06/24/2011
Enhancing WLAN Capacity
We’ve spent a lot of time recently updating existing WLANs for more capacity, new applications and new devices. We are past the days of wireless being a nice to have and also in many cases past the point were just having “coverage” is sufficient.
Adding capacity to existing WLAN designs is sometimes challenging but there are some keys to success:
· Start with the highest level protocol available.
o Currently the highest speed WLAN protocol we have to use is 802.11n.
· Reduce transmit power to reduce cell size and add distinct radio cells.
· Be wary of co-channel interference
o Use directional antennas to segment coverage in open spaces
o “Hide” access points from one another. When using omni-directional antennas it is possible to use physical boundaries to separate cells. Know where those boundaries are, and don’t forget to cover both sides.
· Use features like band steering to leverage both radios.
· If your 5GHz capable clients aren’t 802.11n, it may be better to stick with 20MHz channels.
· Add 5GHz only locations in extremely dense areas
M. Tarr, Senior Wireless Engineer
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