7 tips for wireless experts...wireless network design • design your network for 5 ghz in future...

#1: Set up proper channels • Use Only Channels 1, 6 and 11 on

2.4GHz • Use 5 GHz as much as possible • Lower 8 channels are best for Voice

environments (36 – 64) • Enable Dynamic Channel

Assignment • Enable Dynamic Bandwidth

Selection • Use the Cisco Radio Resource

Management algorithms for auto tuning

• Don’t use ‘Maximum Power’.

#2: Power your AP • Do NOT use 100% power • Use Cisco Radio Resource

Management (RRM)to dynamically set power with max set to 17dBm and min 5dBm

• Enable Event Driven RRM with Rogue Contribution

• Keep Rogue Duty cycle to max 80% • Create Smaller cells

#3 Optimize your wireless network design • Design your network for 5 GHz in

future • If possible take out 2.4 GHz entirely • Use ‘Flexible Radio

Assignment’ (FRA) in new AP’s • Don’t buy ‘Single Radio AP’s’ • Don’t buy ‘Single Radio Clients’ • Try to migrate Legacy clients as soon

as possible, They degrade the quality of your network If you can’t migrate them, give them a separate SSID

#4 Placement matters • Below obstructions • Minimum one meter (3ft) away from

obstructions • Use correct antennae, only 1 type of

antenna • Access Points minimum three meter

(10ft) away from each other • Not too high (after 4 meter (14ft) • high follow special implementations

guide) • Don’t put behind a metal cage • Use Outdoor AP’s for Outdoor

Coverage..

#5 Implement good wireless security • WPA2 is the bare minimum

authentication (with CCMP. Don’t use TKIP)

• WPA2 Personal (PSK) is for...personal networks not business

• WPA2 Enterprise (802.1X) for businesses

• Use Role Based Access (RBA) for administration.

• Use a Wireless Intrusion Preventions (wIPS) solution

• Use VPN on Public Wireless Connections

#6 Choose your benefits wisely • Transition to 802.11ac with your

normal upgrade cycle • Look at “Value Add features” that go

on top of Wave 2 technology • Industry best Wi-Fi with HDX (high

density) featureS • New 2800 & 3800 Aps are Wave 2,

and add those HDX features • Max flexibility and resiliency with

Flexible Radio Assignment • Dynamic Bandwidth Selection (DBS) • Location Based Services with Wi-Fi

based angle of arrival • Industry leadership with Nbase-T

(mGig) • Mobility Express for smaller

deployments (<100 AP’s)

#7 Survey your site carefully • Survey only the Channels you will

use • Walk slow enough for your Scanning

period (default w. Ekahau 105 ms) • If you want to scan both 2.4 AND 5

GHz in one walk you have to walk Really slow.....

• Better to do two scan walks. 1x 2.4 GHz & 1x 5 GHz.

• Even more better, use 3 Adapters

7 Tips for Wireless Experts