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Optimal AP placement - Ceiling / Wall

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  • 1.  Optimal AP placement - Ceiling / Wall

    Posted Mar 08, 2021 10:14 AM

     Hello,

    All wifi specialist journalist and blog writer tell that ceiling mounting is way more optimal than wall mounting. It is clear that they are right when we check the antenna pattern plots of most access points.

    But i just checked the AP-300 Aruba's AP, and it seems that they emit more power in front of them than on their sides :

    Antenna pattern plots : https://i.imgur.com/yI2R6I2.png (the Azimuth is pure omni)

    According to this plot, it is not an awful thing to mount them on a wall. Oddly, the 300's datasheet tell us that they are optimized to be mounted on the ceiling https://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/ds/DS_AP300Series.pdf .

    What do you guys think about this ?

    Thanks



    ------------------------------
    ACMA - 2021
    CWNA - 2021
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  • 2.  RE: Optimal AP placement - Ceiling / Wall

    MVP EXPERT
    Posted Mar 08, 2021 06:43 PM
    Hi Lpic,

    The only right answer (as usual) "it depends" :)

    Most standard answer is that a APs antenna pattern is optimized to place horizontal, by changing the antenna polarization you will directly loose some dBm. If you need more range mounting horizontal is the best solution.

    Another example. In my home i place my AP "clockwise" (most engineers will shoot me ;)). But in my case my Home is small (6m width) and like to optimize radiation to my second floor. But thats different as in most office environments where you like to avoid radiation between floors and keep that minimal to avoid co-channel interference.

    In 90% of all cases i recommend to place AP horizontal, there are also some nice AP mounts available to place horizontal on a wall.

    So the reall question is, why do you like to place it on a wall and how does it meet your requirements.

    See also https://wlanprofessionals.com/why-you-shouldnt-hang-aps-on-the-wall-like-a-clock/

    ------------------------------
    Marcel Koedijk | MVP Guru 2021 | ACMP | ACCP | Ekahau ECSE | Not an HPE Employee | Opionions are my own
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  • 3.  RE: Optimal AP placement - Ceiling / Wall

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Mar 09, 2021 04:04 AM
    If you have multiple floors, it is awful as you put a lot of 'leak' to the floor above you, which you don't have if you mount it on the ceiling.

    The recommendation to mount the APs on the ceiling would mostly apply when you mount multiple APs, and even more if you have larger floors and multiple floors. For lab, it is fine to put the AP on the table; and if you have a single AP for a smaller area, the exact mounting is not as critical. As Marcel mentioned 'it depends'.

    ------------------------------
    Herman Robers
    ------------------------
    If you have urgent issues, always contact your Aruba partner, distributor, or Aruba TAC Support. Check https://www.arubanetworks.com/support-services/contact-support/ for how to contact Aruba TAC. Any opinions expressed here are solely my own and not necessarily that of Hewlett Packard Enterprise or Aruba Networks.
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  • 4.  RE: Optimal AP placement - Ceiling / Wall

    Posted Mar 11, 2021 04:37 AM
    Hey guys,

    Thanks for yours replies.

    I know how it can be awful to put AP on wall, i checked multiples times with Ekahau on adjacent floors and i saw that AP leak clearly towards its floor and its ceiling.
    I think that the optimal placement/orientation for an access point also depends strongly on its antenna pattern. We can see that AP with integrated patch antenna have antenna patterns where we can clearly see that they emits more in front of them.

    With this one https://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/ds/DS_AP300Series.pdf , check the page 6. If i read it correclty, the access point emits more in front of its than on its side (at 180°). However, the datasheet tells us that the AP is optimized to be mounted in the ceiling, why ? It should emits more on its side !

    ------------------------------
    ACMA - 2021
    CWNA - 2021
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: Optimal AP placement - Ceiling / Wall

    MVP EXPERT
    Posted Mar 11, 2021 05:45 AM

    Hi Ipic,

    Image an square that 100x100meter and put an Aruba AP-315 in the middle.

     
    When placing it on the ceiling your cell looks like this:



    When placing it on the wall your cell looks like this:


    With placing it horizontal on the ceiling your get a better cell size / coverage area.

    Hope this helps…



    ------------------------------
    Marcel Koedijk | MVP Guru 2021 | ACMP | ACCP | Ekahau ECSE | Not an HPE Employee | Opionions are my own
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: Optimal AP placement - Ceiling / Wall

    Posted Mar 11, 2021 06:24 AM
    I agree with this model, it works better in ceiling mount. I'm talking about the AP-300, not AP-310.

    Check my Ekahau captures:

    This one is ceiling, strange omni (it emits strong towards the floor, so the N-1 floor will receive a lot and the radiation is weird)

    Now on the wall :
    It looks like a patch !


    Traditionnally, omni access point mounted on wall would look like your capture, but this one (AP-305) looks like a patch antenna, it is weird ! It means that it is complelty suitable to be mounted on wall, which is strange since it is said to be optimised for ceiling.

    ------------------------------
    ACMA - 2021
    CWNA - 2021
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: Optimal AP placement - Ceiling / Wall

    MVP EXPERT
    Posted Mar 11, 2021 08:04 AM
    Hi Ipic,

    Indeed as you see the AP-305 is pushing a bit more down to the floor.

    You can put it on a wall if there is need for but have to understand it the will reach the floor above, which is not the case when you place it horizonal. Atennuation between floors should mostly always be minimalized to avoid co-channel interference.

    There is no hard "rule" for placing on the ceiling or wall aslong you respect the anntena patterns as you allready considered in Ekahua.  If the pattern is look like as you desgined it, go for it.

    Ceiling Mount:

    Wall mount:


    ------------------------------
    Marcel Koedijk | MVP Guru 2021 | ACMP | ACCP | Ekahau ECSE | Not an HPE Employee | Opionions are my own
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: Optimal AP placement - Ceiling / Wall

    MVP EXPERT
    Posted Mar 11, 2021 10:58 AM

    Image an square that 100x100meter and put an Aruba AP-315 in the middle.

     

    When placing it on the ceiling your cell looks like this.

     

    When placing it on the wall your cell looks like this.

     

    With placing it horizontal on the ceiling your get a better cell size / coverage area.

    Hope this helps...