Leading Manufacturers and Warehouses around the globe are upgrading their existing Wi-Fi infrastructure and Ethernet workgroup switches with the Xirrus Wi-Fi Array because only the Wi-Fi Array is capable of delivering...

• Greater interference immunity and reliability
• Greater coverage with fewer devices
• Greater availability for mission critical applications

As an example, a 250,000 square foot warehouse can be covered with six Wi-Fi Arrays compared to 38 traditional access points. This 6:1 ratio saves in equipment costs, cabling costs, switch port costs, and labor costs.

Guide for Designing a Wi-Fi Network

Priority by Category

	Criteria	Requirements
Coverage	• Ability to cover very large foot print buildings • Ability to penetrate steel racks, machinery and conveyor systems • Ability to automatically adjust to changing stock densities	• High gain directional antennas to cover large open spaces and penetrate cage-like environments • Automatic or manual RF cell sizing • Automatic and dynamic Channel Assignment
Mobility	• Seamless user roaming for scanners and voice applications	• Less than 60mSec handoff time between radios • Layer 3 roaming to preserve application sessions across layer 3 boundaries
Performance	• Stable, reliable connections	• Ability to handle multipath rich environments • (in last bullet)Sharp Cell features to reduce interference • Multiple Radio Coverage to avoid co-channel interference • Integrated Spectrum analyzer identifies potential interference
Security	• Government-grade security • Rogue AP and threat detection • Authentication and encryption • Per-user application control	• RADIUS authentication with WPA2 encryption • Rule-based filtering and Statefull firewall • Integrated Wi-Fi threat sensor • FIPS 140-2 certification
Resiliency	• High availability 24/7 lights out operation • Hardware resiliency • Software resiliency	• Multiple radios with 50% coverage overlap • Automatic Cell Sizing to cover offline radios • Failover Option - Primary/Standby Modes • Dual software images with rollback • Configuration auditing and backup • Active RF service health check with self correction
User Management	• Remote user monitoring and troubleshooting tools • User authentication • Allow contractor and guest-user access	• Per-user performance monitoring • Integrated packet capture • Multiple SSIDs • Multiple user profiles
Infrastructure	• Cabling • Flexible powering options • Support for Wireless Backhaul (Mesh) connections	• Single Cable Install • Reduced Gigabit Ethernet Switch Ports and cabling (Cat5/6) • AC and Power over Ethernet/Gigabit Ethernet options • Redundant power • Integrated Wireless Bridging service
Environmental	• Ability to operate in dusty, high particulate environments • Ability to handle extreme temperature conditions • Ability to handle humid conditions	• Freezers • Ceiling • Produce • NEMA-3 Enclosure
Network Management	• Element management	• Common local, Web and centralized management • Automatic RF coverage & channel assignment • Leverage existing management tools (syslog, SNMP, etc.)
Upgradeability	• Multi-generational hardware platform • Future proof for 802.11n	• Modular hardware and software for in-field upgrades • Hardware headroom for future requirements • Design for 802.11n today

Services

	Criteria	Requirements
Planning	• Real world (non-predictive) site surveys	• Site surveys conducted with actual product • Test both signal (RSSI) and data throughput • Coverage guarantee
Installation	• Simplified installation • Multiple mounting options	• Single Day installation • No need for Professional Services to install • "3" clicks or less to install a device • Automatic configuration • I-Beam, wall and ceiling mounting options • Dust enclosures • Ceiling fan like drop down mounting options
Verification	• Post-installation verification	• Re-run live site survey with throughput testing to verify design

Application Priority by Category

	Criteria	Requirements
Barcode Scanners	• Calculated Connections per Second (CPS) • Calculated Concurrent Connections (CC)	• Achieve desired CPS and CC • 100K average TCP throughput for barcode telnet sessions • End to End wired and wireless QoS to differentiate service levels
Inventory and Manufacturing Applications	• Calculated Connections per Second (CPS) • Calculated Concurrent Connections (CC)	• 500K average TCP throughput for file downloads • End to End wired and wireless QoS to differentiate service levels
Location Tracking	• Asset or inventory location tracking	• Real time location tracking • Ability to use active 802.11 tags
Voice over Wi-Fi	• Calculated Busy Hour Call Attempts (BHCA) • Calculated Busy Hour Call Completion (BHCC) at an acceptable Mean Opinion Score (MOS)	• Achieve desired BHCA/BHCC with MOS > 3.8 • Fast roaming – sub 60msec handoff • End to End wired and wireless QoS to differentiate service levels • Low latency and jitter
Video Surveillance	• Calculated Connections per Second (CPS) • Calculated Concurrent Connections (CC)	• 500K average TCP throughput for video streaming • End to End wired and wireless QoS to differentiate service levels

Checklist for a Successful Wi-Fi Implementation

Most vendors offer a variety of products, some high-end with lots of features, some low-end for reduced costs and some require expensive software applications to enable features. When answering these questions verify the vendor is answering based on the proposed solution, not just available, costly upgrades.

Decision Criteria	Yes	No
Does Vendor support all standard LAN and WLAN standards without proprietary solutions or protocols that will limit the ability to expand the Wi-Fi network?
Can the vendor provide like type references?
Does the vendor provide site survey services? Is there a separate cost for this? Does the vendor perform the survey? Is the same equipment to be deployed used for the survey? Is it a live survey, vs. just predictive software? Do they perform a Spectrum Analysis to identify possible noise sources? Do they guarantee the results? Will they provide heatmaps of the coverage?
Is the platform(s), firmware and software upgradable to support future evolution of the 802.11 standard (i.e. 802.11n, 802.v, 802.11w...)?
Product Installation Will the vendor do the install? Is the installation free?
Support services Does the vendor directly support their products or via a 3rd party? Does the vendor offer free on site customer training on their product?
Security Certifications
Although not specifically education related, the following certifications give an indication of the level of security provided by the product. Are they supported?
PCI, HIPPA, FIPS-140
Coverage Is Access point able to support all 802.11a (extended channels)? Is access point able to simultaneously support 802.11 b/g/a radios? Does the Access point offer integrated high gain antennas for greater range?
Capacity Does the Access Point support multiple (4 or more) independent radios? Does the Access point offer a Sectored Antenna Architecture = Higher Data Rates at longer ranges?
Are the following Security Services supported? WEP, WPA & WPA2? Authentication: Open, MAC, 802.1x, WPR? Integrated Stateful Firewall in the AP? Integrated RADIUS server in the AP? Integrated IDS/IPS sensor?
Bandwidth and channel supported 802.11b? 802.11g? 802.11a? Is Proposed product Upgradable to 802.11n?
Power source, are the following supported Direct AC power? POE? POE over Gigabit connections? AC/DC redundancy?
High Availability Do proposed APs offer redundant uplink ports? Is Radio-to-Radio failover available?
Distributed design Is switching performed at the Access Point? Is QoS tagging applied at access point? Is Filtering/Firewall Policies applied at Access point?
Traffic encryption Is encryption/decryption performed at the Access Point? If encryption/decryption performed at controller how many APs can it support before being oversubscribed?
Is Wireless Distribution Services (WDS) available in the AP?
System Management Tools Does the proposed system offer Serial/CLI management? Does the proposed system offer Centralized SNMP management? Does the proposed system offer Web Based Management? Does the proposed system offer Management over the air? Does the proposed system offer Secure Management (SSH, HTTPS,)? Can management traffic be disabled on all interfaces?
RF Management Tools Does the proposed system offer an Integrated Spectrum Analyzer? Does the proposed system offer Auto Cell sizing? Does the proposed system offer Auto load balancing? Does the proposed system offer Auto channel selection?
Support for VoWi-Fi Is the proposed solution VIEW certified (Spectralink)?