Super-Networking Blog

I am researching right now where is the best place to put your Wi-Fi points in an enterprise environment. There are a lot of things to consider, such as floor plan, where you need coverage, what devices are going to be used on the network, what kinds of speeds do you need. With mounting them you have to be aware of what is near them, not only because of absorbing of RF but reflecting of RF. I am adding in a link for some recommendations from Cisco as well as some stats on building materials you might encounter. One thing I have yet to find is what kind of affect does sound proof material have on RF if any. Cisco Recommendations 1. Paper and vinyl walls have little effect on RF signal penetration.2. Solid and pre-cast concrete walls limit signal penetration to one or two walls without degrading coverage.3. Concrete and concrete block walls limit signal penetration to three or four walls.

4. Wood or drywall allows for adequate signal penetration for five or six walls.

5. A thick metal wall causes signals to reflect off, resulting in poor signal penetration.

6. Chain link fence and wire mesh with 1 to 1�” spacing act as �” waves that block a 2.4 GHz signal.

7. When you deploy a wireless bridge link through a window, the window glass can introduce significant signal loss. Typical losses range from 5 to 15 dB per window, depending upon the type of glass. Your deployment plan must take this extra loss into account conservatively when you plan antenna gains and power settings.