Gather Information

One of the most important phases of planning for a wireless network installation is gathering information. This section provides a listing of the information that should be gathered during the planning phase.

Determine Availability of High Speed Internet Access

Before any wireless installation can occur, the location must be capable of receiving high-speed Internet access (DSL, Cable, T1 or equivalent). If the location is unable to receive high-speed Internet access, the installation of a wireless network cannot occur.

Note: Analog dial-up type connections are not compatible with wireless networks.

Request Floor Plans/Layouts of Location

To assist in both the site survey and installation of the wireless network, it is very important the location supply floor plans and/or layouts of all areas that need wireless coverage. These floor plans/layouts will be valuable reference tools for planning and coordinating the cable and equipment installation. Once installation of the network is completed, theses layouts can be used to locate equipment as needed (during routine maintenance, troubleshooting, etc).

Plan the Wireless Coverage Areas

Based on the location’s specific needs and requests, you will need to determine which locations within the facility need to have wireless coverage. You will need to mark these locations on the supplied floor plans/layouts.

Note: It is important to remember that this stage of planning is theoretical. It is highly possible that coverage cannot be brought to some areas due to signal barriers, cable length restrictions, etc. The location contact must be made aware of this during the planning stage. It is not until the Site Survey is conducted that coverage areas can be determined with a degree of certainty.

Secure a Signed Location Agreement

At this point in the planning process, it is critical that you obtain a signed location agreement authorizing the installation of the wireless network and giving you full rights to remotely monitor all activity that occurs on the network. This agreement should also include a provision that authorizes the placement of marketing materials (posters, flyers, table tents, etc.) at your location once the installation is complete. Agreement forms can be obtained from the NetNearU Sales Department as needed.

Conducting the Site Survey

Once the necessary documentation has been gathered and the preliminary planning is completed, the next step in the process is to conduct a site survey. Performing an actual site survey is important because it allows you to understand those variables not shown on the floor plan that may affect wireless coverage in any particular area.

A number of factors will affect whether or not coverage can brought to a particular area. The most important factors that must be considered when evaluating coverage areas include:

• Signal Barriers: There are a number of barriers that can adversely affect the transmission of wireless radio signals. These barriers must be taken into consideration when evaluating any potential coverage areas. Some items to keep in mind when conducting surveys of a particular area are listed below:

• Radio waves pass through walls and glass but not through metal. You may find that reinforcing metal in the structure of some concrete walls blocks the wireless signal.

• Open spaces generally provide the best range, but surrounding large metal walls may cause reflections that reduce the data rate.

• Floors typically have steel girders and other metal material that may block radio waves from traveling between floors.

• Access to the Drop Points: Another important element of the site survey is to determine how easily the drop points (equipment installation areas) can be accessed. Of particular importance is whether the location has the necessary equipment (scaffolding, ladders, etc.) to reach the ceiling/drop points. In nearly all situations, the installing party will need to borrow the location’s equipment to install the hardware at each drop point.

Note: Designing the network so that each drop point is readily accessible will help facilitate future maintenance and/or troubleshooting.

Another important “access” consideration is room and drop point availability. In particular, you will need to determine when the rooms (or areas around the individual drop points) will be available for installation and cabling personnel. Knowing what times and days are best for accessing the drop point areas will ensure the install goes as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

Determining the Cable and Hardware Requirements of the Network

Evaluating the cabling and hardware requirements of the wireless network is the most important phase of planning as a majority of the network costs are tied to these two items. Below is a list of the most important factors that should be considered when evaluating the cable and hardware requirements of the network:

• Cabling Requirements/RestrictionsLength of Cable Runs: For most wireless network installations, CAT 5 cable will need to be run to each coverage area. As with any CAT 5 network, there is a length limitation of 328 ft. per cable run. Therefore, if a wireless coverage area is more than 328 ft. away from the main connection source (RAP, DSL modem, etc.), coverage cannot be brought to that area unless one or more intermediate hardware devices (hubs, routers, or switches) are installed between the main connection source and the coverage area. These additional hardware requirements will increase the cost and complexity of an installation (for example, a power source would be required for each intermediate device installed).

Note: For longer cable runs, a maximum of four hubs can be installed between the main connection source and the access point at the intended coverage area (a maximum of 328 ft between each hub). Using switches instead of hubs will allow for much longer cable runs that can exceed the “4-hub” limitation.

• Cable Visibility: Another important cabling issue is visibility. In particular, it will be important to determine if cabling can be run to the individual drop points in a manner that would allow the cabling to be hidden such as tiled ceilings. If the cabling cannot be hidden, special covering devices will need to be installed so that the installation is aesthetically acceptable.

Note: Beyond the cabling, an access point (and possibly other equipment) will need to be installed at each drop point…these devices should not be seen nor accessible to the general public if at all possible.

• Cable Specifications: For each wireless network installation, the cable contractor must install high quality CAT 5 network cable that meets all local building code requirements.

During cable installation, the contractor should properly label both ends of each network cable for easy reference. The names should be descriptive of each drop point’s location. After cable installation, the contractor should provide written confirmation that all cable segments have been tested thoroughly. The contractor should also specify the length of each installed cable segment. In some cases, you may also want to schedule the contractor to be onsite during final hardware installation at each drop point.