A Quick Look At A Few "Non-Optimal" Installations - Cisco Aironet 3700 Series Deployment Manual

Cisco Aironet Series 3700 Access Point
Keep in mind, m7 is the same for 11n and 11ac. The difference being, 11ac allows for 80 MHz channels.
Under ideal conditions you should expect 11ac to have an almost 3x gain over 11n at m9 and a 2x gain
at m7. The AP 3700 also does a better job of linking at 11ac rates further out than the AP 3600 module.
How is the AP mounted?
AP placement needs to be considered. For close-in tests, less than 10', placement is not so important,
just make sure that the AP is not obstructed. For other tests, you should take care to mount the AP in a
proper location (ceiling or high on a wall in the right orientation).
Try to follow these best practices: avoid mounting the AP near metal, mount it horizontally on a ceiling,
and so on.
What data rate is the AP transmitting to the client at?
It is often useful to monitor the data rate of the client. The data rate has a direct impact on performance.
There are several ways to monitor the data rate.
The easiest method is to check on the GUI.

A Quick Look at a Few "Non-Optimal" Installations

The figures below present examples of installations that are not recommended. It is very difficult to
provide good Wi-Fi service with a poor installation. Always try to avoid metal and clutter.
Cisco Aironet Series 2700/3700 Access Points Deployment Guide
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