How to deploy a Wi-Fi network?

Wi-Fi network deployment is not a trivial task and should not be performed without thorough analysis and planning. Here are some tips:

1. Site Survey

The location should be surveyed to find out the area and number of floors to be covered. Bear in mind that ceiling, wall, and flooring thickness and materials could affect the propagation of Wi-Fi signals.

2. Channel selection

Use AP Discovery (Wireless LAN >> AP Discovery) and Interference Monitor (Diagnostics >> Interference Monitor) on the access point or router to identify the channel with the strongest signal and the least amount of congestion. Also, there are mobile apps available from iTunes and Google Play stores that can assist in the analysis of the Wi-Fi spectrum, such as Wi-Fi Analyzer and InSSIDer.

3. AP location selection

You can use the AP Map feature (Central Management >> AP >> AP Map) to determine the optimal locations to install access points on your premises. For more information on AP Map, please refer to the article Plan Wireless Coverage with Central AP Managemen. It is recommended that access points have 15 to 20% overlapping coverage to ensure adequate overall coverage.

4. Understand the effects of signal strength, propagation, and barriers

The ability of wireless networking devices to penetrate the obstacles depends on several factors:

• The power of the signal from the transmitter. IEEE 802.11 mandates that the maximum transmitting power of wireless devices is 20 dBm or 100 mW. As a general rule, stronger signals are better at penetrating barriers such as walls and floors.
• The sensitivity of the receiver. Currently, the most sensitive wireless device has a reception sensitivity of -105 dB. The lower this value is, the more sensitive the device is at receiving weak signals.
• Obstacles. Try to avoid barriers by relocating access points, as wireless signals degrade when they have to pass through barriers such as walls, furniture, and floors. Below are some common indoor obstacles examples and their rates of wireless signal absorption:
  

  Material	Absorption rate	Examples
  Wood panels	Low	Inside walls
  Gypsum boards	Low	Drywalls
  Fabric	Low	Furniture, cubicle partitions, curtains
  Clear glass	Low	Windows
  Tinted glass	Medium	Exterior windows
  Concrete	Medium to High	Walls
  Mirrors	High	Glass mirrors
  Metals	High	Metal furniture, metal doors

• Antenna gain. The standard antennas supplied with most WLAN devices have a gain around 2dBi. If the signal needs to pass through multiple walls, the antennas should have a higher gain, ideally between 3 to 5 dBi. VigorAP (except AP910C) that have detachable antennas so you can easily replace them with higher gain or external antennas.

5. Roaming

Consider enabling Wi-Fi roaming to provide users with a better online experience. Wi-Fi roaming lets wireless clients roam between different access points within a network with minimal service disruption to provide seamless connectivity. Visit Wi-Fi Roaming with VigorAP for more information.

6. Client Load Balancing

Each frequency band on a Vigor AP can support a maximum of 64 MAC addresses at any given time. (AP920R could afford up to 128 MAC address per band). Additional access points might be required depending on the number of wireless clients that will be online simultaneously. Enable AP Load Balance to distribute network load across multiple APs evenly. See article Client Load Balancing by Central AP Management for more information.

7. Band Steering

For the dual-band wireless model, we could also enable the band steering for 2.4GHz with the less congested. At the same time, the dual-band client will be encouraged to connect to 5GHz wireless, which is faster. See What is Band Steering for more info.

8. Separate SSID

Consider segregating APs by usage to maintain security and performance. For example, visitors and employees can be placed on separate APs. See article Add a Separate Wireless Network for Guest for more information about client isolation by SSID and VLAN.

9. Central Management

For efficient and effective management of multiple access points, use DrayTek’s Central AP Management. See article Start using Central AP Management for more details.

10. Hotspot Web Portal

Vigor routers provide a feature called Hotspot Web Portal that can be used to authenticate wireless users or get them to agree to terms of service that are shown on a landing page. 

11. Improving Performance

If you experience difficulties with wireless performance, see this article for assistance: 7 Tips to Improve Wi-Fi Performance