3 Deployment
3.1 AP Placement & Guidelines
3.1.1 General Recommendations
- Position the APs above obstructions.
- Position the APs vertically near the ceiling in the center of each coverage area,
if possible. APs are designed to be installed vertically, either standing up in a
plenum or hanging from a ceiling, to create the largest coverage area per AP.
Hanging the AP from the ceiling provides the best coverage.
- Position APs in locations where users are expected to be. For example, large
rooms are typically a better location for APs than a hallway.
- Place APs no more than 40 meters apart from each other. Placing APs further
apart almost always results in poor coverage.
- Do not mount APs outside buildings.
- Do not mount APs on building perimeter walls unless the operator wants to
provide coverage outside the building.
- Important: Do not mount AP antennas within one meter (3 feet) of any metal
obstructions. The radio frequency waves from the APs are blocked and/or
reflected by metal objects, such as ducts, conduit, pipes, bookcases, elevator
shafts, stairwells, and walls.
3.1.2 Three Sample Solutions to AP Placement Problems
In the first example, there is a large concrete wall in the middle of one coverage area.