Collocating Mesh Access Points - Cisco Mesh Access Points Deployment Manual

Site Preparation and Planning
Cell Planning and Distance
If RAPs are clustered in one location, a different channel strategy is likely to give optimal performance; if
RAPs are dispersed among the cells, using the same channel is less likely to degrade performance.
When you lay out multiple cells, use channel planning similar to standard WLAN planning to avoid overlapping
channels, as shown in Figure 36: Laying out Various Cells, on page 86.
Figure 36: Laying out Various Cells
If possible, the channel planning should also minimize channel overlap in cases where the mesh has expanded
to cover the loss of a RAP connection, as shown in Figure 37: Failover Coverage, on page 86.
Figure 37: Failover Coverage

Collocating Mesh Access Points

The following recommendations provide guidelines to determine the required antenna separation when you
collocate AP1500s on the same tower. The recommended minimum separations for antennas, transmit powers,
and channel spacing are addressed.
The goal of proper spacing and antenna selection is to provide sufficient isolation by way of antenna radiation
pattern, free space path loss, and adjacent or alternate adjacent channel receiver rejection to provide independent
operation of the collocated units. The goal is to have negligible throughput degradation due to a CCA hold-off,
and negligible receive sensitivity degradation due to a receive noise floor increase.
Cisco Mesh Access Points, Design and Deployment Guide, Release 7.3
86 OL-27593-01