Help with AP heatmap planning and Signal Strength

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Help with AP heatmap planning and Signal Strength

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Help with AP heatmap planning and Signal Strength
Help with AP heatmap planning and Signal Strength
2023-08-12 00:44:35 - last edited 2023-08-14 07:22:47
Tags: #heatmap
Hardware Version: V5
Firmware Version: 5.9.31

Hi community!

 

I have set up a Heatmap in the Omada software, and added walls corresponding to my house build in there (double brick walls outer and single brick inners etc). I currently own one EAP610v3 and am about how I should plan my placement and what signal strength to set on each.

 

Here are my considerations:

  • Usable AX 5GHz coverage in every room
  • Functioning roaming for devices (iphone 12, iphone 13, macbook pro 2015, macbook air 2021, HP gen 9 laptop pc wifiAC, Bose Portable Smart Speaker wifiAC)
  • Minimize channel overlap (set different channels on each AP?)
  • Consider reducing signal beyond my house walls (not sharing/disturbing neighbours)

 

Questions

  • Do I turn off 2.4GHZ altogether?
  • Do I maximise transmission on the AP in the living room and only use this one AP
  • Do I buy multiple access points and reduce their transmission power and scatter them across all rooms to localize wifi access and split them up in channels? Pros/Cons?
  • Power consumtion matters - the less Watt the better (electricity is expensive in Australia!) 

 

Help me plan my house!

 

Here's my latest Heatmap Simulation (the right side AP is set to 22dBm on 5GHz and the left side AP is set to 15dBm in the software)

 

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#1
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Re:Help with AP heatmap planning and Signal Strength -Solution
2023-08-12 18:09:39 - last edited 2023-08-14 07:22:47

  @evensteven 

 

Hey

 

Welcome to Omada WiFi!

 

hopefully some answer for you mate

 

Here are my considerations:

  • Usable AX 5GHz coverage in every room

Sounds like a good idea

 

  • Functioning roaming for devices (iphone 12, iphone 13, macbook pro 2015, macbook air 2021, HP gen 9 laptop pc wifiAC, Bose Portable Smart Speaker wifiAC)

Cant see that being an issue, long as you have some controller online it should work

 

  • Minimize channel overlap (set different channels on each AP?)

With just 2 APs, its unlikely any real issue tbh.   Personally I would just let the controller handle the channels unless you have massive neighbour interference

 

  • Consider reducing signal beyond my house walls (not sharing/disturbing neighbours)

Wouldnt be wasting your time tbh.   That is what channels are for after all.  Their WiFi should see yours and avoid it, also by the time your signal gets inside their house its likely -70db or more so its dead air anyways.   yes, they will see it, but cause no problems at the that signal level.

 

Questions

  • Do I turn off 2.4GHZ altogether?

Hard one..  If all your devices are 5ghz then perhaps.  However from experience most IOT stuff is still 2.4ghz so its a necessary evil.   Personally, just leave it on and auto channel.

 

 

  • Do I maximise transmission on the AP in the living room and only use this one AP

 

no.   max power can be negative, its not always the best answer.  As you increase power, it affects closer range devices as it floods them so anything locally (living room) may be affected.  quantity of AP is ALWAYS better than one blaster.  Generally let the controller handle power, its not something you really need to fiddle with.

 

  • Do I buy multiple access points and reduce their transmission power and scatter them across all rooms to localize wifi access and split them up in channels? Pros/Cons?

Leave power on Auto, thats what the controller is for.  It will tweak and adjust power to suit the airspace.  Remember the same airspace can change daily so let the controller control.    Multiple APs is always the best option tbh.

 

  • Power consumtion matters - the less Watt the better (electricity is expensive in Australia!) 

APs pull around 7-9watts per hour so really low power.   Honestly you would barely notice them on your bill.  If however it is a concern, POE Omada switch may be your answer.  Once you get one of those you can set the APs to power off (switch of port) at nighttime etc.

 

 

 

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Re:Help with AP heatmap planning and Signal Strength
2023-08-12 12:43:22

  @evensteven 

 

No Heat Map from any vendor is accurate... or even close.  They try, but it's not the best.

 

The easiest way to get a idea of how Wi-Fi "splashes" in your home is to do a wireless site survey.

 

Buy 1 AP for R&D purposes... Fire it up in 1 section of you home, download Acrylic Wireless Analyzer, and run it on your laptop.

 

Walk around your home to see where the signal drops off at.  

I can not teach anyone anything - I can only make them think - Socrates
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Re:Help with AP heatmap planning and Signal Strength -Solution
2023-08-12 18:09:39 - last edited 2023-08-14 07:22:47

  @evensteven 

 

Hey

 

Welcome to Omada WiFi!

 

hopefully some answer for you mate

 

Here are my considerations:

  • Usable AX 5GHz coverage in every room

Sounds like a good idea

 

  • Functioning roaming for devices (iphone 12, iphone 13, macbook pro 2015, macbook air 2021, HP gen 9 laptop pc wifiAC, Bose Portable Smart Speaker wifiAC)

Cant see that being an issue, long as you have some controller online it should work

 

  • Minimize channel overlap (set different channels on each AP?)

With just 2 APs, its unlikely any real issue tbh.   Personally I would just let the controller handle the channels unless you have massive neighbour interference

 

  • Consider reducing signal beyond my house walls (not sharing/disturbing neighbours)

Wouldnt be wasting your time tbh.   That is what channels are for after all.  Their WiFi should see yours and avoid it, also by the time your signal gets inside their house its likely -70db or more so its dead air anyways.   yes, they will see it, but cause no problems at the that signal level.

 

Questions

  • Do I turn off 2.4GHZ altogether?

Hard one..  If all your devices are 5ghz then perhaps.  However from experience most IOT stuff is still 2.4ghz so its a necessary evil.   Personally, just leave it on and auto channel.

 

 

  • Do I maximise transmission on the AP in the living room and only use this one AP

 

no.   max power can be negative, its not always the best answer.  As you increase power, it affects closer range devices as it floods them so anything locally (living room) may be affected.  quantity of AP is ALWAYS better than one blaster.  Generally let the controller handle power, its not something you really need to fiddle with.

 

  • Do I buy multiple access points and reduce their transmission power and scatter them across all rooms to localize wifi access and split them up in channels? Pros/Cons?

Leave power on Auto, thats what the controller is for.  It will tweak and adjust power to suit the airspace.  Remember the same airspace can change daily so let the controller control.    Multiple APs is always the best option tbh.

 

  • Power consumtion matters - the less Watt the better (electricity is expensive in Australia!) 

APs pull around 7-9watts per hour so really low power.   Honestly you would barely notice them on your bill.  If however it is a concern, POE Omada switch may be your answer.  Once you get one of those you can set the APs to power off (switch of port) at nighttime etc.

 

 

 

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Re:Help with AP heatmap planning and Signal Strength
2023-08-12 23:38:08
Thank you for the helpful answers! I'm especially intrigued around your recommendation to use multiple AP's. If I need Wifi AX, I don't have that many options in the Omada range. It feels as if buying more EAP610 would be overkill as the controller will likely reduce the power?
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Re:Help with AP heatmap planning and Signal Strength
2023-08-14 21:27:38

  @evensteven 

 

The Omada AX range is extensive, basically anything starting 6xx is AX (610, 620,630, 660,670 etc).  The 610 is the basic model and likely good for 90% of home installs.

 

Buying more APs wont force the controller to reduce the power, rarely will it ever do that.  From experience it will only reduce the power if you have 2x APs positioned very close and on the same channel, even then it will likely just swop the channels for you.   Dont get hung up on power settings, it really doesnt make much difference.. perhaps 10%.  Its always a case of deminishing returns for power

 

If you have only 2 APs, the controller wont reduce power levels.. it will just change channels.    Ive seen installations with 100+ APs and all at full power, you should be fine!

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