Cisco Systems SiteSurveyConsiderations

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CiscoAironetAccessPointDeploymentGuide 
CiscoSystems
Copyright©2012CiscoSystems,Inc.Allrightsreserved.
Page44of52
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Note:Inordertobeamformtoclientsusingthreespatialstreams,sincethreetransmittersare
usedinthetransmissions,theAPneedsatleastoneadditionalradiotobeamform.TheAP
3600has��fourradiosperbandandcanbeamformtoclientsusingthreespatialstreams.
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Tosummarize,ClientLink2.0takesthereceivedsignalsheardfromtheclientontheuplinkand
calculateshowthemultipathsignallookedfromthosestreams.Then,onthereciprocalside(transmit
downlink),ClientLink2.0usesallfourradiostofigureouttheoptimalwaytoformthesignal(transmit
beamforming)toenabletheclienttobestdecode(receivethesignalonthedownlink)withtheleast
amountofretries.
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ClientLink2.0withanAP3600enablesbeamformingtoall802.11nclients,including3SSclients,andcan
dosoforupto128clientsatatime.TheAP1600supportsfewerclients(32)anddoesnotsupport3SS.
ClientLink1.0supportedamaximumof15clientsatatime.ClientLink2.0significantlyimproves
throughputandcoverageupto60%onthedownlinksideformuchbetter802.11nclientconnectivity
andforenhancingtheBringYourOwnDevice(BYOD)experience.
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FormoreinformationonCiscoClientLink2.0,refertothefollowingURL:
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http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/wireless/ps5678/ps11983/at_a_glance_c45‐691984.pdf
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SiteSurveyConsiderations
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WhileClientLinkdynamicallybeamformsandhelpstomaintainarobustsignal,whichresultsinfewer
retries,itwasnotdesignedtochangethecellrange.ClientLinkcreatesabetterconnectionexperience,
notalargercellsize.
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Forthisreason,duringasitesurvey,itisimportanttokeepinmindthattheAP3600cellsizesare
generallythesameorverysimilartootherCiscoaccesspoints.Figure58depictstypicalrangesinthe1‐
54Mbpsrange.WhileCiscoalwaysrecommendsthatyousurveywiththeequipmentyouintendto
deploy,anearliersurveydonewithanAP3500,forexample,wouldnotbeinvalidforanAP3600
deployment.Figures59and60provideexamplesofthemodulationtypesandsignal‐to‐noiseratio
(SNR).
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