Troubleshooting Access Point Misplacement Error and Solution.

By | December 3, 2023
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Identify Problems with Access Point Misplacement.

You may have experienced a WLAN that just did not seem to perform like it should. Perhaps you keep losing connection with an access point, or your data rates are much slower than they should be. You may even have done a quick move around the environment to confirm that you could see the access points. Having confirmed that they are there, you wonder why you continue to get poor service.

Reason

There are two major issues with improper placement of access points:

  • The distance separating access points is too far to allow overlapping coverage.
  • The orientation of access point antennae in hallways and corners diminishes coverage.

Solution

Verify the power settings and make sure the operational ranges and placement of access points are on a minimum of 10 to 15% cell overlap.

Change the orientation and positioning of access points:

  • Position access points above obstructions.
  • Position access points vertically near the ceiling in the centre of each coverage area, if possible.
  • Position access points in locations where users are expected to be. For example, large rooms are typically a better location for access points than a hallway.

Additional specific details concerning access point and antenna placement are:

  • Always mount the access point vertically
  •  Do not mount the access point on building perimeter walls, unless outside coverage is desired.
  • Do not mount the access point outside of buildings
  • Do not mount the access point within 3 feet (91.4 cm) of metal obstructions.
  • Install the access point away from the microwave ovens. Microwave ovens operate on the same frequency as the access point and can cause signal interference.
  • When mounting an access point in the corner of a right-angle hallway intersection, mount it at a 45-degree angle to the two hallways. The access point internal antennas are not omni-directional and cover a larger area when mounted this way.
  •  Ensure that access points are not mounted closer than 7.9 inches (20 cm) from the body of all persons.

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