Preparing The Access Point; Avoiding Damage To Radios In A Testing Environment - Cisco Aironet 1530 Getting Started Manual

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Preparing the Access Point

The access point is a radio device which is susceptible to common causes of interference that can
reduce throughput and range. Follow these basic guidelines to ensure the best possible performance:
• For information on planning and initially configuring your Cisco mesh network, refer to the Cisco
Wireless Mesh Access Points, Design and Deployment Guide, Release 7.6. These documents are
available on Cisco.com.
• Do not install the access point in an area where structures, trees, or hills obstruct radio signals to
and from the access point.
• You can install the access point at any height, but best throughput is achieved when the access
points are mounted at the same height.
To perform path loss calculation and to determine how far apart to install access points,
Note
consult an RF planning expert.
For information on conducting a site survey prior to installing the access point, see the Cisco
Note
Aironet 1530 Series Outdoor Access Point Hardware Installation Guide.

Avoiding Damage to Radios in a Testing Environment

The radios on outdoor units (bridges) have higher transmit power levels than radios on indoor units
(access points). When you test radios in a link, you must avoid exceeding the maximum receive input
level of the receiver. At levels higher than the normal operating range and packet error rate (PER)
performance of the receiver is degraded. At even higher levels, the receiver can be permanently
damaged.
To avoid receiver damage and PER degradation, you can use one of the following techniques:
• Separate the omnidirectional antennas by at least 2 ft (0.6 m) to avoid receiver damage or by at
least 25 ft (7.6 m) to avoid PER degradation.
• Reduce the configured transmit power to the minimum level.
• Cable the radios together using a combination of attenuators, combiners, or splitters to achieve a
total attenuation of at least 60 dB.
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