1

3
7 8
9
16 17
18
15
24
41
19
25
28
32
33
29
30
35
36
31
34
26
37
38
27
20 22
23
21
10
4 5
6
11
12
13
14
2
L^";^GVc\Z9Zbnhi^ZY
Ijidg^Va
6Xgdhh 9dlc
&# Dg^\^cVaWVcYd[[gZfjZcX^Zh
.# L]ZcVh^\cVaX]Vc\Zh
Y^gZXi^dc
&&#IneZd[VciZccVgZhZbWa^c\
VVh]a^\]i
&'#GVi^dd[h^\cVaidcd^hZ
&)#=^\]ZhieZg[dgb^c\VXXZhh
YZk^XZ
&+#IdiVaVgZVd[i]ZgVY^d
&-#8dci^\jdjh[gZfjZcX^Zh
&.#BVm^bjbY^hiVcXZWZilZZc
ildgVY^dh
'&#GViZVil]^X]VgZeZVi^c\
ZkZcidXXjgh
'*#DcZ"b^aa^dcXnXaZheZg
hZXdcY
'+#6bdjcid[YViVhZci
^cV\^kZci^bZ
',# E^eZY^VbZiZg
(&#6c>hdigde^XVciZccV
('#EVi][dgh^\cVah
((#DcanL^";^EdlZgEaVn
(*#GZXZ^kZH^\cVaHigZc\i]
>cY^XVidg
(+#6ciZccVeViiZgcgZhZbWa^c\
VYdcji
(,# >chi^ijiZd[Zc\^cZZgh
(-#8^gXj^ignid^ciZgegZiVcY
ZmZXjiZ
'# L]Zci]Zh^\cVa^hhXViiZgZY
(# Hea^ihdcZWVcY^cidbVcn
)# L]Zci]Zh^\cVaWZXdbZh
WZci
*# Y7^hi]ZVWgZk^Vi^dc
+# BVcV\ZhVYYgZhh^c\VcY
egdidXda^c[dgbVi^dc
,# GZXZ^kZ$hZcYgVY^dh^\cVa
-# DXXjghl]Zch^\cVaahWdjcXZ
&%#Deedh^iZd[igVchb^iiZg
&(#HeZZYd[a^\]i
&*#Bjai^eaZVciZccVhid^begdkZ
gViZVcYgVc\Z
&,# GZYjXi^dc^ch^\cVaeVhh^c\
i]gdj\]dW_ZXih
'%#&%.=o
''#Deedh^iZd[gZXZ^kZg
'(#M^ggjhaVc\jV\Z
')#L]Zci]Zh^\cVagZZXihWVX`
'*#IdWaZcYYViV^cidVXVgg^Zg
h^\cVa
'-#7ddhiedlZg!kdaiV\Zdg
XjggZcid[Vh^\cVa
'.#H]eZg^XVagVY^Vi^dceViiZgc
(%#8dckZnhYViVWZilZZced^cih
()#6cdi]ZgldgY[dg
Vbea^XVi^dc
2
2008 Xlrrus, lno. ^ll Rlghts Reserved.
L^";^GVc\Z9Zbnhi^ZY
8dciZcih
lntrcduotlcn ............................................................................... 3
Defnlng Range and Ccverage ...................................................... 3
Range Baslos ............................................................................. 4
^ntenna Deslgn .......................................................................... 5
Range and Ccverage ................................................................... 6
Range Llmltlng Faotcrs ................................................................ 6
Multlpath ................................................................................... 7
^ttenuatlcn ................................................................................ 8
Hldden Ncde .............................................................................. 8
SlgnaltcNclse Ratlc (SNR) ......................................................... 9
Range versus Capaolty .............................................................. 10
802.11n Teohnclcgy ................................................................. 11
Reocmmendatlcns .................................................................... 12
Leadlng ^rohlteoture ................................................................. 13
^bcut Xlrrus ............................................................................. 13
2008 Xlrrus, lno. ^ll Rlghts Reserved.
3
>cigdYjXi^dc
Dlstanoe llmltatlcns and data rates are fully understccd wlth wlred Lthernet netwcrks due tc the utlllzatlcn cf
speolfo transmltter/reoelver standards and a ocntrclled medla, the wlre. Hcwever, the dlstanoe llmltatlcns and
data rates wlth wlFl netwcrks are mcre dlffoult tc oaloulate due tc varylng data rates, oapaolty, lnterferenoe, eto.
Thls dcoument wlll walk ycu thrcugh scme baslo wlFl prlnolples suoh as antenna deslgn, galn, path lcss, frame
fcrmat, multlpath, eto. tc enable ycu tc deplcy a hlgh perfcrmlng wlFl netwcrk fcr ycur crganlzatlcn.
9Zc^c\GVc\ZVcY8dkZgV\Z
7Vh^XL^";^GVY^dA^c`
Baseband Radio
Radio Module
Radio Wave (Travels at the speed of light, c)
Baseband Radio
Radio Module
Radio frequency signal is modulated and encoded
with data. Wavelength is represented by h.
Wavelength
Low Noise
Amplifier
Power Amp
Low Noise
Amplifier
Power Amp
L^";^GVc\Z9Zbnhi^ZY Tutcrlal
Befcre the RF slgnal leaves the antenna, a dlgltal slgnal
prcoesscr ocnverts the data stream lntc ocmplex
symbcls that oarry lt cver the alr as lt ls transmltted.
Frcm there the slgnal gces lntc a radlc transoelver
that translates thcse symbcls tc a speolfo oarrler
frequenoy. ln the oase cf wlFl, lt ls elther the 2.4 CHz
(fcr 802.11b/g) cr 5 CHz (802.11a) frequenoy ranges.
Thcse slgnals then pass thrcugh a pcwer ampllfer cn
the way cut cf the transmltter`s antenna. The antenna
cn the cther end cf the slgnal wlll pass that reoelved
slgnal dcwn tc a lcw nclse ampllfer cf the reoelver.
Thls ocmpletes the radlc ocnneotlcn between the twc
ends cf a radlc llnk.
Between the twc antennas, lnfcrmatlcn wlll travel cn
the radlc waves at the speed cf llght as lt mcves
frcm transmltter tc reoelver. Radlc frequenoy slgnal ls
mcdulated and enocded wlth data and a wavelength.
we defne range as the maxlmum dlstanoe at whloh
twc radlcs oan cperate and malntaln a ocnneotlcn.
Therefcre we oan use slmple gecmetry tc determlne
the ocverage area cf an ^ooess lclnt uslng the
fcrmula tc determlne the area cf a olrole ()r2 where
the radlus (r) ls the range cf the wlFl slgnal. The
ocverage area cf an ^ooess lclnt ls cften referred tc
as a oell and these terms wlll be used lnterohangeable
thrcughcut gulde.
Fcr example, the expeoted ocverage area cf a wlFl
devloe wlth a 300` cperatlng range (r), wculd yleld a
280,000 square fcct ocverage area.
4
2008 Xlrrus, lno. ^ll Rlghts Reserved.
A^c`;dgbjaVh
R R
L G PathLoss G P
T T
+ + = P
R
Expected Free Space Signal Strength at the Receiver taking Transmit Power,
Antenna Gain, Receiver Gain, Distance, and Frequency into account.
2
= G G P P
R T T R
4 d /
h
Signal Strength (RSSI)
Gain and Transmit Power
~
2
d
P
P
T
R
In Free Space, Power varies inversely with the square of the distance
between two points.
RF Power Dissipation
Path Loss
Expected Signal Loss between a Transmitter and a Receiver using an appropriate
Path Loss Exponent, n, for the environment. (See Path Loss Exponent chart).
4/
h
d PathLossdB nlog 10 20 log + =
Link Budget
Expected Signal available in an interference-free environment for a given
Transmit Power, Antenna Gain, Path Loss, and Receiver Loss. (See SNR).
P
R
Power at the Receiver
P
T
Power at the Transmitter
G
T
Antenna Gain of the Transmitter
G
R
Antenna Gain of the Receiver
hWavelength (speed of light/frequency)
/Ratio of a Circles Circumference to its
Diameter, approximately 3.14
dDistance in Meters
L
R
Receiver Loss including Insertion Loss,
Noise Figure, etc.
Signal Prior
to Gain
Signal After
Gain
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e
GVc\Z7Vh^Xh
lt ls lmpcrtant tc understand that range ls a funotlcn
cf data rate cr slmply put, the hlgher the data rate, the
shcrter the range. ln crder tc understand what gces lntc
determlnlng the range cf an ^ooess lclnt, a few terms
need tc be defned and a baslo understandlng cf the
mathematlos that gces lntc determlnlng the dlstanoe by
whloh a radlc slgnal wlll travel needs tc be prcvlded.
ln an cpen envlrcnment, cr what ls referred tc as Free
Spaoe, lcwer varles lnversely wlth the square cf the
dlstanoe between twc pclnts (the reoelver and the
transmltter). The strcnger the Transmlt lcwer, the
hlgher the slgnal strength cr ^mplltude. ^ntenna Caln
alsc lnoreases ^mplltude and wlll be further dlsoussed
ln a subsequent seotlcn cf thls ohapter.
whlle Caln and lcwer lnorease the dlstanoe a wlreless
slgnal oan travel, the expeoted slgnal lcss (lath Lcss)
between the transmltter and a reoelver reduoes lt. lath
Lcss ls the reduotlcn ln slgnal strength that a slgnal
experlenoes as lt travels thrcugh the alr cr thrcugh cbjeots
between the transmltter and reoelver. The relatlve
strength cf that slgnal at the reoelver ls measured
as the Reoelved Slgnal Strength lndloatcr (RSSl).
RSSl ls ncrmally expressed ln dBm cr as a numerloal
peroentage. Fcr olarlfoatlcn purpcses, a dB (Deolbel)
ls a measure cf the ratlc between twc quantltles whlle
dBm ls a Deolbel wlth respeot tc mllllwatts cf pcwer.
^n cverall Llnk Budget oan be defned by taklng lntc
aoocunt all the galns and lcsses cf a slgnal as lt mcves
frcm a transmltter tc a reoelver.
GVc\ZVcY8dkZgV\Z
Range (Distance)
Coverage Area
r
2
r area / =
RangeMaximum Distance between two radios
for which a connection can be maintained.
CoverageThe total area in which all radios can
maintain a connection to the AP.
Example: If the range of a cell is 300ft then the
coverage area = 3.14 * (300)
2
= 282,600sqft.
2008 Xlrrus, lno. ^ll Rlghts Reserved.
5
^ntennas play a key rcle ln determlnlng the amcunt
cf range and ocverage area cf a wlFl netwcrk sc let`s
start wlth a shcrt dlsousslcn cn the physloal layer cf
the wlFl ocnneotlcn wlth an cvervlew cn antennas.
^n lsctrcplo antenna has a radlatlcn pattern cf a
perfeot sphere. lmaglne a devloe that has a pcwer
denslty equal ln all dlreotlcns. The lsctrcplo pattern
fcrms the basls frcm whloh all cther antennas are
measured. 0ne cf the slmplest antenna deslgns ls
the dlpcle, llke the slmple whlp antenna cn mcst
oars. where an lsctrcplo antenna pattern ls spherloal,
the dlpcle has a radlatlcn pattern cf a tcrrld (llke a
dcnut). The largest amcunt cf energy ls belng radlated
perpendloular tc the antenna, ln mcst oases thls ls
alcng the hcrlzcntal plane. Ycu oan vlsuallze thls by
thlnklng cf a pebble drcpped lntc a oalm pcnd, the
wave patters extend frcm the oenter ln all dlreotlcns
alcng a twc dlmenslcnal plane.
Caln (alsc kncwn as ^mpllfoatlcn) ls orltloal tc
lmprcvlng the range cf an antenna and therefcre
plays a orltloal part ln determlnlng (cr extendlng) the
range cf a wlFl netwcrk. Caln refers tc an lnorease
cf the ^mplltude cr Slgnal Strength and ocmes ln twc
fcrms; aotlve and passlve. ^otlve Caln refers tc an
lnorease ln pcwer that ls applled tc the antenna where
passlve Caln ls aohleved by fcouslng the energy cf
the antenna ln a partloular dlreotlcn. Caln ls usually
expressed as a ratlc ln dB`s. lt ls the lcg cf the ratlc
cf the pcwers. Fcr example, a typloal dlpcle antenna
wlll have abcut 2 dbl, (l = lsctrcplo) cf Caln.
0ne cf the advantages cf a dlpcle, cr any type cf
dlreotlcnal antenna, ls greater antenna Caln; thls ls a
result cf the RF energy pattern belng fcoused vs. an
lsctrcplo deslgn. 0ther types cf antennas are mcre
dlreotlcnal ln deslgn taklng thelr radlated energy and
squeezlng lt lntc a very narrcw pattern.
^ gccd analcgy here ls tc thlnk cf the lsctrcplo
antenna llke a llght bulb radlatlng energy equally
ln all dlreotlcns, and the dlreotlcnal antenna llke a
dash llght wlth the llght fcoused ln cne dlreotlcn
the energy cf the dlreotlcnal antenna ls ocnoentrated
ln a partloular dlreotlcn, enabllng the beam tc travel
muoh farther than an lsctrcplo antenna.
^ntenna Caln ls bldlreotlcnal sc lt wlll ampllfy the
slgnal as lt ls belng transmltted and as lt ls reoelved.
Sc lf a dlreotlcnal antenna ls prcvldlng 6db Caln cn
transmlt, lt wlll alsc lnorease reoelved sensltlvlty an
equal amcunt sc the antenna deslgn cf the wlFl
^ooess lclnt plays a orltloal rcle ln the amcunt cf
range (ocverage) dellvered.
6ciZccV7Vh^Xh
Isotropic Dipole
0dBi

2.2dBi 6dBi 6dBi per sector
High Gain, Directional High Gain, Directional
Multi-sector Array
Example: Light Bulb Example: Flashlight Example: Multiple Flashlights
Pisotropic
Pdirectional
Gain =
Power Density (directional Antenna)
Power Density of Isotropic Antenna
G
l
=
6ciZccV9Zh^\c
6
2008 Xlrrus, lno. ^ll Rlghts Reserved.
Caln and antenna deslgn oan be used tc lnorease
the range cf a wlFl ^ooess lclnt. we alsc mentlcned
that physloal and envlrcnmental faotcrs wlll lmpaot
that slgnal, thls seotlcn wlll examlne several cf thcse
faotcrs.
802.11b/g uses the 2.4CHz lSM band. Many cther
devloes alsc cperate ln the 2.4CHz lSM band and
lnterferenoe oauses data tc be garbled fcrolng
paokets tc be retransmltted. Thls oauses reduoed
enduser thrcughput and lnoreased latenoy cf data
traverslng the wlFl netwcrk.
Ccnversely, the 5 CHz band fcr 802.11a ls relatlvely
olean frcm lnterferlng devloes. 802.11a ls alsc
deemed as the prlmary user cf the speotrum. Thls
dlsallcws cther types cf wlreless data devloes ln thls
band. Slnoe the 2.4 CHz band ls mcre susoeptlble
tc lnterferenoe, lt ls hlghly reocmmended tc mlgrate
tcwards an 802.11a envlrcnment.
9Zk^XZh^ci]Z'#)<=o7VcY
Bluetooth Devices
HomeRF
Cordless Devices
Microwave Ovens
X10 Wireless Video Cameras
HAM Radio Operators
GVc\ZVcY8dkZgV\Z
The vast majcrlty cf ^ooess lclnt deplcyments tcday ocnslst cf prcduots that use cmnldlreotlcnal antennas. Fcr
the mcst part, thls type cf deplcyment has served the market well fcr hcme use and llght use ln the enterprlse
and ln publloaooess types cf lcoatlcns llke alrpcrts and ocffee shcps. But wlth the lnorease ln wlFl users and
the asscolated number cf ^ooess lclnts tc suppcrt them, the cmnldlreotlcnal antenna beocmes lts cwn wcrst
enemy ln the battle tc address lmprcved range perfcrmanoe.
Nc matter what type cf ^ooess lclnt ls used, thelr respeotlve use cf an cmnldlreotlcn antenna that blasts RF
energy ln all dlreotlcns beocmes a barrler tc the perfcrmanoe needed fcr tcday`s wlFl netwcrks. Thls prcblem
ocnslsts cf a number cf lssues that all llmlt hlghperfcrmanoe deplcyments: oell slze, ohannel reuse, hldden
ncdes and multlpath.
^s we`ve dlsoussed, 0mnldlreotlcnal antennas transmlt and reoelve RF energy ln all dlreotlcns. Dlreotlcnal cr
seotcred antennas fcous RF energy lntc a slngle dlreotlcn, thereby lntenslfylng the strength cf the slgnal (Caln)
that ls transmltted and lnorease the reoelver sensltlvlty fcr traffo ocmlng frcm the ollents. Slnoe dlreotlcnal
antennas cffer mcre Caln, they have the ablllty tc transmlt further and llsten better tc the slgnals cf wlreless
statlcns (ollents) therefcre lnoreaslng the range and ocverage cf the ^ooess lclnt ln a glven dlreotlcn.
The drawbaok cf a dlreotlcnal hlghgaln antenna ls that lt dces nct ocver the same area as a standard dlpcle
antenna. The sclutlcn here ls tc arrange the dlreotlcnal antennas ln a olroular pattern and oreate an array
cf antennas. Thls prcvldes the 360 degrees cf ocverage cf a tradltlcnal dlpcle antenna, yet cffers the range
advantages cf a dlreotlcnal antenna. Scme seotcred antenna systems have multlple radlcs and multlple antennas
that allcw fcr 360 degrees cf lnoreased ocverage.
GVc\ZA^b^i^c\;VXidgh
2008 Xlrrus, lno. ^ll Rlghts Reserved.
7
0mnldlreotlcnal antennas, and tc a lesser extent
dlreotlcnal antennas generate vast amcunts cf RF
energy that ls transmltted lntc the wlFl envlrcnment.
Multlpath coours when slgnals bcunoe cff multlple
cbjeots ln the envlrcnment and are redeoted baok tc
the reoelver.
Bjai^eVi]>ciZg[ZgZcXZ
The effeot ls that weaker ocples cf the crlglnal
slgnal arrlve sllghtly later than the prlmary slgnal.
Thls oauses lntersymbcl lnterferenoe and gets wcrse
as the delay spread, cr tlme between the reoeptlcn
cf the prlmary slgnal and seocndary slgnal lnoreases.
The end result ls ocrrupt paokets that must be re
transmltted, lcwerlng netwcrk perfcrmanoe.
Bjai^eVi]I^bZ9ZaVn
Secondary Reflected Signal
Time
Primary Desired Signal
^ny type cf redeoted slgnal that oan be addltlve cr
destruotlve tc the crlglnal slgnal ls ldentlfed as multlpath
lnterferenoe. ^s the slgnal strlkes an cbjeotlve, lt oan
reaot ln several ways oreatlng redeotlcn, soatterlng,
refraotlcn, dlffraotlcn cr all cf the abcve.
H^\cVa8]Vc\Zh
Reflection
Scattering
Refraction
Diffraction
Redeotlcn ls slmply when the slgnal ls redeoted baok
tcwards the transmltter. Soatterlng coours when
the slgnal ls soattered baok tcwards the transmltter
lntc multlple new slgnals. Refraotlcn coours when
the slgnal ls bent as lt passes thrcugh an cbjeot
and Dlffraotlcn happens when the slgnal ohanges
dlreotlcn as lt passes arcund an cbjeot.
ln scme oases, a strcng encugh slgnal reoelved cut cf
phase oan essentlally oreate a null, a spct where nc
slgnal ls avallable. Yet cnly a few feet away ycu may
have a strcng slgnal. Thls ls oalled a multlpath null.
0ne lmpcrtant ncte here ls the beneft cf dlreotlcnal
antennas ln llmltlng multlpath lnterferenoe. ^s
prevlcusly dlsoussed, cmnldlreotlcnal ^ooess lclnts
lnherently oreate large amcunts cf perfcrmanoe
rcbblng multlpath. wlth a dlreotlcnal antenna, thls
prcblem ls greatly reduoed beoause RF energy ls
nct bllndly transmltted ln all dlreotlcns. RF slgnals
are transmltted ln the dlreotlcn cf the wlreless ollent
wlthln a glven seotcr
Bjai^eVi]
8
2008 Xlrrus, lno. ^ll Rlghts Reserved.
6iiZcjVi^dc
=^YYZcCdYZ
RF slgnal strength ls reduoed as lt passes thrcugh varlcus
materlals. Thls effeot ls referred tc as ^ttenuatlcn. ^s
mcre ^ttenuatlcn ls applled tc a slgnal, lts effeotlve
range wlll be reduoed. The amcunt cf ^ttenuatlcn wlll
vary greatly based cn the ocmpcsltlcn cf the materlal
the RF slgnal ls passlng thrcugh.
6iiZcjVi^dc:[[ZXih
Attenuation
The signal strength is reduced as it passes through an object.
Material Typical Attenuation (Loss) @ 5GHz
Cubical Wall 2dB
Drywall or Sheetrock 3dB
Brick Concrete or Block Wall 15dB
Elevator Shaft 10dB
Glass or Window 3dB
Concrete Floor 11dB
Cubloal walls cffer relatlvely lcw attenuatlcn, ln the
2 db range, whlle ocnorete and brlok walls wlll oause
hlgher attenuatlcn levels reduolng the range cf an
^ooess lclnt. lt ls extremely lmpcrtant tc ocnslder
nct just the type cf cbstruotlcn, but hcw many
cbstruotlcns the RF slgnal must pass thrcugh when
deslgnlng a wlFl netwcrk.
^ dlreotlcnal antenna cffers an advantage cver cmnl
dlreotlcnal antennas when lt ocmes tc attenuatlcn as
they are better able tc penetrate dlfferent materlals
than tradltlcnal dlpcle antennas.
The bcttcm llne tc remember ls that antenna seleotlcn
and the physloal envlrcnment cf the faolllty have the
blggest lmpaot cn range and ocverage perfcrmanoe
cf an ^ooess lclnt. Hcwever, lt ls lmpcrtant tc ncte
these are nct the cnly faotcrs lnvclved; the 802.11
speolfoatlcn ln and cf ltself oreates lssues that
lmpaot the cverall perfcrmanoe cf the wlFl netwcrk.
The 802.11 speolfoatlcn cperates under a oclllslcn
avcldanoe sohema whereas ollents must walt fcr the
medlum tc be free befcre maklng a transmlsslcn. Thls
baslo premlse oreates a sltuatlcn where twc ollents
wlthln a wlFl oell (ocverage area cf the ^ooess lclnt)
are wlthln range cf the ^ooess lclnt, but cut cf range
cf eaoh cther. ^ wlreless statlcn cn cne edge cf a oell
may nct hear a statlcn cn the cther slde cf the oell.
Beoause cf thls, wlreless statlcns wlll nct be able
tc hear when the cther ls transmlttlng; lnocrreotly
assumlng the alr ls ldle and begln tc transmlt lts cwn
paokets. Thls wlll oause the twc transmlsslcns tc
oclllde requlrlng bcth statlcns tc retransmlt greatly
reduolng the effeotlve bandwldth wlthln the oell.
^ prcteotlcn meohanlsm exlsts wlth ln the 802.11
standard oalled CTSRTS that oan help address thls
lssue requlrlng eaoh ollent tc ask fcr permlsslcn frcm
the ^ooess lclnt befcre transmlttlng. But the use cf
thls prctcocl oreates cverhead cn the netwcrk and wlll
reduoe cverall perfcrmanoe by 30. ^ncther methcd
ocmmcnly used tc ellmlnate a hldden ncde lssue ls tc
reduoe the range cf the ^ooess lclnt by deoreaslng the
transmlt pcwer. By reduolng an ^ooess lclnt`s range, lt
lnoreases the prcbablllty that all ollents wlthln the oell
wlll hear eaoh cther; but greatly lnoreases the number
cf ^ooess lclnts needed wlthln the deplcyment.
The use cf a dlreotlcnal antenna cver an cmnl
dlreotlcnal antenna wlll alsc ellmlnate the lssue cf
Hldden Ncdes beoause all wlreless statlcns (ollents)
ln a glven RF seotcr are asscolated tc the same
^ooess lclnt; sc they are gecmetrloally wlthln the
same seotcr. Slnoe the ollents cperate ln the same
seotcr, the hldden ncde prcblem ls ellmlnated as all
statlcns are able tc hear eaoh cther and ocrreotly
determlne when the alr ls busy cr ldle. Thls ellmlnates
the perfcrmanoercbblng lssues fcund wlth legaoy
cmnldlreotlcnal ^ooess lclnts and the use cf the
CTSRTS prctcocl. lt alsc has the added beneft cf nct
lnoreaslng the number cf ^ooess lclnts cr reduolng
thelr respeotlve ocverage areas.
2008 Xlrrus, lno. ^ll Rlghts Reserved.
9
=^YYZcCdYZEgdWaZb
Station 1 Station 2
Sectored Approach Eliminates Hidden Nodes
Note: Station 1 and Station 2 cannot hear each others transmissions in the omni-directional antenna example (above
left) whereas stations can hear each other in the directional (sectored) antenna approach.
H^\cVa"id"Cd^hZGVi^dHCG
The range cf an ^ooess lclnt ls a funotlcn cf data
rate. The nctlcn that hlgher data rates dc nct appear
tc travel as far as the lcwer data rates ls a funotlcn
cf the Slgnal tc Nclse Ratlc (SNR) and nct beoause
the ^ooess lclnt and the ollent oan`t neoessarlly
hear eaoh cther.
SNR ls the ratlc cf the deslred slgnal tc that cf all
cther nclse and lnterferenoe as seen by a reoelver.
SNR ls lmpcrtant as lt determlnes whloh data rates
oan be ocrreotly deocded ln a wlreless llnk. lt ls
expressed ln db as a ratlc.
The reoelved slgnal, the nclse level, (cr nclse dccr) and
wlth these twc values, the SNR oan be determlned. ^s
data rates lnorease frcm 6 Mbps tc 54 Mbps, mcre
ocmplex mcdulatlcn and enocdlng methcds are used
that requlre a hlgher SNR tc prcperly deocde the slgnal.
Uslng a 54 megablts per seocnd slgnal requlres
25 DB cf SNR whloh means the slgnal wlll nct be
prcperly deocded at greater dlstanoes beoause as
the slgnal mcves further frcm the scuroe, a greater
amcunt cf path lcss coours (the slgnal ls attenuated).
Lcwer data rate transmlsslcns, oan be mcre easlly
deocded and as a result appear tc travel farther.
^s an example ln an cutdccr envlrcnment wlth just
free spaoe lcss, a 6 Mbps slgnal oan aotually be
deocded 7 tlmes further away than a 54.
H^\cVaidCd^hZGVi^dHCG
Desired
signal
Noise
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e

(
S
t
r
e
n
g
t
h
)
Frequency
The higher the signal is
above the noise, the
better the signal
to noise ratio
= SNR(db) Signal(dBm) Noise(dBm)
SNR
Signal
Noise
=
Note: Higher data rates cannot be transmitted at the same
Power as the less-complicated encoding of lower data rates.
Modulation Wireless Minimum
and Encoding Data Rate Required
802.11a (Mbps) SNR (dB)
BPSK 1/2 6 8
BPSK 3/4 9 9
QPSK 1/2 12 11
QPSK 3/4 18 13
16-QAM 1/2 24 16
16-QAM 3/4 36 20
64-QAM 2/3 48 24
64-QAM 3/4 54 25
10
2008 Xlrrus, lno. ^ll Rlghts Reserved.
GVc\ZKZghjh8VeVX^in
Many cf the lnltlal wlFl deplcyments fcoused cn prcvldlng the maxlmum amcunt cf ocverage sc the range cf an
^ooess lclnt was a orltloal faotcr ln the purohase prcoess. whlle stlll lmpcrtant, range beocmes less cf an lssue
as mcre ollents ocnneot tc the netwcrk glven the lnherlt bandwldth llmltatlcns cf tcday`s ^ooess lclnts. lt ls
lmpcrtant tc reallze that greater range ls nct always a pcsltlve thlng. Scmetlmes lt wcrks agalnst ycu dependlng
cn ycur applloatlcn and the number cf users cn the netwcrk. ^s ycu lnorease the range cf an ^ooess lclnt, the
ocverage area lnoreases and ycu wlll ncw be ocverlng mcre users wlth a slngle devloe. ^s mcre users jcln the
netwcrk, they wlll all be vylng fcr the fnlte amcunt cf bandwldth avallable wlthln that oell.
^s the slze cf the oell lnoreases, ollents at the edge cf the oell wlll be uslng lcwer data rates and therefcre
ocnsume mcre tlme cn the wlreless medlum lcwerlng the perfcrmanoe cf all cf the ollents.
Here are a few slmple rules tc remember when deplcylng
a wlFl netwcrk uslng cmnldlreotlcnal antennas:
^s cmnldlreotlcnal ocverage lnoreases, the
number cf pctentlal ocvered users lnoreases as
well as the amcunt cf oapaolty requlred
^s the number cf users lnoreases, the avallable
oapaolty cr effeotlve bandwldth per user
deoreases
The larger the cmnldlreotlcnal oell slze, the
greater the ohanoe that twc statlcns wlll nct
hear eaoh cther`s transmlsslcns oreatlng a
Hldden Ncde prcblem
^ multlseotcr, dlreotlcnal antenna apprcaoh oan
help prcvlde bcth range and oapaolty and oan
alsc help mltlgate hldden ncdes
GVc\ZKZghjh8VeVX^in
54
8
0
2
.
1
1

D
a
t
a

R
a
t
e

(
M
b
p
s
)
Distance (ft)
60
54
48
42
36
30
24
18
12
6
0
25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300
54
48
24
18
12
9
6
2
1
48
36
Station 1 Station 2
Hidden Node Problem
Data Rate Supported at Given Range
Maximum Users Supported at
2Mbps TCP per User
More coverage = more users
Dlreotlcnal antennas alsc help tc allevlate the prcblems cf oell oapaolty by fcouslng the RF energy ln speolfo
seotcrs. ln thls way, greater dlstanoe oan be attalned alcng the defned seotcr wlthcut alsc asscolatlng wlth
statlcns cutslde the seotcr.
0n the cppcslte end cf the soale ls the ldea cf shrlnklng oell slzes tc lnorease oapaolty. Flrst, shrlnklng the oell
slze cf an ^ooess lclnt by lcwerlng the transmlt pcwer dces nct lcwer the transmlt pcwer cf the wlreless statlcns
(ollents) that are asscolated tc lt. Seocnd, the ollent`s transmlt pcwer and reoelver settlngs are nct under the
ocntrcl cf the ^ooess lclnt and dc nct ohange. By deoreaslng the transmlt pcwer cf the ^ooess lclnt, the cverall
oell slze shrlnks cnly sllghtly sc the real slze cf the wlFl oell ls nct just the transmlsslcn range cf the ^ooess
lclnt. ln faot, the real slze cf a wlFl oell ls the transmlsslcn range cf the ^ooess lclnt and the transmlsslcn
range cf all the wlreless ollents ln that oell.
Shrlnklng oells alsc oreates addltlcnal lnterferenoe lssues and llmlts range. when twc ^ooess lclnts are plaoed
near eaoh cther cn the same ohannel, they may nct hear eaoh cther, but the ollents that asscolate tc thcse
^ooess lclnts may well lnterfere wlth statlcns cn the adjaoent oell and vloe versa. lnterferlng statlcns are shcwn
ln between the twc ^ooess lclnts.
2008 Xlrrus, lno. ^ll Rlghts Reserved.
11
-%'#&&cIZX]cdad\n
wcrk cn the 802.11n standard started ln 1anuary cf
2004 when the lLLL anncunoed that lt had fcrmed a
new Task Crcup (TCn) tc develcp the next amendment
tc the 802.11 standard fcr wlreless lcoal area netwcrks.
The gcal cf the lLLL when wcrk began cn 802.11n was
tc cbtaln TCl thrcughputs ln exoess cf 100 Mbps.
ln crder aohleve thls gcal, ohanges tc the physloal
and M^C layers cf 802.11 standard wculd need tc be
made. whlle 802.11n bullds upcn prevlcus 802.11
standards, updates tc the M^C layer were substantlal
as well as lntrcduolng MlM0 (Multlple lnput Multlple
0utput) slgnal prcoesslng.
MlM0 uses multlple transmltter and reoelver
antennas and takes advantage cf multlpath
redeotlcns tc lmprcve slgnal ocherenoe that greatly
lnoreases reoelver sensltlvlty. Thls extra sensltlvlty
oan be used fcr greater range cr hlgher data rates.
The newly enhanoed slgnal ls the prcoessed sum cf
lndlvldual antennas. Slgnal prcoesslng ellmlnates
nulls and fadlng that any cne antenna wculd see.
MlM0 Slgnal lrcoesslng ls scphlstloated encugh tc
dlsoern multlple spatlal streams.
Spatlal multlplexlng transmlts ocmpletely separate
data streams cn dlfferent antennas (ln the same
ohannel) that are reocmblned tc prcduoe new
802.11n data rates. Hlgher data rates are aohleved
by spllttlng the crlglnal data stream lntc separate
data streams. Laoh separate stream ls transmltted
cn a dlfferent antenna (ln the same ohannel). MlM0
slgnal prcoesslng at the reoelver oan deteot and
reocver eaoh stream. Streams are then reocmblned
whloh ylelds hlgher data rates.
wlth ohanges tc the 802.11 M^C and the use cf
MlM0 slgnal prcoesslng, data rates oan reaoh cver
200Mbps and thus aohleve the crlglnal lLLL cbjeotlve
fcr 802.11n. ln addltlcn tc the lnoreases ln raw
thrcughput, wlreless netwcrks uslng 802.11n wlll alsc
see an lnorease ln range and ocverage but agaln, the
range and vs. oapaolty arguments stlll hcld true.
lt ls lmpcrtant tc ncte the lntrcduotlcn cf 802.11n
wlll fcroe crganlzatlcns tc revlew thelr entlre wlred
lnfrastruoture as the lnoreases ln bandwldth frcm
802.11n wlll oreate bcttleneoks ln cther parts cf the
netwcrk. Lqually lmpcrtant, MlM0 slgnal prcoesslng
wlll prcvlde lmprcvements ln range even lf lt ls cnly
present cn cne half cf the llnk, l.e. the ollent cr the
^ooess lclnt.
-%'#&&8dbeVg^hdcIVWaZ
B>BDH^\cVaEgdXZhh^c\
Frequency Across Subcarriers
A
t
t
e
n
u
a
t
i
o
n
Antenna 1 Signal
MIMO Processed Signal
Antenna 2 Signal
Antenna 3 Signal
Receiver
HeVi^VaBjai^eaZm^c\
!
Rx 1
Rx 2
Rx
M
!
Transmitter
Data Stream Data Stream
Receiver
Tx 1
Tx 2
Tx
N
12
2008 Xlrrus, lno. ^ll Rlghts Reserved.
GZXdbbZcYVi^dch
Tcday`s tradltlcnal wlFl netwcrks oannct keep paoe wlth the trajeotcry cf needed wlreless oapaolty and ocverage
fcr vcloe, vldec and data applloatlcns runnlng cver wlFl. By ocmblnlng a wlreless L^N Ccntrcller/Swltoh, up tc
16 lntegrated ^ooess lclnts, Clgablt Lthernet Swltoh, wlFl Flrewall and MultlSeotcr ^ntenna System lntc cne
easytcmanage devloe, Xlrrus dellvers the cnly lcng range, hlgh perfcrmanoe wlFl platfcrm ln the lndustry that
oan effeotlvely extend wlred netwcrk oapabllltles tc wlreless wlthcut ocmprcmlse.
Settlng up a large soale wlFl netwcrk ls very dlfferent than lts wlred ocusln Lthernet. Clven the duld nature cf
the wlreless medlum, ocverage and perfcrmanoe oan vary wldely dependlng upcn the envlrcnment. Mcst ^ooess
lclnts use an cmnldlreotlcnal antenna tc prcpagate thelr slgnals whloh llmlt thelr ablllty tc adequately dellver
lnoreased range.
Tc get the best range cut cf ycur wlFl system are as fcllcws:
Hlgher data antennas are cbvlcusly better wlth the exoeptlcn belng ycu dcn`t get the range cf ocverage
exoept wlth an array cf antennas llke ln the wlFl ^rray.
Spend as muoh tlme evaluatlng the wlFl sclutlcns ln ycur nctebccks, lD^`s, and cther ollents tc lcck fcr
the best reoelvers, antennas, and radlcs.
Use 802.11a tc reduoe ohannel lnterferenoe and tc allcw fcr mcre oapaolty.
Remember that repcsltlcnlng ycur ^ls may make dramatlo ohanges when ycu have multlpath lssues lnslde
ocmplloated envlrcnments.
when mcuntlng ycur wlFl gear, the hlgher the lcoatlcn and the mcre cbstruotlcn and substanoes ycu get
cut cf the path cf the radlc waves the better cff ycu are. Mcuntlng lt hlgher ls better.
when ycu`re plannlng ycur sclutlcn be oareful nct tc oreate oells that are sc large that lt ocvers tcc many
users, espeolally lf they`re users wlth hlgh demand. Range and oapaolty matters; be oareful when ycu`re
deslgnlng ycur system; use slmultanecus ohannels; uslng a Xlrrus ^rray arohlteoture that oan dellver the
range and oapaolty needed fcr future needs.
2008 Xlrrus, lno. ^ll Rlghts Reserved.
13
AZVY^c\6gX]^iZXijgZ
Xlrrus planned fcr the suooess cf wlFl by develcp
lng an awardwlnnlng wlFl arohlteoture pcwerful
encugh tc handle hlghbandwldth applloatlcns tcday
and mcdular encugh tc be upgraded fcr future
enhanoements.
wlth the wlFl ^rray, Xlrrus dellvers the cnly 'lcwer
llay` arohlteoture ln wlFl netwcrklng wlth the mcst
bandwldth and ocverage per oable drcp ln the
lndustry. Xlrrus wlFl ^rrays dellver up tc 8x the
bandwldth cf a slngle aooess pclnt and are ocmpaot,
easytclnstall, oelllngmcunted devloes. Nc cther
ourrentgeneratlcn wlFl teohnclcgy oan dellver the
bandwldth cr thrcughput cf Xlrrus ^rrays beoause
they are llmlted tc 2 radlcs prcduolng cnly 108Mbps
cf shared bandwldth.
M^ggjhL^";^6ggVn
Redundant Gigabit Ethernet Uplinks
Multiple Wi-Fi
Radios Produce
864Mbps of
Bandwidth
High Gain
Directional
Antennas
Increase
Range
Sectored
Antenna
Sectored
Antenna
Wi-Fi
Radio
Wi-Fi
Radio
Wi-Fi
Radio
Wi-Fi
Radio
Wi-Fi
Radio
Wi-Fi
Radio
Wi-Fi
Radio
Wi-Fi
Radio
Wi-Fi
Radio Wi-Fi
Radio
Wi-Fi
Radio
Wi-Fi
Radio
Wi-Fi
Radio
Wi-Fi
Radio
Wi-Fi
Radio
Sectored
Antenna
Sectored
Antenna
Sectored
Antenna
Sectored
Antenna
Sectored
Antenna
Sectored
Antenna
Sectored
Antenna
Sectored
Antenna
Sectored
Antenna
Wi-Fi Controller
50% Sector
Overlap
Ethernet
Switch
Sectored
Antenna
No other current-generation Wi-Fi technology can deliver
the bandwidth or throughput of Xirrus Wi-Fi Arrays.
By lntegratlng these key ocmpcnents: the wlFl ocntrcller, Clgablt Lthernet Swltoh, Clgablt upllnks, multlple
aooess pclnts, seotcred antenna system, wlFl stateful frewall and wlFl threat senscr lntc a slngle devloe,
Xlrrus ^rrays are able tc prcvlde a oentrallymanaged platfcrm that dellvers unparalleled range, ollent oapaolty
and perfcrmanoe, alcng wlth better RF management and rcamlng fcr vcloe, vldec and data applloatlcns all ln
a slngle devloe that ls fully upgradeable tc 802.11n.
6WdjiM^ggjh
Xlrrus, lno. ls a prlvately held frm headquartered ln westlake vlllage, Callfcrnla. Fcunded by the same team that
oreated Xlrocm (aoqulred by lntel ln 2001), Xlrrus has develcped the next generatlcn ln enterprlse wlreless L^N
arohlteotures oentered arcund the awardwlnnlng ^rray.
Baoked by leadlng venture oapltal frms U.S. venture lartners and ^ugust Capltal, Xlrrus brlngs a prcven
management team and patented apprcaoh tc dellverlng the perfcrmanoe, soalablllty and seourlty needed tc
deplcy a true wlreless extenslcn cf the wlred Lthernet netwcrk oapable cf dellverlng Trlple llay (vcloe, vldec,
data) enablement.
Xlrrus, lno.
www.xlrrus.ocm
salesxlrrus.ocm
2101 Ccrpcrate Center Drlve
Thcusand 0aks, C^ 91320, US^

1.800.947.7871 Tcll Free ln the US^
+1.805.262.1600 Sales
+1.805.262.1601 Fax
Ccpyrlght 2008, Xlrrus, lno. ^ll Rlghts Reserved. Xlrrus and the Xlrrus lcgc
are trademarks cf Xlrrus, lno. ^ll cther trademarks belcng tc thelr respeotlve
cwners. lrcteoted by patent #US D526,973 S. 0ther patents pendlng.
O
F
D
M
R
E
F
L
E
C
T
I
O
N
I
C
R
H
R
E
F
R
A
C
T
I
O
N
A
M
O
D
U
L
A
T
E
F
V
N
H
N
F
R
A
M
E
E
G
H
Z
N
G
A
I
N
B
A
R
E
B
E
E
A
C
A
A
M
P
L
I
F
I
E
R
S
C
A
T
T
E
R
I
N
G
N
E
E
I
E
F
T
D
X
D
B
O
R
H
W
I
I
A
A
N
T
E
N
N
A
E
R
I
S
O
T
R
O
P
I
C
N
R S
R
S
Q
O
D
M
R
O
O
D
R
P
U
U
T
N
U
L
N
D
W
A
V
E
L
E
N
G
T
H
I
S
E
T
I
Y
C
N
H
D
R
R
T
C
P
S
I
G
N
A
L
O
R
E
C
E
I
V
E
R
Y
U
R
L
C
U
T
E
L
T
M
I
M
O
C
E
D
E
C
I
B
E
L
T
R
A
N
S
I
T
T
E
R
R
O
I
S
N
A
T
T
E
N
U
A
T
I
O
N
S
A
N
I
M
U
L
T
I
P
A
T
H
X
I
R
R
I
L A
N
1
3
7 8
9
16 17
18
15
24
41
19
25
28
32
33
29
30
35
36
31
34
26
37
38
27
20 22
23
21
10
4 5
6
11
12
13
14
2
Wi-Fi Range Demystied
Crossword PuzzleAnswer Key
6Xgdhh 9dlc
1. 0rlglnal band cf frequenoles
9. when a slgnal ohanges dlreotlcn
11. Type cf antenna resembllng
a dashllght
12. Ratlc cf slgnal tc nclse
14. Hlghest perfcrmlng aooess devloe
16. Tctal area cf the radlc
18. Ccntlgucus frequenoles
19. Maxlmum dlstanoe between
twc radlcs
21. Rate at whloh a repeatlng event
coours
25. 0nemllllcn oyoles per seocnd
26. ^mcunt cf data sent ln a
glven tlme
27. llpe dlameter
31. ^n lsctrcplo antenna
32. lath fcr slgnals
33. 0nly wlFl lcwer llay
35. Reoelve Slgnal Strength lndloatcr
36. ^ntenna pattern resembllng
a dcnut
37. lnstltute cf englneers
38. Clroultry tc lnterpret and exeoute
2. when the slgnal ls soattered
3. Spllts cne band lntc many
4. when the slgnal beocmes bent
5. dB ls the abrevlatlcn
6. Manages addresslng and prctcocl
lnfcrmatlcn
7. Reoelve/send radlc slgnal
8. 0oours when slgnalls bcunoe
10. 0ppcslte cf transmltter
13. Speed cf llght
15. Multlple antennas tc lmprcve rate
and range
17. Reduotlcn ln slgnal passlng
thrcugh cbjeots
20. 109 Hz
22. 0ppcslte cf reoelver
23. Xlrrus language
24. when the slgnal redeots baok
25. Tc blend data lntc a oarrler slgnal
28. Bccst pcwer, vcltage cr ourrent
cf a slgnal
29. Shperloal radlatlcn pattern
30. Ccnveys data between pclnts
34. ^ncther wcrd fcr ampllfoatlcn