Where to place your Wireless networking hardware
Where you place you hardware will depend upon the layout of your office or home; what other equipment you have, and what obstacles are present which could affect the signal strength.
You should follow the basic rules listed below:
- Keep the equipment clear of radio sources which could interfere with the signal – for example Bluetooth devices, microwave ovens, baby monitors and cordless telephones.
- The equipment should be located roughly in the middle of the area you wish to cover. Full speed communication would be maintained up to 10metres away from the device, and at about half-speed 20metres away.
- Mount the equipment high on a wall.
- Avoid placing the equipment near possible obstructions to the line-of-sight.
- Be wary of obstructions in the fabric of the building within the range of the device– for example metal sheets or supports and water tanks.
- If there is a physical obstruction, such as a wall, ensure the equipment is placed in a straight line - perpendicular to the obstruction - as the Wireless signal will degrade more if passing through objects at an angle.
Covering a large area with a Wireless network:
To expand the range of your network, or cope with obstructions which reduce the normal operating range, configure additional Access Points and place them as appropriate.
Each Access Point should be on a different channel to avoid conflicts, but should all be on the same SSID (Service Set Identifier).