Chapter 7 - Wireless AP Placement

Chapter 7

Wireless AP Placement

An important and time-consuming task in deploying a wireless LAN is determining where to place the wireless access points (APs) in your organization or home. Wireless APs must be placed to provide seamless coverage across the floor, building, campus, or home. With seamless coverage, wireless users can roam from one location to another without experiencing an interruption in network connectivity. Determining where to place your wireless APs is not as simple as installing them and turning them on. Wireless LAN technologies are based on propagation of a radio signal, which can be obstructed, reflected, shielded, and interfered with.

This chapter explores the various design points to consider before deploying wireless APs and then describes, step-by-step, the process of determining the optimal location for wireless APs.