Whats' a good product for a high-density Wireless network setup?

Ray Soucy rps at maine.edu
Fri Jun 19 23:07:01 UTC 2015


I know you don't want to hear this answer because of cost but I've had good
luck with Cisco for very high density (about 1,000 clients in a packed
auditorium actively using the network as they follow along with the
presenter).

The thing you need to watch out for with Ubiquiti is that they don't
support DFS, so the entire U-NII-2 channel space is off limits for 5 GHz.
That's pretty significant because you're limited to 9 x 20 MHz channels or
4 x 40 MHz channels.  Keeping the power level down and creating small cells
is essential for high density, so with less channels your hands are really
tied in that case.  Also, avoid the Zero Handoff marketing nonsense they
advertise; I'm sure it can work great for a low client residential area but
it requires all APs to share a single channel and depends upon coordinating
only one active transmitter at a time, so it simply won't scale.

I don't have experience with other vendors at large scale or high density.

I don't think what you're talking about is really high density anymore
though.  That's just normal coverage.  Wireless is a lot more complicated
than selecting a vendor, though.  If you know what you're doing even
Ubiquiti could work decently, but if you don't even a Cisco solution won't
save you.  You really need to be on top of surveying correctly and having
appropriate AP placement and channel distribution.





On Fri, Jun 19, 2015 at 1:57 AM, Sina Owolabi <notify.sina at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi
>
> We are profiling equipment and design for an expected high user density
> network of multiple, close nit, residential/hostel units. Its going to be
> 8-10 buildings with possibly a over 1000 users at any given time.
> We are looking at Ruckus and Ubiquiti as options to get over the high
> number of devices we are definitely going to encounter.
>
> How did you do it, and what would you advise for product and layout?
>
> Thanks in advance!
>



-- 
Ray Patrick Soucy
Network Engineer
University of Maine System

T: 207-561-3526
F: 207-561-3531

MaineREN, Maine's Research and Education Network
www.maineren.net



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