Enterprise

Personal Broadband Mobile Networks
WiMAX / Wi-Fi / 4G PCS

Network Planners, System Architects, Installers
Third Party, Independent Advisors and Consultants

Enterprise Class Wireless Local Area Network Deployment

PBMnetworks recently assisted a Fortune 100 corporation with enterprise class wireless planning, strategy, modeling and RF design for their nationwide deployment of Wi-fi (Wireless LAN using IEEE 802.11b/g/a technology) networks for plants, distribution centers and divisional headquarters at hundreds of sites across the country.

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The work involved the development of a cost efficient technique for reducing the time and effort required during the deployment process. This included making efficient the processes for installation planning, capital budget modeling, RF design and prediction of coverage, the collaboration with local LAN administrators to reduce the cost of field surveys, development of RF coverage maps that depicted the quality of radio coverage, capacity, and interference potential, as well as uplink and downlink signal strength investigation and troubleshooting, and the portrayal of signal quality using advanced three dimensional views of coverage that accurately depicted what would ultimately be deployed.

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Using advanced field survey tools and local and/or roaming audit talent, we obtained cost efficient field survey information, calibrated the predictive tool, and predicted the test AP configurations and final AP configurations. These final configuration plots will be useful for operations and "the help desk" personnel in the performance of their functions after deployment.

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RF predictions were performed using an advanced RF prediction tool (Wireless Valley) on multi-layer AutoCAD drawings, to show wireless coverage in 3D throughout the warehouse, plant, or multi-story office complex. Three dimensional predictions are important to allow for a quick assessment of the number of WLAN access points (APs) to specify in a plant, warehouse, or office building. By using a 3D view of coverage, we can develop a high quality (low interference) frequency assignment that takes into account multi-floor coverage of each access point.

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The ability to quickly determine an accurate count of APs is important when designing a system using costly enterprise class access points and infrastructure and professional installations in challenging environments.

RF engineering is the foundation of a high quality, cost efficient WLAN deployment -- the RF coverage, capacity and frequency planning -- is the underpinning for all the other issues involved in enterprise wireless LAN network deployment. In this case these included security, guess access, intrusion detection, latency for real time data such as voice over wireless LAN, and handover/roaming capability. With the proper quality, margin for capacity and low latency for voice, your enterprise WLAN program will be an unqualified success for many years into the future.

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