Introduction

When installing or upgrading a structured cabling plant, IT departments can demonstrate

significant time and money savings by determining their wireless LAN (WLAN) requirements
and folding them into the project right from the start. The reason is that while WLANs
Smart Planning for New provide over-the-air communication in the access network in areas where mobility and
Network Infrastructures portability are needed, they also create new cabling requirements at the back end, often
in hard-to-reach places. It’s far less expensive and labor intensive to do all cabling at once,
When you have the luxury to cable a
building from scratch, it pays to include
without ceilings, walls and other obstructions in the way, than to install WLAN cabling
wireless networks in your upfront plan later as a separate project.
and budget.
The most common way of deploying WLAN access points (APs) is to mount them in ceilings and
cable them directly to an Ethernet switch port. Generally, a 15- to 20-foot piece of cable called a
By Ahmet Tuncay,
Chief Technology Officer and
service loop is left in the ceiling (Figure 1) in case an AP later needs to be moved slightly to tune
Vice President, Trapeze Networks
coverage or avoid interference from other RF devices, such as wireless phones and microwave
and Paul Kish, Director of ovens. Planning for those cable runs upfront, in addition to your other network cabling needs, is
Systems and Standards, Belden financially and operationally prudent, allowing your organization to purchase all the necessary
materials and labor in bulk with a corresponding volume discount.
If you consider only your wired network as you plan for your new infrastructure, you’ll likely
have to pull additional cabling for your wireless equipment as a separate project. You might
also have to change out some switches and power injectors. That situation can be painful
on a number of fronts.
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Where to Install Wireless Cable
After-the fact Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Other Floors
How to Plan for WiFi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Telecommunications Room First Floor

Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Cable and Power Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 PoE

Service
Ethernet
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Loop
Switch
Telecommunications
Room

Equipment
Room or Application Servers
Data Center Data Video Voice

Riser Public Switched

Cable Telephone Network

Main Cross-
connect Internet

Ethernet Router/
Switch Firewall

Figure 1. Additional cabling from telecommunications room switches to Wi-Fi mounting locations in ceilings should
be accounted for in the upfront cabling plan, leaving a 15- to 20-foot service loop at the end as wiggle room in case AP
locations later require adjusting.
 After-the-fact Costs
The after-the-fact approach involves the
cost of opening up ceilings and walls, as well
as the possible cost of business downtime
while the environment remains ripped apart.
These factors can increase the overall cabling
project cost by 2 to 4 times, depending on the
size and structural complexity of the property.
The greater the importance of aesthetics in
a building, the more difficult and expensive
the after-the-fact cabling job is likely to be
(Figure 2).
 example, there might be costs associated
For
with patching or repairing walls and ceilings.
Network integrator quotes that include
structured cabling often do not account for
these expenses, which can rear their heads
as unexpected “change orders” not covered
by your budget.
An additional consideration is the cost of the
cable itself. The cable can cost more if bought
in an add-on, incremental quantity, rather
than as part of your initial volume order.
Note, too, that the telecommunications
room contains most of the equipment
required for the distribution network that
supports the wireless APs:
Sample Wireless Installation Costs
Building
100,000 square feet
Option 1
Site Survey After Building is In
(without automated tools) Approx. $8,400
Option 2
Pre-build Automated Site Survey Approx. $1,500
Site Audit After Equipment is Installed Approx. $3,500
Total Approx. $5,000
Figure 2. The site survey after building is more accurate than an automated survey, but then you cannot afford
to audit the site for accuracy. An automated site survey gives you good accuracy and low follow up (audit) costs,
making it a better value overall.
2
Ethernet switches, Power over Ethernet (PoE)
switches and power injectors, phone system
elements and uninterruptible power supplies,
for example. These active devices require
heating, ventilation and air conditioning
(HVAC) and AC or DC power and can thus be
more costly if installed after the building has
been constructed.
These are among the reasons that a
universal IT best practice is to evaluate all
network infrastructure requirements any
time a property is built or opened up for
remodeling. IT personnel are accustomed
to taking these opportunities to visit the
cabling requirements of traditional Ethernet
switches, desktops, printers, servers and
routers. But wireless is a comparatively new
network type for mainstream use. It simply
might not occur to planners to piggyback
the network design and cabling aspects
of a current or future wireless project
onto the wired one.
Both have significant cabling components
to them, though, so they should both be taken
into consideration. Viewing the wired-wireless
network design and cabling infrastructure as
one cohesive project makes installing wireless,
when you are ready, a smooth process with
minimal associated costs and headaches.
How to Plan for Wi-Fi
If your new building is under construction,
how do you know where ceilings will be for
mounting APs? How do you plan around
sources of interference that might eventually
be present? Don’t you have to wait until the
building is actually constructed to figure this
out–when it’s too late to reap the costs of
pre-planning? Fortunately, the latest Wi-Fi
surveying and planning tools eliminate this
chicken-and-egg situation by allowing you
to electronically pre-design the WLAN before
the building is even constructed.
Historically, most companies installing
Wi-Fi have conducted a physical site survey
by walking around the building, mounting
independent APs in places estimated to be
appropriate for the desired coverage and
hoping for the best. If there were coverage
holes or irregular performance in certain
areas, they have carried handheld or laptop-
based spectrum analysis tools to the area to
troubleshoot the problem. They could then
remount APs or change AP channels to
improve performance and coverage.
That process has historically worked well
for small installations of one or two APs.
But it quickly becomes unwieldy as wireless
networks become mainstream throughout
the building. A healthy dose of automation
is now necessary to appropriately plan and
scale building-wide Wi-Fi networks.
 Automated Site Planning Tools
Figure 3. Using automated site planning tools, which rely on blueprint information, allows you to know ahead of time where your AP cable drops will need to be.
Use Automated Site Planning Tools
It has become possible to easily design the
entire wireless network before the building is
even constructed. All you need is a blueprint
for the structure and an automated Wi-Fi site
survey tool. You can import the blueprint into
the electronic survey and planning program,
and it will automatically tell you where to
place APs and how many you will need,
based on your wireless goals and what type
of Wi-Fi equipment you intend to purchase.
 such tool is the RingMaster® management
One
product from Trapeze Networks, a Belden
brand. RingMaster works with Trapeze’s Wi-Fi
WLAN infrastructure equipment both to
automatically create the wireless network
design and to manage the wireless network
post-deployment (Figure 3).
Such site-planning tools account for the
impact of building materials, glass windows,
metal doors and other RF attenuators. They
base their design decisions primarily by taking
into account these variables on the blueprint.
But they also require some basic information
from you. So you need to make a few upfront
decisions, described below.
Make Certain Decisions Upfront
First you need to decide where in the building
you want network connectivity. Then decide
for each location whether that connectivity
should be wired, wireless or both.
Ideally, to create an accurate electronic
Wi-Fi design, you should know what
applications your WLAN will support, who
will have access to the network and where
they are likely to roam throughout the
building. Obviously, the location component
is more difficult to predict in a mobile user
environment than in a traditional wire-line
environment, where PC-to-Ethernet switch
port connections remain stationary. However,
your organization should decide whether it
intends to give users near-ubiquitous coverage
throughout the building or whether coverage
in common areas will suffice.
That decision might depend on the wireless
applications you wish to support. For example,
wireless networks that will be supporting
Voice over IP (VoIP) as all or part of an internal
mobile voice strategy usually require a more
dense, overall AP deployment than those that
provide wireless data access. Data networking
is far more tolerant of packet loss, delivery
delays and jitter than voice. Voice requires
stable, ubiquitous coverage and minimum
delays when connections are handed off
from AP to AP as a user roams.
3
 Installing an AP in each of a few public areas
(such as meeting rooms, cafeteria and lobby)
might be sufficient for data access; however,
consistent and predictable voice and location
service support will require coverage nearly
everywhere. That means more APs and,
consequently, more cabling runs to
more places.
The same density consideration applies to
data connections in areas where large groups
of people are likely to congregate and use
the network simultaneously, such as in a
university lecture hall or in a conference
room at a trade show.
Choose an 802.11 Technology
You’ll also need to decide what Wi-Fi
technology you will use in your network:
802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11a or some combination.
This decision will affect cabling because these
WLAN types run at differing throughput
speeds and coverage ranges. They also differ
in capability and performance. You might
elect to install a greater number of legacy
APs for coverage or select an AP that supports
the latest standards for greater coverage
and capacity.
Ideally, it makes sense for an organization to
install the newest technology (Draft 802.11n)
available in WLAN equipment, which generally
offers per-radio data-connect rates of up to
300 Mb/s. Reasons to do so might include
the following:
• A reluctance to invest in so-called “legacy”
technologies. (See Deployment Tip Sidebar)
• A true need for Ethernet-like bandwidth
because of high-consumption applications
such as multimedia or all-wireless
user access.
• Stability of cabling for wireless. Because
you’ll be deploying the latest technology,
you likely won’t have to change your WLAN
design–or the associated cabling–for the
foreseeable future.
4
Note that while 802.11a operates in the your facilities using a CAD drawing or even a
5 GHz frequency band, 802.11g operates in clean JPG file. You simply input information
the 2.4 GHz band. 802.11n can operate in about the desired coverage area of the
both. These frequencies are relevant network. Then, you ask the program to
because the higher the frequency, generally, calculate how many APs you’ll need, where
the shorter distance a transmission will travel. the APs should be placed and on what
Also, RF signals at higher frequencies channels they should operate so as not to
attenuate more as they travel through interfere with one another. The program will
channels with obstacles, further limiting automatically build the layout and specify at
signal reach. Because of these transmission what power levels each AP should transmit for
traits in the 5 GHz band, it might be necessary the best overall operation, keeping in mind
to deploy a greater number of APs to achieve FCC and other regulatory power limitations.
the desired coverage (range of transmission)
The tool will automatically assign a
than when operating in the lower frequencies.
channel plan to the wireless network.
Your automated site-planning tool will Your channel plan maps each AP to a specific
figure out the math that goes along with non-interfering channel in the frequency
these issues to determine appropriate band in which it works. This is somewhat
placement and coverage. analogous to creating “virtual cabling” over
the air such that communications don’t
bump into one another.
APs, Placement and Channel Planning
Once your wireless network design
 nce you decide on the 802.11
O
has been created, you can calculate your
technology(ies) you will be using and
physical AP cabling requirements to those
where you need wireless connectivity,
spots and include them in your overall
you can use your site-planning tools
project plan and bid.
to automatically lay out the wireless
network for you. You upload a floor plan for
Deployment Tip
Note that Draft 802.11n is backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g networks, so
continuing to install these earlier technologies won’t preclude moving to 11n in the
future. However, when mixed 802.11a/b/g/n nodes share the air space in backward-
compatibility mode, 11n clients are likely to take a performance hit. This is because,
despite a number of airtime fairness mechanisms in Wi-Fi systems, the slowest
device on the network is the gating device.
To avoid compromised 11n performance in a mixed-mode network, use an AP with two
radios: one tuned to the 5 GHz band and the other tuned to the 2.4 GHz band. Use the
5 GHz band for 802.11n APs and clients, creating a “pure 11n” network in that band.
Allow legacy 802.11g clients to communicate with a 2.4 GHz “G” radio in the other slot.
This way, legacy clients continue to operate as before, without impacting the newer,
faster 11n nodes. If you wish to maintain some 802.11a (a 5 GHz technology) in the mix,
be prepared for 802.11n to slow down.
Telecommunications Room Typical Capacity of Legacy Infrastructure†
Considerations
Wireless Access Network Telecom Room Data Center
Note that once you know how many APs 11-54 Mb/s 10/100 Mb/s 10/100 Mb/s
you’ll need on each floor, you should make
sure to account for them in the number of
WLAN Controller
Ethernet switch ports you purchase for your
new or upgraded environment. Traditionally,
network planners total up the number of
desktops and printers they plan to have on
a given floor, the number of servers in the
data center, and the occasional router,
storage device and other wired network device
that may need to be connected. From there, PoE Backbone
they usually purchase and install a switch of Ethernet Switch Ethernet Switch

sufficient size in each telecommunications

room–one with at least as many ports as
needed for known devices on that floor or in
the data center plus a few extra for wiggle
room and growth. That port count, on Client Devices Access Points

Ethernet Switches or PoE Switches and power

injectors, should also account for cabled AP Figure 4. Legacy environments easily accommodate Wi-Fi’s 54 Mb/s maximum data connect rates with Category 5e or
ports, a factor that might easily escape Category 5 cabling and 10/100 Ethernet switches.

network planners. In addition, where you

place your WLAN controllers*–management Typical Capacity of an 802.11n Infrastructure†
appliances that enable AP provisioning and
management–plays a role in how many Wireless Access Network Telecom Room Data Center
switch ports you need on a given floor. If you 108-540 Mb/s 10/100/1000 Mb/s 10/100/1000 Mb/s
deploy a cluster of virtualized controllers all in
the data center, for example, you’ll need a WLAN Controller
corresponding number of data center switch
ports available to support them. If you
distribute some out to the floors, the
controller ports will have to be covered in the
telecommunications room switch purchase. 1 Gb/s x N

Today, it’s advisable to procure gigabit-

speed Ethernet switches for connecting PoE Backbone
wireless APs and controllers, given that Ethernet Switch Ethernet Switch
products supporting the most current WLAN
technology, Draft 802.11n technology, contain
gigabit-speed uplinks. The reason for the
gigabit-speed uplinks is that multiple users
with 100 Mb/s or faster connections will be Client Devices Access Points
accessing an AP simultaneously. The uplink
capacity should be sufficient to support the Figure 5. If you are deploying a Draft 802.11n Wi-Fi, strongly consider Category 6 cabling for supporting the gigabit-speed
aggregate of the user connection speeds. uplinks of 802.11n equipment. Similarly, telecommunications room switches and data center switches connected to APs and
controllers should support gigabit speeds, and pay attention to the power requirements of the 11n gear.
Otherwise, the telecommunications room
will become a wireless communications †
Controller-based architecture
bottleneck (Figures 4 and 5).

5
 It is also advisable to install PoE switches or PoE
injectors that can supply higher power levels to
comply with IEEE 802.3at requirements. This
allows nearly every type of Access Point to
operate at its maximum performance levels
(as some advanced features, such as future
MMO designs, may require more power than
is available from legacy IEEE 802.3af
compliant PoE sources).
Cable Types and Power Delivery
If you deploy 802.11n now or plan to in
the future and procure gigabit-speed switch
ports accordingly, it is advisable to install
minimum Category 6 copper cabling from
your telecommunications room out across
your floors and throughout the walls and
ceilings. The reason is that Category 6 twisted-
pair cabling provides better noise immunity
and more “Signal-to-Noise” headroom for
supporting gigabit-per-second speeds across
Ethernet’s 100-meter standard distance.
Installing Category 6 or higher Category
cabling at your earliest opportunity, then,
should future-proof your cabling plant for
some time to come.
That being said, another somewhat thorny
consideration as you are building out your
unified wired/wireless infrastructure is device
requirements for power. The Power over
Ethernet (PoE) standard today, IEEE 802.3af,
is widely deployed. It powers most Wi-Fi and
cabled devices requiring up to 12.95 Watts
sustained over Ethernet’s 100-meter limit
across Category 3-and-higher Category
copper wiring.
Be sure to check the requirements of the
Wi-Fi equipment vendor you use, particularly
if you decide to deploy 802.11n. To take
advantage of all the enhancements to the
802.11 standard for improved throughput,
coverage, and interference avoidance, some
802.11n systems require more power than
PoE can provide.
Belden Technical Support 1.800.BELDEN.1
6
© Copyright 2009, Belden Inc.
Trapeze Networks 802.11n gear requires
one 802.3af PoE injector supplying power
to one port of a dual-radio AP in order for the
AP to operate in 2x3 MIMO mode (with two
transmitting and three receiving antennas).
With 802.3af PoE on both ports, both radios
can support full 3x3 MIMO (with three
transmitting and three receiving antennas).
An emerging follow-on IEEE power
standard, commonly referred to as PoE+,
is in development by the 802.3at task force.
With ratification expected during the second
half of 2009, 802.3at will run across Category
5e-and-higher Category cabling to provide up
to 24 Watts of power, or nearly twice that of
traditional PoE. Pre-standard 802.3at switches
and injectors are available from a number
of vendors. In the case of Trapeze gear,
draft 802.3at-compliant power used on only
one AP port will power both radios in an
802.11n AP in full 3x3 mode.
If you find yourself embarking on a new
network infrastructure project later this
year, keep in mind the benefits of Category 6
cabling to support gigabit speeds and the
availability of 802.3at power sourcing
equipment as you make your equipment
and cabling decisions.
Using 802.3at-powered equipment allows
nearly every type of wireless AP to operate at
its maximum performance levels without
having to make any tradeoffs in terms of
performance or feature support.
Conclusion
Planning the wired and wireless network
infrastructure cabling together can lower
overall cabling project costs by 2 to 4 times.
Companies realize these savings largely by
avoiding “after the fact” cable pulls that might
require breaking open ceilings and walls and
having to purchase extra cable in smaller
volume at a higher price.
www.belden.com Wired-Wireless WP 2009
Companies that design the wired and
wireless network environments together
also make sure that they account for wireless
APs and WLAN controllers* in the number
of Ethernet and PoE switch ports that they
procure for their telecommunications
room and data centers.
It’s now possible to plan and design the
wired/wireless network environment together
before buildings are even constructed, thanks
to automated site survey tools that are now
available. Such tools, including Trapeze
Networks RingMaster, gather data about
the environment from a building blueprint
and combine it with information entered
by the network administrator about desired
wireless throughput at a given range and
802.11 technology requirements. From there,
the tool determines how many APs and
controllers are required and where to install
the APs for optimum performance.
Network planners are advised to keep the
latest standards for cabling and PoE in mind
as they plan their new environments.
Depending on timing, it may be desirable to
install higher performing cabling and PoE +
capable equipment to ensure having the
gigabit-speed cabling and power support
in place to keep your company covered for
many years to come.
* In controller-based Wi-Fi networks