Wireless Access

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Access network design for branch, remote, outdoor, and campus locations with HPE Aruba Networking access points and mobility controllers.
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Fine tuning Radio & ARM settings for a diverse environment?

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  • 1.  Fine tuning Radio & ARM settings for a diverse environment?

    Posted Oct 26, 2016 11:29 PM

    Hi,

    I'm at a campus where we have recently deployed over 2700 WAPs, (mostly 325's).

    I'd appreciate some comment over adjusting ARM (and other settings) as we've almost finished our deployment.

     

    I'm wondering if our WAP settings are ideal (or not), as the organization assisting us in the deployment chose settings that they

    considered to be suitable as "one size fits all".

    For example our ARM setting are, 5G Min TX & Max TX 18, 2.4G Min TX 12 & Max TX 12, with 20M wide channels only.

    We have over 100 buildings, with a variety of uses, density, age, and construction styles, so i think the "one size fits all" is a little too symplistic.

     

    I think the 20M wide channels only, is

    correct for our high density areas, but i don't believe it's valid for all of

    our locations.

     

    What i'm curious about, is there some reporting in airwave that can help identify what areas should stay at 20M, and what areas would be fine to go with 40 (or even 80) wide channels?

    I'd like our users to have the best experience possible.

     

    Also considering all of our powers are set to one level only, some airwave report showing where those should be adjusted? Or maybe even some 2.4G radios turned off?

     

    I have been reading the VRD's, and there's a lot to digest...

     

    But would appreciate any comment!

    thanks

    Andrew



  • 2.  RE: Fine tuning Radio & ARM settings for a diverse environment?

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Oct 27, 2016 06:53 AM

    20 mhz channels is a very good start if you want to provide universal coverage.  It allows you to use the most channels with the least amount of interference.  Keeping interference down is the key to performance. Some clients do not use 40mhz channels to bonding channels could have a whole class of clients not taking advantage of the second channel.  If you have a large environment and very little control over the clients, I would use 20 mhz everywhere so that I do not have to worry about interference.

     

    Since you have 100 buildings, it can be very tough to even understand what is going on.   This is what I suggest:

     

    - First Zero in on persistent customer complaints, either universal or in specific locations

    - Replicate those issues

    - Come up with a plan of action my measuring the RF utilization in those spots to determine what should be done.

     

    If you have Airwave, I would run an RF health report  to determine any locations with APs that have the possibly worst issues.

     

    This is just a general strategy to understand what might be going on, and it does not account for the wide range of issues that you could have.