WLAN Refresh Project Case Study
Summary
The WLAN Refresh project began as a collaboration with the customer through a design scoping workshop where a High-Level Design document was created. EXTEND’s engineering team configured, installed, and deployed these solutions and the integration into the customer’s network and security infrastructure.
- Full structured cabling for all WAPs runs.
- Physical AP installation (Average warehouse had 35
to 100 WAPs). - WLC installation and configuration.
- MDF and IDF clean up and re-organization.
- Project management of the deployment
complexities.
Customer's Needs
The customer needed a WLAN refresh to improve their site network efficiency by installing new equipment that better suited each environment’s unique landscape.
PivIT's Solution With EXTEND
Step 1: Survey and Design
EXTEND first conducted a Wireless Site Survey, which measured the wireless performance of each warehouse site and provided a heat map of signal strength.
The wireless site survey and RF analysis that was performed at each location gave PivIT an in-depth understanding of the present RF interference sources and the overall wireless coverage requirements.
The primary goal and subsequent objectives were designed with coverage, desired throughput, and usability as primary driving requirements. The following are the results of the surveys conducted:
- Survey and design stage
- WLC design solutions
- Security and integration options for security servers
- High availability
- Device type optimization
- VoIP considerations
- 11 a/g/n/ac support
- Existing network integration plan
Step 2: Execution and Implementation
Based on the wireless design and documentation from the survey, EXTEND deployed a completely new wireless infrastructure that involved the installation of additional MDFs or IDFs, wireless controllers, additional networking equipment, access point installation (including enclosures), cabling, and solution commissioning.
Step 3: Validation
After the deployment stage, an additional passive survey was conducted at each site focusing on validating the installation reflected the coverage, throughput, and usability anticipated in the survey and design.