches / UTM – Your wireless deployment has to
tie back into your UTM appliance and LAN resources at
some point. What speed is needed for your Ethernet
connection to accommodate the number of access points
you are installing? Also consider where your key
networking devices are deployed and how they will connect
efficiently with your wireless appliances.
• Upgrade your Ethernet connections for 802.11n – In
most cases, 802.11n wireless hardware requires more
bandwidth than a single (or even dual) 10/100 Ethernet
connection can handle. Gigabit Ethernet connectivity
between the WLAN and the LAN is required to take full
advantage of 802.11n speed.
• Power up that PoE for 802.11n – Part of your wireless
network planning should include verifying that your PoE
equipment is 802.3af compliant, and that a full 15 watts of
power can be supplied to each SonicPoint.