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Case Study: AP Installation Positions Are Blocked by Obstacles, Causing Weak Signals for STAs
Symptom
There are obstacles in the AP signal coverage area. The signal strength of STAs is weak, and Wi-Fi experience is poor.
Relevant Alarms and Logs
None
Cause Analysis
APs are not properly deployed, causing signals to penetrate many obstacles and resulting in high signal attenuation. The following describes the scenarios:
- In an office scenario, AP signals need to penetrate two walls, causing severe signal attenuation and insufficient coverage.
- In a higher education scenario, settled APs are deployed in corridors to provide signal coverage for dormitories, but signal strength is insufficient after signals penetrate walls.
- In a higher education scenario, APs are installed between two iron pipes.
- In a hotel scenario, APs are placed above the ceiling, with the rear side facing downwards, instead of being ceiling-mounted. As a result, signals are transmitted upwards, causing weak coverage below the ceiling.
- In a higher education scenario, APs are installed in corners on the ground. Such low heights cause severe signal attenuation and insufficient coverage radius.
Procedure
- Adjust the AP installation positions to avoid obstacles as much as possible.
- If the installation positions cannot be adjusted, adjust the AP power and deploy more APs.
Suggestion and Summary
Plan the network properly. You can set specific attenuation values for obstacles of different materials in the network planning tool to generate a coverage heat map and check the coverage effect. If possible, perform a site survey to check whether there are obstacles around the AP installation positions.
The following describes common AP deployment suggestions:
- To ensure signal quality, deploy one AP for every two rooms with brick walls or wooden partition walls and deploy one AP in each room with metal, double-layer soundproof glass, or concrete walls.
- It is recommended that APs be installed below the ceiling. If the APs must be installed above the ceiling, only the plaster or plastic ceiling is supported and they cannot be installed above a metal ceiling. Place an AP horizontally with its front panel facing downwards and avoid visible line of sight (LoS) obstacles.
