• SonicWave 600 series
• Deployment Scenarios Overview
  • SonicWave 600 Series Deployment Considerations
  • SonicWave 600 Series Deployment Scenarios
• Wireless Access Point Placement Considerations
  • Radio Frequency Barriers
  • RF Interference
• Software Configuration
  • Configuring SonicOS for Wireless Access
    • Firewall-based Configuration
    • Cloud-based Configuration
  • Wireless Cloud Management Overview
    • WiFi Cloud Manager
    • WiFi Planner
    • WiFi Cloud Manager Mobile application
  • Integration with other SonicWall Software
• Managing the SonicWave with a Firewall
  • Configuring the SonicWave Provisioning Profile
  • Configuring the Network Interface
  • Configuring the WLAN Zone
• Deploying a SonicWave with Wireless Network Manager
  • Licensing Requirements
  • Registering and Deploying the SonicWave
    • Registering the SonicWave
    • Accessing the Wireless Network Manager
    • Deploying with the Wireless Network Manager
    • Creating a Zone Policy
    • Linking the Policy to the Zone
• Using SonicPoint FairNet Bandwidth Limit Policies
  • SonicPoint FairNet Features
  • Configuring SonicPoint FairNet
• SonicWall Support
  • About This Document

Wireless Access Point Placement Considerations

Physical placement of the SonicWave wireless access point has a measurable effect on who can and cannot access your wireless signal.

Access points should be kept clear of Radio Frequency (RF) interference sources. RF barriers can be circumvented by deploying multiple access points.

A site survey can help find the optimum wireless access point placement, but you need it to find usable locations.

Considerations include:

• Number of Access Points Versus User Density – If too many users connect to a single access point, maximum transfer rates are reached, and that access point may become a bottleneck for the whole system.

• Bandwidth – How much data is moving upstream and downstream for a given type of user?

• Ethernet Cabling – Where are you running the powered Ethernet (PoE) cable, and how are you securing that cable? Are you using a multi-gigabit 802.3at-compliant PoE injector or switch to power all access points?

  To maintain power to the SonicWave access point, the recommended maximum length of CAT5e cable from the 802.3at PoE injector to the SonicWave access point is 100 meters (333 feet).

• Hubs / Switches – Your wireless deployment has to tie back into your network security application and LAN resources. Consider where your crucial networking devices are deployed and how they connect efficiently with your wireless application. What speed is needed for your Ethernet connection to accommodate the number of access points you are installed? A Gigabit Ethernet interface is recommended when connecting an SonicWave access point to your SonicWall network security application.

• Legacy Clients – Older laptops and mobile devices might not support 802.11ac. Although clients with 802.11a/g/b hardware are supported by the SonicWave, the presence of these legacy clients within a range of your wireless network could affect the connection speed of your 802.11ac clients.

  For example, an 802.11b device authenticated to the SonicWave access point could limit all clients connected to that radio to 802.11b data rates.