Dell SonicPoint-N Dual Radio, Getting Started Manual

Page: 11 / 50

10 | Access Points and Network Design
Solutions to RF Interference and Barriers
These days, finding an environment with no RF interference or
noise is nearly impossible. Only if you are setting up an office in
a secluded redwood grove can you count on RF interference to
be a non-issue. Even then, the redwood trees might just be
among those fitted with high-gain cellular antennas, an all-too-
common occurrence today. Regardless, you should expect to
deal with some level of signal interference in your deployment.
Location A – Rogue access points
• Problem – Wireless product test labs and other (non-
malicious) rogue access points are problems in many Wi-Fi
deployments.
• Solution – Either eliminate all rogue access points, or
force their owners to use a set channel that does not
overlap with your distributed wireless solution.
Location B – Spectrum noise for 2.4 GHz
and 5 GHz
• Problem – Your phone system is partially wireless and
uses the 2.4GHz or 5GHz spectrum.
• Solution – Give VoIP a try. VoIP will work in tandem with
your wireless network, instead of against it. For more on
SonicWALL VoIP implementation and capabilities, refer to
the
Configuring VoIP SonicOS feature module available at:
http://www.sonicwall.com/us/support.html
Location C – Off-network access points
• Problem – Your neighbors need wireless, too!
Unfortunately, only a few sheets of drywall separate you.
Solution – Overpowering your neighbors with high-gain
antennas is an option, but not a particularly neighborly one.
Instead, you could simply use a different channel for
wireless access points bordering this wall and ensure that
your neighbors do the same. Performance in some dual-
channel wireless devices may take a hit, but it is better
than dropped connections—or unhappy neighbors.
A
C
B