Wireless Access

I've been told that the best practice for mounting 135s is on the ceiling because of the down tilt antenna. In a classroom building, any issues with wall mounting. The contractor is saying ceiling mount will not be possible.

Thoughts or advice?

Thanks,
Mike

The antenna pattern of the AP-135 is optimized for ceilinjg mount.

If only basic coverage is needed, AP-135 can be wall mounted, but if range/coverage needs to be optimized and ceiling mount is not an option, it's better to use an AP-134 with simple omni antennas (AP-ANT-1B or AP-ANT-20A).

It's probably best to just test it out.

 

/Onno Harms, Aruba

Thanks for your reply. So, with those antennas that you mentoned, and given the AP being wall mounted, which way would the antennas be oriented? Parallel with the floor?

 

Also, which of those two models would best approximate the gain of the integrated antenna of the AP-135? We site surveyed for ceiling mounted AP-135s and now are told at the last minute by the contractor that they must be wall mounted.

 

Mike

You could visualize the antenna pattern of the AP-135 as a cone, but one with a very narrow angle and wide base.

If you ceiling mount the AP, this cone is basically on its side, and a significant amount of energy radiates towards the ceiling and floor. For many indoor deployments that may not be an issue, since energy is reflected "all over the place" anyway, but it may result in client devices connecting to APs one or several floor down/up, which may not be desired. Also, the horizontal range may be reduced a bit.

An AP-134 with the stick antennas I mentioned actually will have better horizontal range than the AP-135 ceiling mounted.

 

/Onno

Sorry for making a painful typo in my earlier reply.

 

The second line should start like this: "If you wall mount the AP..."

 

/Onno