Wireless Access Point Placement

When it comes to matters wireless network design, simply counting on free vendor software to place your access points and calling it a day won’t cut it for most environments. But this is a problem we constantly run into, mostly from inexperienced consultants or MSPs trying to be something they’re not.

So, where do you place your wireless AP to support maximum wireless performance? While this is a common question, the answer varies since all wireless environments are unique. Although there is no one size fits all per se, there are some situations where best practices can apply.

Having said that, below are the common wireless network design mistakes you should avoid when trying to decide when to place your WLAN’s access points.

Placing AP’s in the Hallway

The first question you should answer is, where do your users spend most of their time, in the hallways, or in the rooms? While this is an easy question, so many people still seem to ignore the answer inside each room.

The location plays a significant part, but so does the type of access point leverage. Ever since the 802.11 ac (Wi-Fi 5) Wi-Fi standard, the performance features available have made room placement over hallway placement the ideal choice.

You might be wondering why this is the case. Well, by placing your wireless AP in the room, you can limit or avoid entirely both co-channel and adjacent channel interference associated with older, less efficient models. Room installation offers a natural buffer to the signal by using the walls to further reduce channel interference.

Placing AP’s on the Walls

Let’s just get this out of the way, no wireless AP or antennal is perfect for all locations. Some manufacturers say access points can be deployed both on the wall and on the ceiling, but this typically isn’t the case without sacrificing some performance.

From what we’ve witnessed, placing AP’s on the ceiling offers the bets experience to your users. This is more so because there are fewer things that can get in the way of the RF signal, offering a clear, direct path to the devices below.

But sometimes there are situations where the ceiling isn’t an option. In this case, you should be more strategic with the type of antenna you choose and where you place it on the wall to avoid regrets in the long run.