Wi-Fi design is the process of taking your business’ requirements for wireless connectivity and turning them into a high-performing and reliable Wi-Fi network. It’s the translation of your business needs — how many devices need Wi-Fi (capacity) and where they need it (coverage) — into a deployment plan detailing how many access points you’ll need, where they need to be installed, and how they should be configured in order to satisfy the demands of your users. The end result is reliable Wi-Fi for all of the devices and applications on your network — and happy employees and customers.
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Wireless networks are like electricity in today’s business world. When Wi-Fi is down, work stops. A bad design can not only negatively impact performance today, but it can also have lingering effects, making it more difficult to troubleshoot and fix problems later. Costly outages, loss of revenue, and lack of productivity may all result from bad Wi-Fi design.
Professional Wi-Fi design tools let you model and validate your design’s effectiveness and ensure it will achieve high performance from day one and allow you to iterate and optimize to account for changes to your requirements over time. When you create your wireless network design — and you get it right the first time — you drastically improve overall Wi-Fi performance.
Good Wi-Fi is good for business. Wi-Fi is a part of nearly every mission-critical application used in business — from self-driving forklifts in warehouses to the fleet of laptops and phones deployed throughout your organization. It’s in the life-sustaining medical devices we rely on for health and wellness. It keeps us connected when we need to communicate and collaborate, and it gives us an escape when we need to isolate.
You only notice Wi-Fi when it isn’t working. We have all experienced the frustration of poor-performing Wi-Fi networks. Globally, 200 million wireless networks have been reported as poor performing — unable to meet their requirements for overall coverage and capacity with minimal interference. One of the biggest reasons Wi-Fi networks are poor performing is due to poor Wi-Fi design. As people and organizations come to rely more and more heavily on Wi-Fi networks, the risk of their failure becomes increasingly serious.
Well-designed wireless networks are easier to troubleshoot and fix. Awesome Wi-Fi starts with an Ekahau design — which not only establishes a great baseline for your network, it makes it easy to perform regular health checks and spot interferers before they become massive issues.
The most important aspect of designing a high-performing Wi-Fi network is defining network requirements. All too often, networks fail to meet requirements due to an incomplete discovery process.
Think about it this way: if someone told you to go build a house, would you start by loading up on 2x4s? No. You would first ask a lot of questions — how big of a house are we building, are there any lot restrictions, what style of house is preferred, etc. In building a Wi-Fi network, you also want to ask questions first and document a full list of requirements. This will save you from missteps and headaches down the line.
Requirements can be broken down into two main categories: 1) business requirements, and 2) RF requirements.
Identifying business requirements for how a network will be used makes it easy to translate business needs into the specific inputs for your design software.
What are the different types of clients that will need to connect to your network? How many of those clients need concurrent access? What is the least capable, most important device for your business? What are the expectations of the network beyond “We need good Wi-Fi”? The answers to these questions will help you translate the business needs into Wi-Fi design requirements for Coverage, Capacity and the Least Capable, Most Important Device.
One of the most fundamental Wi-Fi design considerations is coverage planning. Primary coverage is all about area and optimizing the distance around your wireless transmitters to ensure there is sufficient signal strength for Wi-Fi-enabled devices to connect. Layering in effective secondary coverage ensures you have the right amount of overlap to ease device roaming and provide redundancy for your business-critical Wi-Fi needs.
Poor design can result in either too many APs (which can increase your overall hardware and installation costs and can cause CoChannel Contention / Interference) or too few APs (which will not provide the necessary coverage requirements and result in coverage gaps).
Wi-Fi design tools like Ekahau AI Pro provide a clear idea of coverage and signal strength allowing you to modify AP locations and configurations on the fly and visualize exactly how those modifications can impact coverage in the environment.
Capacity planning goes a step beyond coverage and takes into account the different types and number of devices and applications that will connect to the network. Wireless network capacity is a measurement of the amount of traffic supported concurrently on a wireless network based on the bandwidth being consumed.
Poorly planned capacity requirements can be devastating for users. Slow speeds and intermittent connectivity drops can be the result of not identifying proper requirements for usage. It can also be a symptom of growing pains as more users are added and new devices become introduced over time without adjusting for the increased capacity demand.
Capacity needs can also vary for different areas of a site, depending on your use case. Let’s take hotels, for example. The guest rooms, lobby, outdoor pool, and conference center may each have unique capacity requirements — and Wi-Fi design software like Ekahau Pro makes it easy to design different capacity areas for the unique needs of each area.
Capacity planning is a delicate balance between adding enough APs and minimizing channel interference. For more on capacity planning, check out our recent webinar, Demystifying Wi-Fi: Capacity Planning Made Simple.
While reviewing the various types of devices that will be connecting to your network, it’s key to identify which devices are the most critical, and which of those devices is the least technologically advanced — these are known as the Least Capable, Most Important devices (LCMID).
Believe it or not, designing Wi-Fi for the latest devices to hit the market is usually quite straightforward, it’s identifying the one device that if it were to suddenly go offline would grind business to a halt — that’s the tricky part.
Here are some of the usual suspects for your network’s LCMID:
For these types of devices, you need to research the manufacturer’s posted specifications to ensure they will perform reliably on the network. Your predictive design is only as good as the inputs you define, and determining your LCMID is critical for the design of your Wi‑Fi network.
Our webinar, Designing For the Least Capable, Most Important Device, provides an in-depth look at identifying your LCMI device, and gathering device requirements.
The physical environment plays a big role in how a network performs. Turn to the site floor plan and walk the site to gather information to help you identify the radio frequency (RF) behavior in your environment.
How high are ceilings in the coverage area? Is there sufficient access to mount access points? What are the walls made of? How noisy are the neighboring networks? The answers to these questions will help you translate environmental factors into RF requirements for Obstacles in the Physical Environment, Wall Material Attenuation, and RF Spectrum Activity.
High ceilings, exposed metal ductwork, inventory fluctuations, living atriums, and modern art installations may not be documented in a simple building floor plan, but obstacles like these should be taken into account with your Wi-Fi requirements.
Floor plans only tell part of a story. Whenever possible, you should walk the site and gather information to help you identify the RF behavior in your environment.
Doing a pre-design floor walk survey will help you get the correct information to plug into your predictive design software. Make sure you document any potential concerns for RF: exposed ceilings with ductwork, columns, signage, large pieces of furniture, areas off limits, etc. These walk-throughs may also illuminate previously unconsidered limitations to wireless infrastructure placement — where you are unable to place APs, or where you are unable to run cables.
The size, shape, and types of wall materials in your network’s environment all need to be accounted for when designing for WiFi. That’s because the environment’s physical characteristics impact RF coverage.
Every wall attenuates Wi-Fi signals. That means the RF strength gets partially or fully absorbed by the material. Drywall typically reduces the signal strength by 3dB. Large concrete pillars can stop a Wi-Fi signal in its tracks! Understanding the different materials in your environment and their attenuation values is key for designing a great wireless network.
Using a world-class diagnostic and measurement device like the Ekahau Sidekick 2 will give you the exact RF measurements needed for your design. By validating wall types, you’ll either confirm your predictive design is correct or you’ll have a chance to adjust based on the empirical data you’ve collected.
Check out our blog for a more detailed overview of how to measure Wi-Fi attenuation.
Your Wi-Fi network lives in a world of electromagnetic spectrum. Understanding the spectrum activity around you leads you toward an effective channel plan for your project. Here are some things to consider:
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A great Wi-Fi network starts with a great design, and a great design starts with accurate Wi-Fi requirements. By asking the right questions and identifying the six requirements presented in this guide, you’ll be able to develop a predictive design perfectly tuned to your business needs. Here is a quick breakdown of how the business requirements translate to design software inputs:
Now that you have learned the best practices of wireless network design, you are on your way to making better decisions while building your Wi-Fi network. For a full overview on how to design, validate, and perform regular health checks to achieve a high-performing wireless network, download our free guide, 3 Easy Steps to Great Wi-Fi Every Day.
Ekahau delivers the complete collection of must-have tools for Wi-Fi pros and network owners alike. It includes everything you need to design, validate, optimize and troubleshoot your network wrapped up in an easy-to-use, mobile-optimized package.
Ekahau AI Pro for Creating Your Wi-Fi Design
Ekahau AI Pro is the industry standard for designing great Wi-Fi networks. The AP and antenna database included with Ekahau AI Pro will help you design with known hardware and test out a variety of different configurations to see what will give you the best coverage, capacity and channel utilization for your unique environment. Your design in Ekahau AI Pro is your source of reference for the wireless network. Be sure to amend your design file as you perform regular health checks and make any optimizations throughout the lifecycle of the network.
Ekahau Sidekick 2 for Accurate Diagnostics and Raw Data Collection
The accuracy of the Sidekick 2 allows you to identify Wi-Fi signals correctly the first time ensuring you get the right number of APs in the right location and right configuration for your design. Relying on a Wi-Fi adapter or dongle adds high variance and risk that can significantly increase the cost and reduce the effectiveness of your network. Get the right tool for the job with the Sidekick.
Ekahau Survey for Effortless Site Surveys and Documentation
Connected to the Sidekick 2, Ekahau Survey makes it easy to perform Wi-Fi site surveys with nothing more than your iPad or iPhone. Ekahau Survey uses the built-in camera, Apple ARKit and sensors to track your movement and continuously survey the network. It takes the traditional stop-and-go method of surveying and adds more data points at every step for the most accurate readings and heatmaps. Ekahau Survey also lets you add photos to your .esx file and even change or create coverage requirements right from within the app.
Ekahau Cloud for Improved Team and File Sync
A well-designed WiFi infrastructure is essential for venues that regularly host events — like conference centers, hotels, and exhibition halls. But what if you plan to host an event somewhere without a permanent WiFi setup?
Don't worry. Your attendees aren't doomed to rely on 4/5G. Temporary or outdoor WiFi solutions allow your guests to stay connected and enjoy all the features of a powerful WiFi network. This guide walks you through WiFi solutions perfect for your unique event, whether you're organizing a music festival, business conference, outdoor trade show, or fundraising event.
Fast, reliable, and secure event (or exhibition) WiFi is fast becoming the foundation of a successful event — and in today's digital world, only “back to nature” events like yoga retreats thrive without it.
Excellent event WiFi is a win-win for organizers, attendees, and beyond:
Reliable event WiFi almost sounds like a superpower. However, organizers who know WiFi will play a key role in turning their event into a wild success may be apprehensive about the challenges associated with installing temporary WiFi networks. Don't be scared. Temporary WiFi doesn't have to break the bank, and (with the right vendor on your side) you'll even get to hold onto your sanity.
Temporary WiFi setups perfect for events come in all shapes and sizes — just like permanent business WiFi solutions.
We don't want to overwhelm you, but we do want you to be aware of your options. Here's a very quick tour:
Planning the right temporary WiFi setup requires organizers to consider the nature, duration, and size of the event. One size never fits all, and that's doubly true for complex events. Consider your attendees' needs, goals, and the limitations inherent in your location before making your choice — and reach out if you need any help.
Finding your “Goldilocks zone” (not too hot, not too cold, but just right!) is a complex undertaking, especially if you don't have technical knowledge. Don't be afraid to leave this task to the professionals, but be armed with the following info:
Once you have a solid picture of your needs, your networking professionals can work with you to ensure that your event WiFi network reliably supports all your needs, with full coverage and minimal downtime.
Temporary event WiFi networks present several unique challenges — and organizers who don't have experience with their installation often make understandable but avoidable mistakes.
Take the fact that your network will have peak times (like keynote speeches or registration) that can cause overloads. Planning for redundancies and load balancing is key to avoiding network congestion and slow performance.
Contingency planning that ensures your network can handle hiccups is vital, and it's especially important to remember that your attendees won't be the only ones to use your event WiFi network. Your employees and smart devices need sufficient bandwidth, too.
Unless you're organizing a '90s nostalgia event, it's essential for event WiFi networks that support livestreaming to be low-latency and high-quality. Nobody wants to deal with a constantly-buffering stream that plays in 114p, after all.
Remember that livestreaming primarily depends on upload speeds, with 5 to 10 Mbps (or more) typically required for HD streams. Your bandwidth requirements grow with each concurrent livestream you plan to host.
Choose a reliable platform, like YouTube, Facebook Live, or Twitch, make sure your temporary event WiFi network is configured correctly, and use a dedicated encoder to facilitate smooth live streaming. Quality-of-service features can ensure that your live streams receive appropriate priority within your WiFi network.
Ensuring a smooth streaming experience is tricky, but adhering to best practices goes a long way. Start by consulting this handy checklist:
The perfect temporary event WiFi solution for your unique event already exists — but the nature of your venue greatly impacts the challenges you'll face. While indoor and outdoor venues are associated with common pitfalls, you can also count on solutions that make your event WiFi work for you.
Are you organizing an outdoor event and determined to secure the right temporary WiFi solution? You'll have to deal with:
While indoor WiFi is the “default,” you'll still face unique challenges when installing a temporary event WiFi network in a location without a permanent WiFi infrastructure. To make your event a success, be mindful of these problems:
Event organizers can look forward to exciting innovations that will revolutionize event planning, including 5G and Internet of Things integration, AI-powered network management, and virtual reality experiences and attractions. Even now, however, there's no question that you need an efficient WiFi network to make your event come to life.
No matter what type of event you are organizing, it's a unique opportunity to connect people. In today's world, that means more than physical handshakes and old-school networking — it also means a fast, reliable, and safe event WiFi network.
An excellent WiFi network supports your attendees from registration to the invitation to participate in future opportunities right after a successful event. Effective temporary event WiFi solutions are, in short, the core of your success — and making the right choice is crucial.
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