[26133] in resnet
Re: Wireless in the Dorms
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (jim warner)
Wed Mar 30 01:52:56 2011
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Message-ID: <4D92C51C.5070709@ucsc.edu>
Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:52:28 -0700
Reply-To: Resnet Forum <RESNET-L@listserv.nd.edu>
From: jim warner <warner@ucsc.edu>
To: RESNET-L@listserv.nd.edu
In-Reply-To: <RESNET-L%201103292300039010.43F1@LISTSERV.ND.EDU>
On 3/29/2011 8:00 PM, RESNET-L automatic digest system wrote:
> We are adding wireless to our dorm space and I would like to know how other schools are running their wireless infrastructure in the dorms. Our dorms are the typical cinder block rooms stacked ontop of each other. We are a cisco shop and will be using the WISM and lightweight aps.
>
> Are you running your system manually or is the controller doing a good job?
>
So much to say...
1. Floor to floor radio penetration is always more than you expect.
It is important stagger APs on adjacent floors. I know this
has been said by others. It is possible that you might have a
steel pan between floors that would entirely block radio signals, but
not in cinder block construction.
1a. We are not fans of a detailed preinstallation site survey.
But it is important to know the general characteristics of your
structure to guide in AP placement.
2. As a rule, APs without external antennas expect to be mounted
horizontal, i.e. on the ceiling. Coverage will not be optimal
if you put them on the wall like a clock. With external antennas,
you can adjust the antennas for either orientation. But removable
parts in a residential setting is not something I would do.
3. Our experience is that theft and vandalism has not warranted
the cost of locking enclosures. Yes, we lose a few APs a year.
But no where near enough to cover the cost of lock boxes.
We prefer hallways and lounges rather than placement in a
student's room.
4. To mount APs horizontal where they cannot go on the ceiling,
you need a bracket. You can buy a professional bracket for
$60 (Oberon). What we are doing is using nine inch steel bookends.
http://noc.ucsc.edu/docs/wap-bracket/
http://www.gaylord.com/adblock.asp?abid=11525
We use the ones with a plain base (no cork).
The AP base bracket is set so that the padlock hasp is at
the edge of steel bookend to make it easy to install the lock.
There is some hole drilling on the brackets to make them ready
for the install. Or you can have them punched.
5. Expect that in a dense deployment that the control system
will want to reduce the power of some of the APs. That's a good
thing.
6. Channel assignment and power setting is too complex to get
right without a controller like system. We use cisco WCS.
7. We haven't had a lot of trouble with foreign APs. We have had
trouble with irregular radio devices like wifi web cams.
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