WLAN Wi-Fi 7 Enterprise Office Scenario

Deployment Guide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Document version: 6W100-20250325

 

Preface

This document describes how to design a WLAN for enterprise office scenarios using Wi-Fi 7. It includes the following content: Requirement collection, field engineering, equipment selection, deployment recommendations, deployment examples, and acceptance testing.

This preface includes the following topics about the documentation:

·     Audience

·     Conventions

·     Prerequisites for using the document

·     Documentation feedback

Audience

This documentation is intended for:

·     Network planners with basic networking knowledge.

·     Network administrators responsible for network configuration and maintenance with basic networking skills.

Conventions

Symbols

Convention	Description
WARNING!	An alert that calls attention to important information that if not understood or followed can result in personal injury.
CAUTION:	An alert that calls attention to important information that if not understood or followed can result in data loss, data corruption, or damage to hardware or software.
IMPORTANT:	An alert that calls attention to essential information.
NOTE:	An alert that contains additional or supplementary information.
TIP:	An alert that provides helpful information.

 

Conventions

	Represents a generic network device, such as a router, switch, or firewall.
	Represents a routing-capable device, such as a router or Layer 3 switch.
	Represents a generic switch, such as a Layer 2 or Layer 3 switch, or a router that supports Layer 2 forwarding and other Layer 2 features.
	Represents an access controller, a unified wired-WLAN module, or the access controller engine on a unified wired-WLAN switch.
	Represents an access point.
	Represents a wireless terminator unit.
	Represents a wireless terminator.
	Represents a mesh access point.
	Represents omnidirectional signals.
	Represents directional signals.
	Represents a security product, such as a firewall, UTM, multiservice security gateway, or load balancing device.
	Represents a security module, such as a firewall, load balancing, NetStream, SSL VPN, IPS, or ACG module.

 

Examples provided in this document

Screenshots and examples provided in this documentation are for illustration only. They might differ depending on the hardware model, software version, and configuration. It is normal that the port numbers, sample output, screenshots, and other information in the examples differ from what you have on your device.

Prerequisites for using the document

Procedures and information in the document might be slightly different depending on the software or hardware version of the device.

The configuration examples were created and verified in a lab environment, and all the devices were started with the factory default configuration. When you are working on a live network, make sure you understand the potential impact of every command on your network.

Documentation feedback

You can e-mail your comments about product documentation to [email protected].

E-mail: [email protected]

We appreciate your comments.

 

Contents

Preface· i

Audience· i

Conventions· i

Prerequisites for using the document ii

Documentation feedback· ii

Overview·· 1

Wireless field engineering· 3

Requirement collection· 3

Signal coverage requirement 3

Performance requirement 3

Management operation requirements· 4

On-site field engineering· 4

On-site environment 4

AP· 4

Field testing· 5

Engineering report 5

Obstacle attenuation· 5

Device selection· 8

Reference factors· 8

Recommended models· 9

Ultra-high-density office scenarios· 9

High-density office scenarios· 9

General office scenarios· 10

Capacity design· 11

Bandwidth requirement 11

Number of concurrent clients· 11

Number of APs deployed· 12

Latency requirement 13

Installation and deployment 15

AP installation and deployment guidelines· 15

General principles· 15

Deploying an AP· 16

Typical networking· 19

Network architecture· 19

Forwarding method· 22

SSID planning· 22

6GHz channel planning· 24

Deployment recommendations· 26

Basic configuration· 26

Service VLAN· 26

Low-rate client rejection· 26

VLAN-based user isolation· 26

Client rate limit 27

Recommended bandwidth values· 27

WLAN user security· 27

Wi-Fi 7 client access method· 28

Service assurance· 29

Radio resource management (RRM) 29

Cooperative roaming· 30

Intelligent bandwidth assurance· 30

Intelligent application identification and assurance· 30

Radio load balancing· 31

VIP clients· 31

Recommended practices for hybrid Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 6 deployments· 32

Deployment example· 33

Wireless coverage in general office areas· 33

Wireless coverage for small and medium-sized meeting rooms· 34

High-density coverage in an office area· 36

Restaurant wireless coverage· 37

Acceptance testing· 39

Signal coverage testing· 39

Client rate testing· 40

Ping packet testing· 40

Signal interference testing· 41

 

Overview

Under the wave of digitization transformation, digital office has become an inevitable choice for enterprises seeking efficiency, convenience, and environmental protection. The digital office solution significantly boost work efficiency, enhance information security, reduce management costs, and improve communication and collaboration efficiency, thereby increasing a company's market competitiveness. In the process of enterprise digitization transformation, the network plays a crucial role, and deploying an efficient and reliable wireless office network becomes a key component.

As shown in Table 1, a typical office setting can be divided into open-plan areas, cubicle areas, and high-density indoor.

Table 1 Introduction to typical office scenarios

Scenario		Description	Deployment example
General office scenarios	Open-plan office area	An open-plan office area acts as the primary activity zone for both employees and visitors, including workspaces and corridors. The scenario features include: ·     Open space and poor isolation. ·     High concurrency of dense clients, a large number of access users, and a variety of client types within the same zone. ·     Clear bandwidth requirement with client roamings. ·     High requirements for low latency and minimal jitter.	Wireless coverage in general office areas
	Cubicle area	A cubicle area includes small meeting rooms and private offices. The scenario features include: ·     Multiple independent zones, which are vulnerable to interference if signal leakage occurs. ·     Fewer clients, high access experience requirements, and varying client performance within the same zone. ·     High requirements on Internet access bandwidth and the number of supported users.	Wireless coverage for small and medium-sized meeting rooms
High-density office scenarios		Indoor high-density scenarios include large office areas primarily for wireless working, as well as auditoriums, restaurants, and other event spaces. Among them, the large office areas must meet the demand for wireless audio and video conferencing, with a high proportion of audio and video conferences. The characteristics of auditorium and canteen include: ·     High user density and concentrated concurrent activities during specific time periods. ·     High access performance requirements and varying client capabilities. ·     High requirements on Internet access bandwidth and the number of supported users.	·     High-density coverage in an office area ·     Restaurant wireless coverage

 

Wi-Fi 7 uses the new 802.11be standard, also known as the Extremely High Throughput (EHT) standard. Compared to Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 7 introduces a series of key technologies, including 320 MHz, 4096-QAM, Multiple Resource Unit (MRU), and Multi-Link Operation (MLO).

These technologies can significantly enhance data transfer rates, reduce network latency, and improve frequency utilization, better supporting emerging office needs such as remote work, audio-video conferences, and cloud desktops. They effectively address the service challenges of high concurrency and large bandwidth in office scenarios, converting network transmission speed into a competitive advantage for enterprises.

Wireless field engineering

Requirement collection

Signal coverage requirement

Table 2 shows the WLAN signal coverage requirements.

Table 2 WLAN signal coverage requirements

Signal coverage requirement	Description
Understand the on-site environment and mark obstacles	·     Understand the environmental information of the coverage area through floor plans and similar methods, and focus on the material and thickness of indoor walls. ·     Record areas with a ceiling height exceeding 6 meters.
Confirm the signal boundary value of the coverage zone.	Define key coverage areas and general coverage areas, and then set signal boundary values based on these zones. For example, maintain signal strength between –40 dBm and –65 dBm in key coverage areas. Keep signal strength above –75 dBm in standard coverage areas. In enterprise office scenarios, key coverage zones include office areas and conference rooms, and standard coverage areas include corridors and stairwells.
Type and number of access clients	Office environments feature diverse client types, including mobile phones, notebook computers, tablets, printers, desktops, and display devices. Typically, plan the network based on the assumption that each person uses one mobile phone and one PC.
Acknowledge obstacles and interference sources	Most of the office area contains open spaces, ranging from tens to thousands of square meters, with partitions and load-bearing columns within the space. Obstructions in space can partially block signals. Common sources of interference include microwaves, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi signals built by carriers.

 

Performance requirement

The service characteristics of office scenarios determine that deployment plans must focus on ensuring user bandwidth needs and enhancing user access experience. Priority should be given to considering the number of concurrent clients, bandwidth requirements, and critical service needs, as shown in Table 3.

Table 3 Performance requirement

Performance requirement	Description
Concurrent users	Assess the number of concurrent users accessing the Wi-Fi network during peak periods.
Service requirements	The bold font indicates critical service operations. You may consider adding APs as necessary to meet performance requirements. ·     Open-plan office area—Web browsing, office software, file transfer, instant messaging, audio/video conferencing, and cloud desktop. ·     Cubicle work area—Web browsing, office software, instant messaging, audio and video conferencing, and cloud desktop. ·     Indoor high-density public area—Web browsing, instant messaging, audio and video conferencing, video, gaming, and shopping.
Bandwidth requirements	Estimate bandwidth requirements based on common service types in actual scenarios.

 

Management operation requirements

When you conduct WLAN planning, it is necessary to consult the user's requirements in advance, including: network architecture, authentication needs, and Internet behavior management.

·     Network architecture

Based on the deployment location of the AC within the network, the network architecture can be classified into AC out-of-path deployment networking and AC direct-connected networking. Depending on the areas controlled and the throughput, the AC can be deployed at the aggregation layer or the core layer. Considering reliability issues, AC is usually recommended to be deployed at the core layer with dual-link, IRF backup, or cloud cluster.

·     Authentication requirements

Enterprise networks must support access for internal employees, specific devices, and external guests. When designing an access authentication scheme, ensure proper validation for end-user identities. Assign appropriate network permissions based on user identity to enable secure network access and management.

·     Network security requirements

Record and analyze internal network devices and user behavior to identify potential security threats, optimize network performance, increase network usage, and ensure network compliance.

On-site field engineering

The primary purpose of field engineering is to assess the on-site environment. This includes verifying the layout, obstacles, interference sources, weak current well locations, and floor heights. Collect and analyze the above information to confirm the AP model, installation location, power supply method, and point distribution.

On-site environment

·     Identify obstacles, note common wall materials and thickness indoors, and then estimate or conduct field testing to measure actual signal degrade.

·     Record areas with a ceiling height exceeding 6 meters.

·     To deploy wireless in a large conference room, record the number of seats to assess concurrency requirements.

·     Document the location of the equipment room and validate the configuration of the wired network and exit resources.

·     Identify the power supply and wiring methods available at the installation site.

AP

·     Installation location

Document the possible AP installation locations As a best practice, use the existing network cables in the company to provide high-quality wireless coverage in the office area. For example, to use the existing location points, you can replace existing APs with H3C Wi-Fi 7 APs, ensuring they meet H3C coverage and deployment requirements.

·     Installation method

Select an appropriate installation location and height based on the actual site. Common installation methods include 86 panel, wall mounting, ceiling mounting, and T-rail mounting. If the device has a weight warning label, the strength of the load-bearing structure should be given priority. As a best practice, use the wall-mounting or T-rail mounting method.

Field testing

·     Before performing field engineering, use the cloud survey function on Cloudnet to simulate the wireless experience.

Cloud survey is an H3C-developed field engineering simulation tool that models various wireless coverage scenarios. The engineer can import the on-site environment of the project into the software, complete the obstacle drawing and AP placement, and then intuitively view the WLAN coverage effect and generate a field engineering diagram. Using the cloud survey function significantly improves the efficiency of wireless project field engineering and reduces labor and resource costs.

·     As a best practice, carry an AP on-site and use tools such as Ekahau to test signal coverage, attenuation, and the status of wireless air interface channels.

Engineering report

After completing the field engineering, it is necessary to organize the points, create a simulated heatmap, and prepare the engineering report for subsequent deployment. Based on the networking plan and field engineering conditions, create a detailed list of required network equipment and accessories (such as mounting kits, power cords, and Ethernet cables).

Obstacle attenuation

Signal attenuation of common obstacles

Table 4 shows the signal attenuation values of common obstacles.

 

	NOTE: The data is for reference only. As a best practice, test signal attenuation on-site when planning and constructing a network.

 

Table 4 Signal attenuation values of common obstacles

Obstacle type	Thickness (cm)	2.4GHz signal attenuation (dB)	5GHz signal attenuation (dB)	6GHz signal attenuation (dB)
Wooden wall	4	3	5	The 6GHz band experiences more signal attenuation than the 5GHz band, but the difference is smaller than that between the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. In real-world environments, signal attenuation depends on free-space path loss and diffraction capability. As a best practice, perform field testing to measure signal attenuation.
12 cement wall	12	10	15
18 cement wall	18	13	20
24 cement wall	24	16	25
Glass window	5	4	7
Wooden door	4	3	5
Metal door	3	6	10
Gypsum board	3	4	7
Elevator lobby	-	25	35
Metal wall	2	100	100

 

Obstacle attenuation test

1.     Prepare the following tools:

¡     Signal source: Use an AP or mobile phone that supports the Wi-Fi hotspot function.

¡     Signal reception: Use a mobile phone or laptop with signal scanning software.

2.     Select the obstacle to test, such as a wall.

3.     Place the signal source. If you use an AP as the signal source, make sure the signal source location meets the following requirements:

¡     Make sure the signal source has a clear line of sight to the obstacle.

¡     Place the signal source 4 to 5 meters away from the obstacle.

 

	NOTE: To ensure accurate testing, keep the signal source away from obstacles to prevent signal instability caused by near-field effects.

 

4.     Perform the obstacle attenuation test. Connect your phone to the wireless service provided by the AP. Check the signal strength on the wireless scanning software at measurement point 1 and point 2. Observe a single measurement point for a minimum of 60 seconds and calculate the average.

 

	NOTE: Connect the phone to the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz wireless services separately. Perform obstacle attenuation tests to obtain the obstacle attenuation values for each frequency band.

 

5.     The signal strength difference between measurement point 1 and measurement point 2 is the obstacle attenuation value.

Figure 1 Obstacle attenuation test diagram

 

Device selection

Reference factors

Use factors in Table 5 to determine the AP model based on the preliminary requirement collection and field engineering conditions.

Table 5 AP selection reference factors

Factors	Description
Radio quantity	The more radios there are, the more clients can be supported. ·     For environments with high personnel density, select high-density APs. ·     For environments with average personnel density, select standard dual-band APs.
MIMO	The number of spatial streams indicates an AP's ability to send data to multiple clients simultaneously. A single AP typically supports 4 to 12 MIMO streams. The more spatial streams the AP supports, the greater the throughput and the higher the capacity for device connectivity.
Antenna	The AP has a built-in antenna, and some models support the expansion of external antennas. The transmit power and gain of an antenna affect the wireless signal coverage. Antenna type: Antennas are categorized by their radiation orientation into omnidirectional antennas and directional antennas. ·     Omnidirectional antenna: Provides 360° horizontal orientation coverage. Use it for short-range coverage in generalized areas without specific targets. ·     Directional antenna: Focuses radiation in a specific orientation, ideal for covering targeted areas. Transmit power: Adjust the transmit power to reduce interference on the same channel and increase spectrum resource usage. Higher transmit power results in a stronger signal and a wider coverage area. NOTE: The actual effective transmit power depends on local laws and regulations, the configured transmit power, and the supported transmit power range of the AP. The actual effective transmit power cannot exceed the maximum power limit required by local laws or regulations. Antenna gain: Key indicator of an antenna's ability to transmit and receive signals. The greater the gain, the larger the coverage area. When you select antennas, make sure the wireless signals distribute evenly. For key areas and signal overlapping areas, adjust the antenna azimuth and downtilt to prevent main lobe intersections on the same channel and avoid interference.
6GHz band expansion	In countries/regions where the 6GHz band is not yet available for Wi-Fi, you can use the CLI to switchover between 6GHz and 5GHz bands once the 6GHz band becomes available. This protects user investment. The 6GHz band has less interference and richer frequency spectrum resources. This band is applicable to high-bandwidth services and ultra-high-density scenarios.
Multi-path filtering and routing	H3C high-density products are equipped with multi-path filters for routing, which can effectively address coexistence interference between radios on the same device. This ensures a smooth experience when the 6GHz, 5.1GHz, and 5.8GHz bands are used simultaneously.
Others	Waterproof, dustproof, and aesthetic requirements

 

Recommended models

Ultra-high-density office scenarios

WA7638

·     The device uses a tri-band 12-stream design and supports a maximum access rate of 18.442 Gbps, where, ¡     Radio 1: Supports 6GHz/5GHz band switchover, four spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 11.529Gbps. ¡     Radio 2: Supports the 5GHz band, four spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 5.765Gbps. ¡     Radio 3: Supports the 2.4 GHz band, four spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 1.147 Gbps. ¡     Radio 4: Supports 2.4GHz/5GHz/6GHz band switchover. This radio is used for scanning only. ·     Four Ethernet interfaces: ¡     One 10G copper port, supporting 802.3bt/at power supply. ¡     One 10G PSFP fiber port, supporting 802.3bt/at photoelectric composite power supply. ¡     One 1000M copper port, supporting 802.3bt/at power supply. ¡     One 1000M copper port, supporting PoE Out and IoT expansion.

 

High-density office scenarios

WA7338-HI

·     The device uses a tri-band eight-stream design and delivers a maximum access rate of 17.29Gbps, where, ¡     Radio 1: Supports 6GHz/5GHz band switchover, four spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 11.529Gbps. ¡     Radio 2: Supports the 5GHz band, two spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 2.882Gbps. ¡     Radio 3: Supports 5GHz/2.4GHz band switchover, two spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 2.882Gbps. ·     Three Ethernet interfaces: ¡     One 10G copper port, supporting 802.3bt/at power supply. ¡     One 10G PSFP fiber port, supporting 802.3bt/at photoelectric composite power supply. ¡     One 1000M copper port, supporting PoE Out and IoT expansion.

 

WA7232

·     The device uses a tri-band six-stream design and supports a maximum access rate of 9.335 Gbps, where, ¡     Radio 1: Supports 5GHz/6GHz band switchover, two spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 5.765Gbps. ¡     Radio 2: Supports the 5GHz band, two spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 2.882Gbps. ¡     Radio 3: Supports the 2.4GHz band, two spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 0.688Gbps. ·     Two Ethernet interfaces: ¡     One 10G PSFP fiber port, supporting 802.3at photoelectric composite power supply. ¡     One 2.5G copper port, supporting 802.3at power supply.

 

WA7330i

·     The device uses a tri-band six-stream design and supports a maximum access rate of 9.335 Gbps, where, ¡     Radio 1: Supports 6GHz/5GHz band switchover, two spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 5.765Gbps. ¡     Radio 2: Supports the 5GHz band, two spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 2.882Gbps. ¡     Radio 3: Supports the 2.4GHz band, two spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 0.688Gbps. ¡     Radio 4: Supports 2.4GHz/5GHz/6GHz band switchover. This radio is used for scanning only. ·     Three Ethernet interfaces: ¡     One 10G copper port, supporting 802.3bt/at power supply. ¡     One 10G PSFP fiber port, supporting 802.3bt/at photoelectric composite power supply. ¡     One 2.5G copper port, supporting PoE Out.

 

General office scenarios

WA7320i

·     The device uses a dual-band, four-stream design and supports a maximum access rate of 8.647 Gbps, where, ¡     Radio 1: Supports 6GHz/5GHz band switchover, two spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 5.765Gbps. ¡     Radio 2: Supports 5GHz/2.4GHz band switchover, two spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 2.882Gbps. ·     Three Ethernet interfaces: ¡     One 10G copper port, supporting 802.3at/af power supply. ¡     One 10G PSFP fiber port, supporting 802.3at/af photoelectric composite power supply. ¡     One 1000M copper port, supporting PoE Out.

 

WA7220-HI

·     The device uses a dual-band, four-stream design and supports a maximum access rate of 6.453 Gbps, where, ¡     Radio 1: Supports 6GHz/5GHz band switchover, two spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 5.765Gbps. ¡     Radio 2: Supports the 2.4GHz band, two spatial streams, and a maximum negotiated rate of 0.688Gbps. ·     Dual 2.5G copper ports: One supports 802.3at power supply, and the other supports PoE Out, which can be used for IoT expansion. After configuring link aggregation, you can expand the maximum wired bandwidth to 5Gbps.

 

Capacity design

Under the premise of meeting the wireless signal coverage requirements, capacity design should be based on common service types, bandwidth demands, and the number of concurrent clients.

Bandwidth requirement

Table 6 shows the common service types and corresponding bandwidth requirements for enterprise offices.

Table 6 Typical office services and bandwidth requirements

Service type	Service example	Bandwidth requirement (Mbps)
Web browsing	Office intranet and Internet access	2.5
Instant messaging	Skype and Facebook Messenger	2
Email	Outlook, Gmail, and corporate mailboxes	4
Office software	Trello and Teambox	4
Audio and video conference	Microsoft Teams and Zoom	10
Cloud desktop	Citrix and VMware	16
File transfer	FTP and OneDrive	16
Non-work-related requirements	Mobile games, shopping, and videos	2

 

If the user does not specify bandwidth requirements, see data in Table 6 and combine it with the actual service ratio to assess the bandwidth needs. For example, in an office scenario, if users are involved in web browsing (20%), file transfer (10%), instant messaging (30%), audio and video conferencing (20%), and cloud desktop (20%) services, the average bandwidth in this scenario is 7.9 Mbps (2.5×20% + 16×10% + 2×30% + 10×20% + 16×20%).

Number of concurrent clients

Table 7 shows the maximum number of concurrent clients for a Wi-Fi 7 AP (single radio and dual spatial streams) and Table 8 shows the maximum number of concurrent clients for a Wi-Fi 6 AP (single radio and dual spatial streams) under different service bandwidth requirements. Set the 2.4G radio bandwidth to 20MHz, the 5GHz radio bandwidth to 40MHz, and the 6GHz radio bandwidth to 80MHz.

Table 7 Maximum number of concurrent clients for a Wi-Fi 7 AP (single radio and dual spatial streams)

Service bandwidth requirement	Typical service example	Maximum number of concurrent 2.4 GHz clients	Maximum number of concurrent 5GHz clients	Maximum number of concurrent 6GHz clients
60Mbps	360° panoramic VR video stream	2	5	9
30Mbps	4K (30fps) video stream	4	9	17
16Mbps	2K (30fps) video stream	7	15	26
8Mbps	1080P (30fps) video stream	13	29	40
4Mbps	720P (30fps) video stream	24	45	60

 

Table 8 Maximum number of concurrent clients for a Wi-Fi 6 AP (single radio and dual spatial streams)

Service bandwidth requirement	Typical service example	Maximum number of concurrent 2.4 GHz clients	Maximum number of concurrent 5GHz clients
60Mbps	360° panoramic VR video stream	1	2
30Mbps	4K (30fps) video stream	3	8
16Mbps	2K (30fps) video stream	5	13
8Mbps	1080P (30fps) video stream	10	22
4Mbps	720P (30fps) video stream	18	38

 

Based on the number of connected clients, client concurrency rate, maximum concurrent clients per AP, and bandwidth requirements, you can estimate the number of APs required in the current environment, provided that the signal coverage requirements are met. For example, in a scenario where 200 clients access the wireless network with a concurrency rate of 40% and each client requires an average bandwidth of 8 Mbps:

·     If both the APs and the clients support Wi-Fi 7 and local regulations permit the use of the 6GHz band for WLAN,

a single AP can support 69 concurrent clients with 8Mbps. You can deploy two Wi-Fi 7 APs to meet the demand for 80 concurrent clients with 8Mbps.

·     If both the APs and the clients support Wi-Fi 6,

a single AP can support 22 concurrent clients with 8Mbps. You can deploy four Wi-Fi 6 APs to meet the demand for 80 concurrent clients with 8Mbps.

 

	NOTE: In the network planning and deployment of enterprise office WLANs, it is generally not recommended to include the 2.4GHz frequency band in the capacity design.

 

Number of APs deployed

The number of APs to deploy depends on two key factors: coverage area and network capacity. When planning your network, deploy APs as follows:

1.     Estimate the average bandwidth requirement per client based on the on-site service type. For more information about this section, see "Bandwidth requirement."

2.     Calculate the number of concurrent clients a single AP supports based on the average service bandwidth per client. For more information about this section, see "Number of concurrent clients."

3.     Calculate the number of APs to deploy based on the client quantity, concurrency rate, and client concurrency per AP as follows:

For example, if an open office area can accommodate up to 200 people with an 80% concurrency rate, assuming each user carries two clients, the ceiling can be calculated as:

4.     According to the number of APs and the field engineering results of the deployment area, you can determine the distance between APs.

Latency requirement

Understanding typical office tasks and their latency requirements helps grasp the different applications' demands on network performance. Table 9 shows some common office tasks and their latency requirements. The data in the table is based on industry standards and empirical summaries. You can obtain detailed information in relevant technical standard documents and user experience research papers, such as ITU-T recommendations and IEEE standards.

 

	NOTE: In actual network planning and deployment, latency requirements might vary based on specific applications and network environments. Therefore, when designing and selecting network solutions, consider both service needs and user experience.

 

Table 9 Typical office services and latency requirements

Service type	Latency requirement	Description
Web browsing	Lower latency helps improve page load speed. Keep it between 100 and 200 milliseconds.	User experience research shows that page load time significantly impacts user satisfaction and retention rates.
Instant messaging	Usually insensitive to latency. A delay of over 100 milliseconds does not significantly affect the experience.	The design goal for such applications typically focuses on asynchronous communications, so they require lower real-time performance.
Email
Online collaboration tool	To ensure smooth real-time collaboration, keep the latency below 200 milliseconds.	Common online collaboration tools include Google Docs and Office 365. Research on user experience and collaboration efficiency shows that lower latency improves real-time collaboration and user satisfaction.
Video conference	Less than 150 milliseconds is ideal, and less than 250 milliseconds is acceptable.	The International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) states in the G.114 standard that delays of 150 milliseconds or less are ideal for most interactive applications.
VoIP call	Less than 150 milliseconds is ideal, and less than 250 milliseconds is acceptable.	According to ITU-T G.114, an end-to-end delay below 150 ms typically ensures a good user experience.
Cloud storage	The requirement for latency is relatively low, with more focus on bandwidth. A latency between 200 and 500 milliseconds is usually acceptable.	These applications mainly handle batch data transfers and do not require high real-time performance.
File sharing
Remote Desktop	Less than 50 milliseconds is ideal, and less than 100 milliseconds is acceptable.	To simulate the response speed of a local desktop, keep latency low.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

 

Installation and deployment

AP installation and deployment guidelines

Wireless network quality depends on both wireless device quality and performance, as well as proper engineering deployment. Install wireless devices in the right locations to maximize their functions.

General principles

AP deployment requirements

To ensure personal safety and prevent device damage, follow these precautions when selecting an installation location. Note that these guidelines do not cover all potential risks.

·     Secure the device firmly. To prevent falling due to improper installation, do not leave it suspended.

·     Make sure the installation location has enough space, minimal dust, and good ventilation.

·     Make sure the shaft, floors, and walls at the installation site are watertight.

·     Make sure the temperature and humidity at the installation site stay within the operating temperature and humidity ranges of the device.

·     Install the AP at least 2-3 meters away from devices with strong electric, magnetic, or corrosive properties.

·     Keep the AP and its antennas at least 5 meters away from the carrier base station antennas.

To meet signal coverage requirements, follow these guidelines:

·     Place APs as close to the target area as possible and make sure there are no obstacles such as metal plates or thick walls that could weaken the signals.

·     Minimize the number of obstacles and walls the signals pass through within the AP coverage area. For solid walls, the signals can be transmitted through up to one layer of 120mm brick wall, and cannot be transmitted through 240mm brick walls, concrete walls, or metal walls. For non-solid walls, such as plaster walls or glass, the signals can be transmitted through up to two layers of walls.

·     Place APs at least 5 meters apart from each other and at least 5 meters away from other vendors' APs.

Power supply/wiring requirements

·     Validate whether the total power of APs connected to the PoE switch exceeds the power supply specification of the switch.

·     As a best practice, make sure the distance between the AP location and the PoE power supply equipment is less than 80 m.

·     For 1/2.5/5Gbps Ethernet interfaces, use Category 5 enhanced (Cat-5e) or higher standard cables. For 10Gbps Ethernet interfaces, use Category 6a (Cat-6a) or higher standard cables.

Easy maintenance requirements

·     Enter AP information accurately, ensuring that the name, MAC address, and serial number match to prevent mistakes during later configuration.

·     At the AP location, reserve about 5 meters of cable length for future adjustments.

Deploying an AP

Deployment principles

·     Install the AP at the center of the coverage area and avoid placing it too close to any side.

·     Keep the AP away from high-voltage, high-magnetic, or high-power devices. Avoid installing it above air conditioning vents or ducts.

·     Orient the AP's logo to face the direction it needs to cover. For ceiling mounting, face the logo downward. For wall mounting, face the logo outward.

·     If the ceiling height exceeds 6 meters or obstacles block the space, use a suspension rod for installation.

·     Metal materials significantly dampen signals. Do not install the AP on a metal ceiling.

·     To ensure a neat installation, mount the AP on the outer or inner side of a gypsum or plastic ceiling. Always keep the AP logo facing downward and check the ceiling’s load-bearing capacity.

Correct installation examples

Use suspension rods in areas without suspended ceilings	Ceiling mounting

 

Incorrect installation examples

Obstruction and heat dissipation issues

The AP is installed at the corner of the wall	The AP is blocked by a load-bearing column

 

The AP is severely blocked by the cabinet, causing significant signal degrade	The AP is installed in a distribution box, which weakens the signals and impairs heat dissipation

 

The AP is placed on the ventilation duct and completely blocked, resulting in very poor signal	The AP is blocked by metal materials, and the signal degrades significantly

 

Improper AP deployment spacing

The AP deployment spacing is too close, making it difficult to control co-channel interference	Failed to avoid third-party devices

 

Incorrect AP installation orientation

The AP is installed inside the ceiling with its logo facing upward, resulting in poor signal quality	The AP is placed directly on the beam, and its logo side does not face the signal coverage orientation

 

AP not securely installed

The AP is not secured with the mounting brackets and might fall, posing a safety risk	The AP is not secured with the mounting brackets and might fall, posing a safety risk

 

Typical networking

Network architecture

In integrated office scenarios, use the AC + Fit AP networking architecture.

·     Core switches use IRF stacking for virtualization, with the AC attached to the core switch through out-of-path deployment, providing unified management and monitoring for APs in various office areas.

·     As a best practice, use 1+1 dual link backup, IRF, or cloud cluster to achieve AC service redundancy.

·     High-performance servers support back-end data analysis for the IMC WSM and NTA components.

·     The access layer uses PoE switches to remotely power APs.

 

	NOTE: For detailed examples of dual-link backup, IRF, and cloud cluster deployment, see the following manuals: ·     H3C Access Controllers Configuration Examples(V7)-High availability ·     H3C AC Dual-Link Backup and AP License Synchronization Best Practices ·     H3C Cloud Cluster Technology Best Practices

 

Figure 2 AC dual-link backup networking in an office scenario

 

Figure 3 AC IRF networking in an office scenario (Comware 7-based ACs only)

 

Figure 4 AC cloud cluster networking in an office scenario (Comware 9-based ACs only)

 

Forwarding method

The forwarding methods for WLAN data packets include centralized forwarding and local forwarding, and their applicable scenarios are as follows:

·     Centralized Forwarding

Concentrated forwarding is suitable for scenarios where the AC acts as the user gateway, authentication and accounting gateway, and DHCP server. In centralized forwarding mode, the AC processes and forwards WLAN service traffic. In this forwarding mode, the AC provides comprehensive control and security policing for packets, but the core link bandwidth and AC forwarding capability are prone to becoming bottlenecks.

·     Local forwarding

Local forwarding is suitable for scenarios where the user gateway and DHCP server are deployed at an upper layer (such as on the core switch).

The APs directly forward WLAN service traffic. Using the local forwarding mode can alleviate the data forwarding pressure on the AC, but it is not conducive to centralized management and control of WLAN service traffic.

SSID planning

Proper planning of SSIDs can effectively manage the access needs of different users and devices, enhance network security and performance, and is crucial for ensuring network security and optimizing user experience. Here are some general recommendations for SSID planning:

·     SSID quantity

Keep the number of SSIDs within a reasonable range. Adding one more SSID consumes extra channel resources, causing wireless network congestion and performance degradation. A reasonable number of SSIDs reduces interference and improves overall network efficiency.

·     Hide SSID

For networks that do not require public access, use the beacon ssid-hide command to hide the SSID. After you complete the configuration, the beacon frames broadcast by the AP do not carry any SSID, which enhances the network security.

·     SSID naming

Use clear and easy-to-understand naming to help users quickly identify and select the right network.

·     Channel planning

Plan channels properly to avoid multiple SSIDs on the same channel and reduce interference.

For enterprise office WLANs, plan three SSIDs: one for internal employee work, one for guest access, and one for connecting IoT devices like printers. Table 10 shows the planning recommendations, precautions, and guidelines for SSIDs in office scenarios.

Table 10 Planning SSIDs for enterprise office scenarios

Wireless network	SSID planning	Restrictions and guidelines
Internal employee network	Set up a dedicated SSID for internal staff, such as Company-Staff. Make sure internal employees can access company resources and applications while providing higher security and bandwidth precedence.	·     Use strong encryption protocols such as WPA3 to secure your network. ·     Implement access control to allow only authenticated employee to access. ·     Consider using VLANs to isolate employee network traffic from other traffic.
Guest network	Set up a separate SSID for guests, such as Company-Guest. Provide guests with simple and secure Internet access while protecting your corporate network.	·     Configure bandwidth and access time limits to prevent guest traffic from affecting employees' network experience. ·     Use the guest portal for authentication and provide temporary usernames and passwords. ·     Ensure strict isolation between the guest network and the corporate internal network to prevent unauthorized access.
IoT device network	Set a dedicated SSID (for example, Company-IoT) for IoT devices such as dumb terminals and printers. IoT devices often require fixed network configurations and access to specific services, so they need a dedicated network environment.	·     Set a lower bandwidth precedence to ensure that critical service traffic is prioritized. ·     Use MAC address filtering or other authentication methods to restrict device access. ·     Isolate IoT device traffic from employee and guest traffic to enhance security.

 

For countries or regions that have opened the 6GHz band for WLAN, use the SSID name to distinguish between 6GHz and non-6GHz wireless services. For example:

·     Internal employee network:

¡     Use SSID Company-Staff to provide wireless services for devices operating on the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band, ensuring broad compatibility and stability.

¡     Use SSID Company-Staff-6g to provide wireless services for devices operating on the 6GHz band, delivering higher performance and lower interference.

·     Guest network:

Use SSID Company-Guest to provide wireless services for guest devices operating on the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band. Configure SSID Company-Guest-6g as needed to provide Wi-Fi services for guest devices on the 6GHz band, based on their support for Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 and the proportions. 

·     IoT device network

Most IoT devices do not support the 6GHz band, so you can continue using the 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands.

6GHz channel planning

	NOTE: To view the countries and regions that have opened the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi communication, see Regulations Enabling 6 GHz Wi-Fi on the Wi-Fi Alliance website.

 

Wi-Fi 7 supports communication over three frequency bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. The currently authorized frequency spectrum for Wi-Fi 7 applications is shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5 Authorized frequency spectrum for Wi-Fi 7 applications

 

Compared to the early Wi-Fi 6 standard, Wi-Fi 7 supports the 6GHz band and expands the maximum bandwidth to 320MHz. This expansion offers more channel bandwidth options, including 59 × 20MHz channel, 29 × 40MHz channel bindings, 14 × 80MHz channel bindings, 7 × 160MHz channel bindings, or 3 × 320MHz channel bindings. This technology can meet the stringent requirements for speed and latency of emerging applications such as VR/AR, online games, and video conferencing.

Table 11 802.11 protocol bandwidth

Protocol	Supported channel bandwidths of H3C APs
802.11	20MHz
802.11a/b/g	20MHz
802.11n	20MHz and 40MHz
802.11ac Wave1	20MHz, 40MHz, and 80MHz
802.11ac Wave2	20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, and 160MHz
802.11ax	20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, and 160MHz
802.11be	20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, and 320MHz

 

Wi-Fi 7 uses non-overlapping channels under different bandwidths as shown in Table 12.

Table 12 Wi-Fi 7 non-overlapping channels

Bandwidth	Channel
320MHz	33, 97, 161
160MHz	13, 45, 77, 109, 141, 173, 205
80MHz	5, 21, 37, 53, 69, 85, 101, 117, 133, 149, 165, 181, 197, 213
20MHz	6GHz low-frequency band (5925 through 6425 MHz): 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37, 41, 45, 49, 53, 57, 61, 65, 69, 73, 77, 81, 85, 89, 93, 97
	6GHz high-frequency band (6425 through 7125 MHz): 101, 105, 109, 113, 117, 121, 125, 129, 133, 137, 141, 145, 149, 153, 157, 161, 165, 169, 173, 177, 181, 185, 189, 193, 197, 201, 205, 209, 213, 217, 221, 225, 229, 233

 

Deployment recommendations

Basic configuration

Service VLAN

·     Recommendations: Create a dedicated VLAN for wireless services and avoid sharing it with wired networks.

·     Purpose: Reduce the impact of excessive broadcast and multicast packets on wireless networks and minimize unnecessary attacks or virus propagation.

 

	NOTE: For more information about VLAN deployment in a WLAN, see "H3C WLAN Devices VLAN Deployment Guide."

 

Low-rate client rejection

In a WLAN, wireless clients or APs do not send all packets at a fixed rate. Instead, they use a rate set to transmit wireless packets. Wireless clients or APs dynamically select a rate from these options to send packets. In reality, many broadcast packets and wireless management packets are transmitted at the lowest rate of 1Mbps, which consumes some air interface resources.

·     As a best practice, use the rate disabled rate-value command to disable low rates such as 1, 2, 5.5, 6, and 9 Mbps.

 

	NOTE: In scenarios with severe interference or an excessively large coverage area, using high-speed transmission increases air interface packet collisions and raises the probability of packet retransmission. In such cases, avoid enabling low-rate client rejection.

 

·     Purpose: Reduce the occupation of air interface resources by broadcast packets and management packets.

VLAN-based user isolation

In the same VLAN, the system forwards broadcast and multicast packets from a client  to all APs that allow the VLAN. The broadcast packets in the air medium typically use the lowest transmission rate. Therefore, when broadcast packets increase, they consume more air interface resources and affect overall network performance to some extent.

·     Suggestion:

First, use the user-isolation vlan permit-mac command to add the gateway MAC address of the specified VLAN users to the permit list. MAC addresses in the list are not isolated.

Next, run the user-isolation vlan enable command to enable user isolation for the specified VLAN, so that wireless users can access only the gateway and cannot communicate with each other. This reduces broadcast traffic on the network.

When wired and wireless users belong to the same VLAN or when the AC operates in an IRF fabric or cloud cluster, use the undo user-isolation permit-broadcast command to isolate broadcast and multicast packets sent from wired users to wireless users.

·     Purpose: Enhance user security, reduce device forwarding pressure, and minimize radio resource consumption.

Client rate limit

A WLAN is a network that allows resource sharing. If a wireless client monopolizes bandwidth resources for high-traffic activities, it will directly lead to the current shared bandwidth being exhausted, resulting in slow network access, ping jitter, and packet loss for other wireless clients.

·     Recommendation: Use the client-rate-limit command to configure client rate limit based on radio or wireless service template. Apply static rate limit for inbound and outbound traffic to ensure all connected clients can properly access network services. Set the static rate limit to 20Mbps for both inbound and outbound traffic on each client.

·     Purpose: Prevent clients from consuming excessive bandwidth.

Recommended bandwidth values

·     In countries or regions that have opened the entire 6GHz band for WLAN use:

·     For 6G radios, use the 160 MHz bandwidth.

·     For 5G radios, use the 40MHz bandwidth.

·     For 2.4G radios, use the 20MHz bandwidth.

·     In countries or regions that only allow the 6GHz low-frequency band for WLAN use:

·     For 6G radios, use the 80MHz bandwidth.

·     For 5G radios, use the 40MHz bandwidth.

·     For 2.4G radios, use the 20MHz bandwidth.

In countries or regions that do not allow the use of the 6GHz band for WLAN.

·     For 5G radios, use the 40MHz bandwidth.

·     For 2.4G radios, use the 20MHz bandwidth.

WLAN user security

Radio operates on the 6 GHz band and can only be bound to wireless service templates that have either of the following functions enabled:

·     Enhanced open system authentication (using the enhanced-open enable command).

·     Use WPA3-SAE in mandatory mode with PSK for identity authentication and key management.

#

wlan service-template 6g_wpa3

ssid Company-Staff

akm mode psk

preshared-key pass-phrase simple 12345678 //Configure the password according to the actual requirements

cipher-suite ccmp

security-ie rsn

wpa3 personal mandatory //Enable WPA3-SAE in mandatory mode

akm sae pwe h2e //Specify the H2E method for PWE deriving

pmf mandatory //This step is optional

service-template enable

#

·     Use WPA3-Enterprise in mandatory mode with 802.1X authentication.

#

wlan service-template 6g_dot1x_wpa3

Company-Staff

akm mode dot1x

cipher-suite ccmp

security-ie rsn

wpa3 enterprise-only-mode //Enable WPA3-Enterprise in mandatory mode

client-security authentication-mode dot1x

dot1x domain dm1 //Specify the actual ISP domain of 802.1X users

service-template enable

#

·     Use WPA3-Enterprise in 192-bit mode with 802.1X authentication.

#

wlan service-template 6g_dot1x192_wpa3

ssid 6g_dot1x192_wpa3

akm mode dot1x

cipher-suite gcmp

security-ie rsn

wpa3 enterprise //Enable WPA3-Enterprise in 192-bit mode

pmf mandatory

client-security authentication-mode dot1x

dot1x domain dm1 //Specify the actual ISP domain of 802.1X users

service-template enable

#

Wi-Fi 7 client access method

In the Wi-Fi 6 era or earlier, wireless clients typically used active scanning to periodically search for nearby wireless networks. During active scanning, the client periodically sends probe requests to scan for wireless networks across supported 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels. When an AP receives a Probe Request frame, it replies with a Probe Response frame. This response includes wireless network parameters such as the AP's SSID, MAC address, and supported encryption methods.

However, the 6GHz band has 59 channels, and it takes over 6 seconds for a client to scan AP beacon frames on all channels. Therefore, the 802.11be protocol does not recommend probing on the 6GHz band. Traditional active scanning methods no longer effectively discover APs on the 6GHz band.

IEEE has defined a new AP discovery mechanism for Wi-Fi 7 clients to prevent active probing on the 6 GHz band. The new mechanism provides the following discovery methods:

·     Out-of-band discovery: A Wi-Fi 7 client sends Probe Request frames on the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band. The Probe Response frame returned by an AP carries Reduced Neighbor Report (RNR) information. The information includes the channel and SSID details for the 6GHz band. Therefore, clients can obtain available 6GHz wireless services without scanning the 6GHz band.

To use this method, make sure the AP's 2.4GHz or 5GHz radio is enabled and bound to a minimum of one non-hidden wireless service template.

·     In-band discovery: A client reads packets sent by an AP's 6GHz radio to obtain the 6GHz wireless service information they carry. To use this method, make sure the 6GHz radio is enabled and bound with a wireless service template. In-band discovery supports the following modes:

¡     FILS: Use Fast Initial Link Setup (FILS) discovery announcement frames to detect 6GHz wireless services. An FILS frame is a compact beacon frame that includes only key information such as SSID, BSSID, and channel. With this method configured, the 6GHz AP broadcasts an FILS discovery announcement frame every 20 time units (TUs).

¡     UPR: Use Unsolicited Probe Response frames (UPR) to discover 6GHz wireless services. UPRs include all the same details as a beacon. With this method configured, each 6 GHz AP broadcasts a UPR at intervals of 20 milliseconds.

Out-of-band discovery is the primary method for Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 clients to discover 6GHz wireless services. By default, out-of-band discovery is used.

 

	NOTE: Some clients only support discovering 6GHz wireless services through out-of-band discovery.

 

Service assurance

An office setting can be divided into open-plan areas, cubicle areas, and high-density indoor areas. For different scenarios, configure the functions listed in Table 13 to meet bandwidth and concurrency requirements.

Table 13 Recommended configuration items for service assurance

Item	Open-plan office area	Cubicle area	Indoor high-density office area
Radio resource management (RRM)	√	√	√
Cooperative roaming	√	-	√
Intelligent bandwidth assurance	√	-	√
Intelligent application identification and assurance	√	√	√
Radio load balancing	√	-	√
VIP clients	-	√	-

 

Radio resource management (RRM)

In office scenarios, AP channels in adjacent areas may overlap and can easily interfere with each other during peak network usage. If the AP's transmit power is too high and the wall dampens the signal minimally, clients in the current room may connect to an AP in another room.

·     Recommended actions

Configure the auto dynamic frequency selection (DFS) feature to allocate the optimal channel resources and avoid operating on channels with severe interference.

Configure the auto transmit power control (TPC) feature to ensure full signal coverage while considering the client's roaming experience and reducing unnecessary interference. This allocates a reasonable transmit power for radios.

For optimal performance, schedule automatic channel and power adjustments during off-hours to avoid disrupting service operations. 

·     Purpose

Use the RRM technology to monitor the wireless environment in real time, collect data, and automatically optimize the network parameters for changes, including the radio channel, transmit power, and bandwidth.

Cooperative roaming

·     Recommended actions

Use the bss transition-management enable command to enable BSS transition management to guide 802.11v clients to connect to a more suitable BSS.

Use the bss transition-management disassociation command to enable BTM disassociation. When the device receives a BSS transition query sent by a wireless client, it issues a request to switch BSS to the client, guiding the client to perform the BSS transition.

Use the resource-measure enable command to enable radio resource measurement to inform clients about the channel quality and available resources measured by APs.

Use the sacp anti-sticky command to enable wireless client anti-sticky. The device will detect the signal strength of clients at the configured intervals. When the signal strength of a client drops below the threshold, the device guides the 802.11v client to connect to a more suitable BSS.

 

	NOTE: In a Wi-Fi 7 enterprise office scenario, disable the following features: ·     Use undo ft enable to disable fast BSS transition (FT). ·     Use sacp roam-optimize bss-candidate-list disable to disable an AP from obtaining BSS candidate information.

 

·     Purpose

Wireless clients can automatically connect to the appropriate AP as they move between different floors and rooms, avoiding network disruptions and poor Internet experiences caused by sticky roaming and excessive roaming.

Intelligent bandwidth assurance

In high-density office environments, deploy multiple wireless services to accommodate different user groups. For example, regular employees use the wireless service named Company-Staff, while guests use the wireless service named Company-Guest. When regular employees generate heavy traffic, they consume the available bandwidth for the Company-Guest wireless service. If you directly limit the rate of packets for a single service, it will lead to the waste of idle bandwidth when the overall traffic is low. To ensure smooth operation of the enterprise network, configure guaranteed bandwidth percentages for the wireless services named Company-Staff and Company-Guest.

·     Recommended actions

Use the bandwidth-guarantee enable command to enable the intelligent bandwidth guarantee. Use the bandwidth-guarantee service-template command to set a guaranteed bandwidth percentage for the specified service template. This provides a more flexible traffic control mechanism. When the network is not congested, all service packets can pass through. During congestion, each service gets a minimum guaranteed bandwidth.

·     destination

The configuration guarantees the full utilization of network bandwidth while maintaining fairness in bandwidth usage among different wireless services.

Intelligent application identification and assurance

Office environments often experience network congestion. For conference and instant communication services, network congestion can cause video freezing or disconnections. This disrupts meetings and impacts the user experience for key customers.

·     Recommended actions

Compare packet information with the NBAR application signature library, and identify the application to which a packet belongs.

Use QoS policies to match application packets and perform operations such as queue scheduling and bandwidth assurance.

When the channel occupancy rate is too high and affects the user experience of audio and video services, the AP consciously suppresses non-critical service traffic and reserves channel resources for critical services to achieve bidirectional acceleration. When an AP detects that a user is engaged in critical service applications, it optimizes roaming and radio switchover behaviors to ensure a smooth experience for users at all times.

·     Purpose

Guarantee the smooth operation of audio and video services and ensure a seamless experience for critical operations.

Radio load balancing

In a large office scenario, since the entrance location is fixed, clients will first connect to the radios on the AP deployed at the entrance. When a client stays in the overlapping coverage area of two APs with strong received signals (RSSI ≥ –65dBm), it may not roam proactively. This leads to excessive load on the entrance AP's radio and uneven load distribution among APs in the venue.

·     Recommended actions

Use the wlan radio-load-balance enable command to enable radio load balancing. Set the session threshold to 30 and the session gap threshold to 10. When the number of online clients on a radio reaches or exceeds the session threshold, and the difference in online clients between another radio under the same AC meets the session gap threshold, the system performs radio load balancing.

·     Purpose

Use radio load balancing to balance the load on radios, ensuring optimal performance for each AP and bandwidth for wireless clients.

VIP clients

In meeting room scenarios, it is critical to ensure key clients (such as devices running meeting software, screen-sharing devices, and guest devices) maintain smooth connectivity during network congestion and receive sufficient bandwidth allocation.

·     Recommended actions

Configure the VIP client feature to provide VIP clients with a higher-quality wireless network experience, such as higher wireless network priority, higher data transmission rate, higher packet transmission priority, and lower network latency.

VIP clients have privileges including priority access, priority forwarding, unrestricted rate, reserved resources to prevent high traffic impact, channel priority, and dynamic rate limits of lower-level clients.

·     Purpose

Provide differentiated services for critical and non-critical clients.

Recommended practices for hybrid Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 6 deployments

Currently, most enterprise office network clients primarily support Wi-Fi 6. However, client access behavior varies by vendor when Wi-Fi 7-capable devices connect to the wireless network. Deploy the network as follows for optimal performance:

·     For new deployment projects, avoid mixing Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 6 APs in the same scenario. As a best practice, deploy them in separate areas by floor, building, or campus.

·     When expanding coverage in a Wi-Fi 6 area, switch the Wi-Fi 7 AP to Wi-Fi 6 mode for better compatibility.

·     When Wi-Fi 7 devices account for over 30% of your network, deploy a full Wi-Fi 7 setup to maximize overall throughput.

Deployment example

	NOTE: The terms covered in this chapter are as follows: ·     Experience rate: The actual rate users feel when using a wireless network, such as downloading files or browsing web pages. ·     Guaranteed rate: The minimum data transfer rate committed to a user when the network is not congested.

 

Wireless coverage in general office areas

About the scenario

A general office area is a typical open-plan workspace. This area supports the following service types:

·     The workplace primarily uses wired connections, with minimal wireless needs. Office operations mainly include: audio and video conferencing, file transfers, web browsing, and email.

·     A small number of non-work activities exist, such as video streaming, gaming, and instant messaging.

The network construction requirements for this scenario are shown in Table 14.

Table 14 Wireless network coverage requirements for general office areas

Requirement		Description
Coverage requirements	Coverage area	·     Cover the entire office area ·     Key coverage areas: workstations ·     General coverage areas: Pantry, hallway
	Number of access clients	50 to 200
	Signal Strength	Signal strength of clients in 95% of the area: ≥ –65dBm
Performance requirements	Concurrent users	45 clients for a single AP with a 40% concurrency rate
	Bandwidth rate	Experience rate: 50Mbps Guaranteed rate: 10Mbps
	Latency and packet loss	Latency in 95% of area: < 20ms Packet loss rate: < 0.1%
	Roaming	Roaming success rate: > 97% Roaming average delay: < 100ms Roaming packet loss rate: < 1%
	Key service latency	Video and voice latency: < 20ms

 

AP selection

In general office areas, clients are relatively dense and partially obstructed by partitions between workstations. Choose tri-band ceiling-mounted APs to meet high bandwidth and concurrency demands.

Network planning

For general office areas, follow these AP deployment recommendations:

·     Deploy APs above workstations for optimal coverage.

·     Space APs 15 to 18 meters apart in equal intervals.

·     Based on the recommendation of 45 clients per AP, determine the required number of APs considering the actual user scale.

·     Since the 2.4GHz band has fewer available channels, disable some 2.4GHz radios to reduce co-channel interference.

·     For double-glazed glass walls, place the APs more than 3 meters away from the wall.

Figure 6 Wireless network deployment for general office areas

 

Wireless coverage for small and medium-sized meeting rooms

About the scenario

Small and medium-sized meeting rooms are typical cubicle-style office spaces, usually accommodating around 15 people. In this area, the wireless network mainly supports web browsing, email, and instant messaging. The network construction requirements for this scenario are shown in Table 15.

Table 15 Wireless network coverage requirements for small and medium-sized meeting rooms

Requirement		Description
Coverage requirements	Coverage area	Entire meeting room
	Number of access clients	1 to 20
	Signal Strength	Signal strength of clients in 95% of the area: ≥ –65dBm
Performance requirements	Concurrent users	30 clients for a single AP with a 40% concurrency rate
	Bandwidth rate	Experience rate: 50Mbps Guaranteed rate: 15Mbps
	Latency and packet loss	Latency in 95% of area: < 20ms Packet loss rate: < 0.1%
	Roaming	Roaming success rate: > 97% Roaming average delay: < 100ms Roaming packet loss rate: < 1%
	Key service latency	Video and voice latency: < 20ms

 

AP selection

Meeting rooms often have many walls that block signals, causing significant signal degrade. In this scenario, use dual-band APs for indoor coverage.

Network planning

Place APs away from doorways. If the coverage area contains continuous compartments, determine the required number of APs based on the wall material and room size.

·     Deploy a single ceiling AP centrally in a room no larger than 60 square meters with non-solid walls (such as gypsum board or glass) to cover adjacent rooms.

·     If a single room exceeds 60 square meters or the walls between adjacent rooms are solid walls (such as brick or concrete), install a separate AP in each room as a best practice.

Figure 7 Deployment for small and medium-sized meeting rooms (single room ≤60㎡)

 

Figure 8 Deployment for small and medium-sized meeting rooms (single room >60㎡)

 

High-density coverage in an office area

About the scenario

High-density office areas are typical indoor high-density scenarios. The service types in these areas include:

·     Wireless networking-based services, including video conferences, web browsing, email, and cloud desktop.

·     A small number of non-work activities exist, such as video streaming, gaming, and instant messaging.

The network construction requirements for this scenario are shown in Table 16.

Table 16 Wireless network requirements for high-density office areas

Requirement		Description
Coverage requirements	Coverage area	·     Cover the entire office area ·     Key coverage areas: workstations ·     General coverage areas: Pantry, hallway
	Number of access clients	50 to 200
	Signal strength	Signal strength of clients in 95% of the area: ≥ –65dBm
Performance requirements	Concurrent users	60 clients for a single AP with a 60% concurrency rate
	Bandwidth rate	Experience rate: 30Mbps Guaranteed rate: 5Mbps
	Latency and packet loss	Latency in 95% of area: < 25ms Packet loss rate: < 0.1%
	Roaming	Roaming success rate: > 97% Roaming average delay: < 100ms Roaming packet loss rate: < 1%
	Key service latency	Video and voice latency: < 20ms

 

AP selection

In a high-density office area, clients are densely connected, and concurrent activities are centralized. The space may have obstructions (such as partitions between workstations). Choose tri-band ceiling-mounted APs to meet high bandwidth and concurrency demands.

Network planning

For high-density office areas, follow these AP deployment recommendations:

·     Deploy APs above workstations for optimal coverage.

·     Space APs 10 to 12 meters apart in equal intervals.

·     Based on the recommendation of 45 clients per AP, determine the required number of APs considering the actual user scale.

·     Since the 2.4GHz band has fewer available channels, disable some 2.4GHz radios to reduce co-channel interference.

·     For double-glazed glass walls, place the APs more than 3 meters away from the wall.

Figure 9 Wireless network deployment for high-density office areas

 

Restaurant wireless coverage

About this scenario

Restaurants are high-density indoor environments with tidal user patterns. During peak dining hours, crowds surge and concurrency peaks. In this area, mobile phones dominate among clients, and the wireless network primarily supports web browsing, HD video streaming, and instant messaging services.

The network construction requirements for this scenario are shown in Table 17.

Table 17 Wireless coverage requirements for restaurant scenarios

Requirement		Description
Coverage requirements	Coverage area	Cover the entire dining area
	Number of access clients	20 to 500
	Signal Strength	Signal strength of clients in 95% of the area: ≥ –65dBm
Performance requirements	Concurrent users	60 clients for a single AP with an 80% concurrency rate
	Bandwidth rate	Experience rate: 20Mbps Guaranteed rate: 2Mbps
	Latency and packet loss	Latency in 95% of area: < 30ms Packet loss rate: < 0.1%
	Roaming	Roaming success rate: > 97% Roaming average delay: < 100ms Roaming packet loss rate: < 1%
	Key service latency	Video and voice latency: < 30ms

 

AP selection

In restaurant settings with varied table and seat arrangements, deploy tri-band ceiling-mounted APs to meet bandwidth and concurrency demands.

Network planning

For restaurant scenarios, follow these AP deployment recommendations:

·     Fully consider electromagnetic interference caused by appliances (such as microwaves, and large refrigerators). Place APs more than 3 meters away from interference sources.

·     Space APs 15 to 20 meters apart in equal intervals.

·     Since the 2.4GHz band has fewer available channels, disable some 2.4GHz radios to reduce co-channel interference.

Figure 10 Wireless network deployment for restaurant areas

 

Acceptance testing

Signal coverage testing

The client receive (Rx) signal strength indicates the signal strength of downlink packets that the client receives from the AP. This value is affected by environmental factors such as the AP's transmit power, transmission distance, and obstacles in the signal path.

Table 18 Signal coverage testing

Project		Specifications
Client receive (Rx) signal strength	Basic concepts	·     Client receive (Rx) signal strength: The signal strength of downlink packets that the client receives from the AP. ·     This value is susceptible to environmental factors such as AP transmit power, transmission distance, and obstructions.
	Test standards	Signal strength meets or exceeds –65dBm
	Test methods	The client Wi-Fi icon shows full signal strength. Use WirelessMon, inSSIDer, or other wireless signal scanning tools
Client return signal strength (RSSI)	Definition	Client return signal strength refers to the strength of the signal that an AP detects from the upstream transmissions of a client. The signal strength is affected by the transmission distance, environmental factors such as obstructions, and the transmit power of the client's wireless network card. For example, smartphones and other smart devices have lower wireless signal transmit power than laptops due to power-saving design.
	Test standards	·     When the RSSI is greater than 30, the wireless packet transmission rate is high. ·     When the RSSI is between 20 and 30, the wireless packet retransmission rate increases and the transmission rate significantly decreases. ·     When the RSSI is below 20, the client maintains a Wi-Fi connection but the transmission rate is extremely low.
	Test methods	Use the display wlan client verbose command to view the client RSSI. <Sysname> display wlan client mac-address 000f-e265-6400 verbose Total number of clients: 1   MAC address                        : 000f-e265-6400 IPv4 address                       : 10.1.1.114 IPv6 address                       : 2001::1234:5678:0102:0304 Username                           : N/A AID                                : 1 AP ID                              : 1 AP name                            : ap1 ... RSSI                               : 62 Rx/Tx rate                         : 130/195 Mbps Speed                              : N/A …

 

Client rate testing

The difference between wireless and wired signal transmission lies in the fact that wireless message transmission is in half-duplex mode, while wired signals transmitted through cables such as fiber optic and twisted pair are in full-duplex mode. All clients under the same radio share the bandwidth. In a time slot, only one client can communicate with the radio. Other clients must wait silently. Therefore, when multiple clients access the same radio, the wireless packet transmission efficiency of one client also affects that of other clients.

Table 19 Terminal rate testing

Project		Specifications
Single-client speed test	Test standards	Make sure the signal strength for uplink and downlink meets the standard on the client, and the wireless speed test for a single client reaches the speed limit standard.
	Test methods	Use speed test software to measure both internal and external network speeds. ·     For intranet speed testing, use tools such as ixChariot, iPerf, and FileZilla. ·     For external network speed testing, use software such as Speedtest. When testing the upload and download performance of a single client, test wired upload and download under the same conditions. Make sure the FTP software, server, uplink, and egress are not restricted.
AP uplink port negotiation rate	Test standards	The uplink port rate of the AP negotiates normally.
	Test methods	Use the test software to measure the wired speed.

 

Ping packet testing

Wireless ping packet latency and packet loss rate are two of the most important indicators for measuring wireless network quality on the terminal side.

 

	NOTE: To address client power saving and sleep issues, the ping packet test requires active pinging from the client side. If you are testing with a laptop, do not open Wi-Fi scanning software such as inSSIDer, as it can cause Ping packets to experience significant delays and jitter of several hundred milliseconds.

 

Project		Specifications
Ping packet testing	Test standards	For internal networks, the packet latency must be lower than 50ms and the packet loss rate must be lower than 3%. Continuous packet loss is not allowed.
	Test methods	Perform ping packet tests separately on the 6GHz, 5 GHz, and 2.4 GHz radios. Connect a client to the service SSID, run cmd or use ping packet software to ping the intranet gateway.

 

Signal interference testing

Channel busy primarily indicates the busyness of the wireless channel. Higher levels of interference result in poorer wireless quality.

 

Project		Specifications
Air interface interference test	Test standards	View the number of wireless services and the channel distribution on each channel of the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands. If the signal strength of the overlapping channels exceeds –65dBm, manually change the radio working channel.
	Test methods	Use the Wi-Fi scanning tool to check channel occupancy.
Channelbusy	Test standards	For a 5G radio: ·     When Channelbusy is greater than 50%, it indicates that the channel is busy. ·     When Channelbusy exceeds 70%, it indicates severe channel interference, resulting in a poor wireless user experience and substandard air interface quality.
	Test methods	Method one: Use the display wlan ap all radio command on the AC to view the channel usage. Method two: Use the display ar5drv radio channelbusy command in probe view on the AP to view the channel busy state. Rxbusy indicates uplink busy, Txbusy indicates downlink busy, and Ctrbusy shows the total channel busy level. Higher air interface interference leads to poorer wireless air interface quality. Example 1: <Sysname> display wlan ap all radio ... AP name  RID  State  Channel   Usage TxPower  Clients                                (%)   (dBm)   ap1      1    Up     149(auto) 10     20      5   ap1      2    Up     11(auto)  15     20     10 Example 2: [AP-probe] display ar5drv 1 channelbusy ChannelBusy information  Ctl Channel:    149    Channel Band: 40M  Ext Channel:          Above  Record Interval(s):  9  Date/Month/Year: 03/05/2019  Time(h/m/s):   CtlBusy(%) TxBusy(%) RxBusy(%) ExtBusy(%)  01   11:18:35   68        37        28        0  02   11:18:26   67        36        29        0  03   11:18:17   63        35        26        0  04   11:18:08   78        40        33        0  05   11:17:59   81        43        36        0 …