Understanding Antennae Radiation Patterns
This thread has been locked for further replies. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions.
Hi
Can anyone direct me to any information on how to understand radiations patterns that are provided for Omada APs.
Any help would be appreciated... I would like to know how the APs will transmit wifi signal before purchasing.
Thanks
Hey
I will try to explain these for you, hopefully in the easiest way possible. Just to clarify first, these tend not to change between vendors, the patterns are usually 99% the same for similiar APs, by that I mean a Ceiling Mounted AP from Cisco, will be very similiar to one from Juniper, TP Link, HP etc..
The main difference in patterns are found between different AP types, this is related to the arrangement of the antenna inside the device. In short patterns relate to the arrangement of antenna and how it directs the signal.
Lets look at below for an example.
Look at the first picture (one on left) its the pattern of the AP if viewed straight on (looking across the device). You will notice the pattern in blue around radiates around the device fairly evenly, except at the bottom where it dies to nothing. That is by design as the bottom will likely be mounted to the wall or ceiling and there is no benefit to having good signal wasted by being shot into the brick wall. By designing the antenna to send as little signal into the wall, its offers a bit more to send a better direction. Result is that antenna setup offers little to no signal above the ceiling (as by design) instead pushing it out fairly evenly on the AP face, the bit that will point to your clients. My engineers call these APs "claymores" as you face them to the users, which hopefully explains the pattern :)
The second picture is the same as first, on a different theta.. dont worry about that.. just ignore
The 3rd picture is the signal from top down, basically it spreads evenly in all directions from the AP.
The normal router you have at home with 2 / 3 or 4 stick up antenna (these are called omnidirectional) have a different pattern, they blast evenly in all directions from the antenna. So if you are beside a wall, 50% of what it transmit goes into the brick. These by design are best situated in an open area like the centre of a room or similiar.
In summary, the pattern of an AP is more for professsional locating of the AP and nothing else.
Can I ask what you are looking to discover from this? Any reason behind the question?
Hope that helps.
Hey
I will try to explain these for you, hopefully in the easiest way possible. Just to clarify first, these tend not to change between vendors, the patterns are usually 99% the same for similiar APs, by that I mean a Ceiling Mounted AP from Cisco, will be very similiar to one from Juniper, TP Link, HP etc..
The main difference in patterns are found between different AP types, this is related to the arrangement of the antenna inside the device. In short patterns relate to the arrangement of antenna and how it directs the signal.
Lets look at below for an example.
Look at the first picture (one on left) its the pattern of the AP if viewed straight on (looking across the device). You will notice the pattern in blue around radiates around the device fairly evenly, except at the bottom where it dies to nothing. That is by design as the bottom will likely be mounted to the wall or ceiling and there is no benefit to having good signal wasted by being shot into the brick wall. By designing the antenna to send as little signal into the wall, its offers a bit more to send a better direction. Result is that antenna setup offers little to no signal above the ceiling (as by design) instead pushing it out fairly evenly on the AP face, the bit that will point to your clients. My engineers call these APs "claymores" as you face them to the users, which hopefully explains the pattern :)
The second picture is the same as first, on a different theta.. dont worry about that.. just ignore
The 3rd picture is the signal from top down, basically it spreads evenly in all directions from the AP.
The normal router you have at home with 2 / 3 or 4 stick up antenna (these are called omnidirectional) have a different pattern, they blast evenly in all directions from the antenna. So if you are beside a wall, 50% of what it transmit goes into the brick. These by design are best situated in an open area like the centre of a room or similiar.
In summary, the pattern of an AP is more for professsional locating of the AP and nothing else.
Can I ask what you are looking to discover from this? Any reason behind the question?
Hope that helps.
Thank you soooo much for your reply... I think I'm able to understand the patterns now.
The reason for my question is that I'm trying to work out what types of AP I can/Should install in my property. I have added the floor plans above. The blue dots are where I have POE ethernet connections that I can use for the APs.
With the patterns I can decide which AP will work for me.
My current thoughts are:
1. First floor only one AP - EAP660 in hallway ceiling using the blue dot near the middle of the floor (will have a spare ethernet connection if needed)
2. Ground floor - in hallway use another eap660 but installed in wall facing in towards the house( can't install in ceiling here)
Thinking of in wall EAP615s or eap650 walls(when released) for the other two APs on the ground floor.
Thoughts... ?
Thanks for the response!
I've added a red line which is 8.6m wide. The brown lines are where internally there used to be external walls (house has been extended)
I am in the UK and house was built in 1960s so mainly brick construction.
I think I will do EAP660 in all the places where I have blue dots (ie 2 upstairs and 3 downstairs)
The thin area of the upstairs hopefully will ve covered by an eap660 downstairs next to the garage ( the blue dot on the left side). The area upstairs is a spare room so not critical for coverage.
The reason I was looking at in wall APs was because I need more ethernet ports in these two rooms. The EAP660 only had one POE port in and no ports downstream which isn't great tbh... Will probably have to use a switch in these two rooms instead unless you know of another solution...?
Was hoping some of the ceiling APs would have downstream ethernet ports but can't find any. The upcoming eap690e doesn't look like it will either