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802.11ac WLAN Radio Network Planning

wlan 802.11ac radio network network planning channel allocation

This page delves into 802.11ac radio network planning. We’ll explore 802.11ac radio channels, radio network architecture, network tuning and optimization, and applications.

Introduction

IEEE 802.11ac is known as WiFi 5 standard. It operates in the 5 GHz radio frequency spectrum. It introduces several advancements over its predecessor (i.e. 802.11n wifi4) such as higher throughput, improved efficiency etc.

802.11ac radio channels

  • The available channels depend on the channel bandwidth in use: 20MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz and 160 MHz.
  • Supports channel bonding, it combines adjacent 20 MHz channels to form wider channels to enhance data rates.
  • Employs 256 QAM to increase the amount of data transmitted per signal.
  • Supports up to 8 streams with multi-user MIMO capabilities to allow simultaneous data transmission to multiple devices.

For 20MHz bandwidth, there are 22 channels. The following table outlines the channel map for 802.11ac.

11ac US channel frequency allocations

WiFi 5 radio network architecture

802.11ac network architecture consists of several components such as AP, Clients, network controllers and backhaul connectivity.

  1. Access Points (APs): It functions as central node which manages wireless communication with clients. ​
  2. Client Devices: Include laptops, smartphones and other Wi-Fi enabled devices that connect to the network (i.e. AP).
  3. Backhaul Connectivity: It enables APs to link with broader network infrastructure. This connectivity is wifi or Ethernet.
  4. Network Controllers: These are optional devices which provide centralized management of multiple APs. These devices facilitate various tasks such as load balancing, security enforcement etc.

Network optimization

  • The wifi 5 network selects channels such that it minimizes interference from neighboring networks.
  • APs adjust power levels such that it ensures adequate coverage without introducing any interference.
  • Clients are mapped to multiple APs suitably to prevent overloading of single AP.
  • Using QoS, it prioritizes traffic types as per applications.
  • Regular AP firmware updates are essential to improve performance and handling of security patches.

Applications

802.11ac (wi-fi 5) are used for various applications as mentioned below to deliver higher data rates and lower latency.

  • Online games
  • High definition video streaming
  • Public wifi hotspots
  • Smart homes
  • Enterprise environments

Summary

802.11ac has introduced wider channel bandwidth (160 MHz), higher modulation (256QAM) and MU-MIMO to offer higher speeds, improved efficiency and support for modern applications.