Installation Issues
Installation Issues
With wired networks, planning the installation of cabling is fairly straightforward. You can survey
the site and look for routes where installers can run the cable. You can measure the distances
and quickly determine whether cable runs are possible. If some users are too far away
from the network, you can design a remote networking solution or extend the length of the
cable by using repeaters. Once the design is complete, installers can run the cables, and the
cable plant will most likely support the transmission of data as planned.
A radio-based wireless LAN installation is not as predictable. It is difficult if not impossible to
design the wireless system by merely inspecting the facility. Predicting the way in which the
contour of the building will affect the propagation of radio waves is difficult. Omnidirectional
antennas propagate radio waves in all directions if nothing gets in the way. Walls, ceilings, and
other obstacles attenuate the signals more in one direction than the other and even cause some
waves to change their paths of transmission. Even the opening of a bathroom door can change
the propagation pattern. These events cause the actual radiation pattern to distort, taking on a
jagged appearance, as shown in Figure 1.7.
Wireless metropolitan area networks (MANs) also are difficult to plan. What looks like a clear
line-of-site path between two buildings separated by 1,500 feet might be cluttered with other
radio transmitting devices.
To avoid installation problems, an organization should perform propagation tests to assess the
coverage of the network. Neglecting to do so may leave some users outside of the propagation
area of wireless servers and access points. Propagation tests give you the information necessary
to plan wired connections between access points, allowing coverage over applicable areas.
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