3Com® AirProtect Planner User Guide 3CWXPGS Wireless LAN Planning for Security, Coverage and Performance Version 5.0 www.3Com.
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Table of Contents Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 BEFORE YOU BEGIN .......................................................................................................................................................1 HOW TO GET MORE INFORMATION ..................................................................................................................................1 CONTACT INFORMATION ....................................................................................................
Table of Contents 5.2 LAYOUT: ICONS ............................................................................................................................................................31 5.3 MANAGING OBJECTS WITHIN THE LAYOUT ..................................................................................................................33 5.3.1 Selecting Objects .......................................................................................................................................
Table of Contents 7.2.5 AP Redundancy View............................................................................................................................................74 7.2.6 AP SINR View .......................................................................................................................................................76 7.2.7 Sensor Coverage View..............................................................................................................................
Getting Started Chapter 1 1.1 Getting Started Before You Begin Thank you for purchasing 3Com ® AirProtect Planner (Planner), a state of the art Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) security and network planning tool developed by 3Com Corporation. 1.2 How to get more information To receive important news on product updates, please visit our website at www.3com.com. 1.
Introduction to WLAN Planning and Planner Chapter 2 Introduction to WLAN Planning and Planner Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) connect you instantly even while you are moving. They provide convenient and increasingly flexible productivity in today’s corporate and industrial environment. However, WLANs need to be properly planned for adequate coverage and security to get these benefits.
Introduction to WLAN Planning and Planner 2.3 Planner: A Complete WLAN Planning Solution Planner makes the task of WLAN planning simple. Its easy‐to‐use interface provides rich visibility into security exposure, RF coverage, channel allocation, and available link speed in WLANs. This ensures security, high reliability, and optimal configuration of WLANs.
Introduction to WLAN Planning and Planner • • ¾ Auto Device Placement ¾ Auto Channel Allocation Capacity Estimation Support of AutoCAD files for site modeling. 2.6 Working of Planner Perform the following steps for WLAN Planning using Planner: 1 Installing 2 Launching 3 Designing a Layout 4 Planning WLAN for security, coverage, and speed 5 Setting various protocols, filters, and advanced parameters for accurate RF views 6 Generating a BoM and reports 2.
Launching Planner Chapter 3 Launching Planner This chapter shows you how to launch Planner and use the new Planner file. 3.1 Global Functions Planner contains several common functions that apply throughout the application. They are as follows: 3.1.1 Dialogs The following functions apply to all dialog boxes in Planner. Depending on options available in a particular dialog box, you can: • Click to accept an action or save all the changes and close the dialog box.
Launching Planner Figure 2. • • • • 3.2.1 New Project Click to start a New Project File to create a new Wi‐Fi project. Select a file from the Recent Files section to view a recently used project. Click to select an existing project (.spm, .prj or .zip). Click to invoke the selected Wi‐Fi project. New Project File You can start a new project in Planner by doing one of the following: • From the File menu, select New Project.
Launching Planner Figure 4. • • Browsing for Folder Directory Name: Displays the path and the project file directory name. Location Map: Enter the location of the desired location map image or click to navigate to the folder containing the desired image. If you enter invalid data or select an invalid file, Planner displays an alert. The Planner outputs are: • Project file created and saved as an XML file with an extension ‘.prj’.
Launching Planner Figure 5. Project Layout The new Planner project layout screen is divided into three panes as follows: 1 Menu and Toolbars at the top: The Menu bar provides Planner operations. The Toolbar provides buttons for quick operations. The operations enable you to design and view the layout. Refer to the section Menu Items for more details. 2 Left pane consists of the Locations tree at the top and the Devices list below: The Locations tree contains location folders and location nodes.
Launching Planner Planner allows importing of the following information from an AutoCAD file. • Layout Dimensions • Layer Information Planner supports the following shapes of objects. All these shapes must be 2D.
Working with the Locations Tree and the Devices List Chapter 4 Working with the Locations Tree and the Devices List Planner enables you to model the enterprise across locations. It also enables you to place devices on a location to ensure optimum coverage. The Locations tree and the Devices list features appear on the left pane of the project layout screen. 4.1 Locations Tree The Locations tree enables you to organize the network into a list of locations and view live 802.
Working with the Locations Tree and the Devices List Figure 7. Adding a New Location Node The New Location Node dialog box constitutes details of the Location Node and two sections: Dimensions and Copying of Objects. Specify the following details of the Location Node: • Name: Enter the desired name for the new location node. • Plan Type: Specify if the plan type is an Indoor or Outdoor layout. • Location Map: Specify if the Location Map is a .jpg or .gif Image, or an AutoCAD file.
Working with the Locations Tree and the Devices List Figure 8. • • Managing Layers of an AutoCAD file Ceiling Height: Enter the desired ceiling height for the layout. Ceiling Material: Select the desired ceiling material for the layout from the drop‐down list. Note: Location Map – AutoCAD option, Ceiling Height, and Ceiling Material are available only if you select Indoor Layout as the Plan Type. They are not available for an Outdoor Layout.
Working with the Locations Tree and the Devices List Figure 9. Finding Layout Dimensions Click one point, then drag the mouse and click another point. The Dimension dialog box appears. Figure 10. • Dimensions Distance: Specify the distance between the two selected points on this map. The unit of measurement is the one mentioned in the New Location Node dialog box.
Working with the Locations Tree and the Devices List Once you are done and click , a Confirm dialog box to open the created location appears. Alternately, click to discard action. Cross Floor Location folder When you create a location folder with the Consider Cross Floor Spillage checkbox enabled, then information of all the nodes is bundled and stored in one single .spm file. By default, the name of the .spm file is the name of the first node that you create.
Working with the Locations Tree and the Devices List In the Manage Layers dialog box, some or all the layers are selected by default. This is because every AutoCAD file stores the status of the layers that are turned on or off based on the selected checkboxes of layers. • Layer Name: Select the checkbox against the layers you want. You can override the existing status of each layer by manually selecting them based on your requirement.
Working with the Locations Tree and the Devices List Figure 12. Loading a Location Node When you load a location attached to an AutoCAD file, the background has a blank image and you can draw all the objects on that, unlike in case of an image where the layout has the .jpg or .gif as the background image. When you click a location node attached to an image, Planner displays the image on the layout model pane. 4.1.5 Closing a Location Node You can close a location node in Planner.
Working with the Locations Tree and the Devices List Figure 13. Importing a Location Specify the path of the file or navigate to the file you wish to import into the location folder. Select the file type from the Files of type drop‐down list. • On importing a .prj file, the entire location hierarchy of that project is imported under the selected folder. On importing a .spm file, Planner creates a node under which the .spm file is imported. • • On importing a .
Working with the Locations Tree and the Devices List Figure 15. 2 Copying a location Right‐click the destination location folder onto which you want to paste the location selected in the above step. Select Paste. If the location where you are pasting the location folder or node already has a folder or node with the same name, Planner renames the copied objects incrementally with a suffix ‘01’, ‘02’, and so on.
Working with the Locations Tree and the Devices List 4 To go to a particular location placed on the image, do one of the following: • Click the green colored bullet representing the location. • Right‐click a green colored bullet representing the location, and select Locate Location. • Double‐click the green colored bullet. Figure 17. Placing Locations on a Location Folder You can also remove a location placed by right‐clicking a green colored bullet representing the location and selecting Delete.
Working with the Locations Tree and the Devices List Figure 18. Renaming a Location Folder Renaming a Location Node Use the following steps to rename a location node: 1 Select a location node from the Locations tree. 2 Do one of the following: • Click the location. The field becomes editable. Enter the new name of the location node. • Right‐click the location node and select Properties. The Location Node Properties dialog box appears which allows you to edit the name of the location node.
Working with the Locations Tree and the Devices List Note: In case of a location node, you will first have to Load the node. Otherwise, the Properties option is disabled. Figure 21. 2 Viewing Location Properties The Location Folder Properties or Location Node Properties dialog box appears. Edit the desired location properties. Figure 22.
Working with the Locations Tree and the Devices List Figure 23. 4.2 Viewing Location Node Properties Devices List The Devices list enables you to view all the devices that are placed on a particular location node. This list is populated only when the node is loaded. The devices are divided based on their type. You can modify the device properties by right‐clicking or double‐clicking the device. Note: Refer to the section Device Library to perform devices related operations.
Working with the Locations Tree and the Devices List Figure 24.
Menu and Toolbar Options Chapter 5 Menu and Toolbar Options This section describes in detail various menus and Toolbar options in Planner, to enable you to create a complete layout model. You can design the layout using various objects available in Planner. 5.1.1 Menu Items This section gives a complete description of the available menu options. Note: Advanced users can skip the menus section and directly refer to Layout Icons. File Menu Figure 25.
Menu and Toolbar Options Menu Item Name Description Keyboard Shortcut New Invokes the new Planner project file Ctrl+N Open Opens a dialog box to browse and select an existing project or .
Menu and Toolbar Options Menu Item Name Description Keyboard Shortcut Undo Reverses the last performed action Ctrl+Z Redo Cut Copy Paste Reverses the ‘Undo’ command and reperforms the action Removes the selected object from the layout to be pasted elsewhere Creates a copy of the selected object from the layout; selected objects remain on the layout Pastes the last cut or copied object at the designated location on the layout Delete Removes the selected object from the layout permanently Select Al
Menu and Toolbar Options Menu Item Name Description Keyboard Shortcut Zoom Mode Activates the zoom mode enabling you to zoom-in or zoom-out using the mouse scroll F10 Zoom In Zooms in by 10% at each step F11 Zoom Out Zooms out by 10% at each step F12 Reset Zoom Resets the zoom and displays the layout in the actual size (100%) Ctrl+0 Apply Pan Functions as a snap tool to move around in the layout Shift+F2 Reset Pan Resets the snap tool Ctrl+P Show Grid Shows the grid in the layout F7
Menu and Toolbar Options Menu Item Name Description Area Polygon Selects disjoint areas in a layout for showing RF maps; this is helpful in showing statistics of selected regions only Toolbar Button Hollow Rectangle Draws a hollow rectangle Solid Rectangle Draws a solid rectangle Hollow Angular Line Draws a hollow angular line Solid Angular Line Draws a solid angular line Arc Draws an arc Semi Oval Draws a semi oval Hollow Oval Draws a hollow oval Solid Oval Draws a solid oval Polygon
Menu and Toolbar Options Tools Menu Figure 31.
Menu and Toolbar Options Menu Item Name Description Keyboard Shortcut Lock Layout Model Locks all the objects on the layout model to avoid accidental movement of layout objects F6 AP Repository Sensor Repository Helps Add/View/Modify/Delete AP models Helps Add/View/Modify/Delete Sensor models Antenna Repository Radiation Pattern Repository Toolbar Button Helps Add/View/Modify/Delete antenna models Helps Add/View/Modify/Delete radiation patterns Helps Add/View/Modify/Delete materials in the reposi
Menu and Toolbar Options Figure 33. Planner: Activating/Updating License Use the following steps to activate/update the license: 1 Enter your First Name, Last Name, and Email Id. 2 Click to navigate to location of the license key provided by 3Com Corporation. 3 Click to confirm the license key. Alternately, click to discard the confirmation of the license key and close the dialog box. 5.
Menu and Toolbar Options Figure 34. Indoor Objects The following list describes the layout type and materials available. Layout Type Materials Brick Dry Concrete Marble Indoor Sheet Rock Concrete Column Wooden Glass Metal Building Outdoor Tree Hill Water Body After selecting the layout type, use the following steps to draw objects on the layout: 1 Select an Object Type and material type from the drop‐down list from the Toolbar. 2 The cursor changes to the cross hair icon .
Menu and Toolbar Options 3 Repeat the above two steps to place any number of objects on the layout. Recommended: Place the objects in such a way that the physical layout is well represented in the Layout with minimum number of objects. 5.3 Managing Objects within the Layout You can manage objects and their properties on the layout in Planner. 5.3.1 Selecting Objects To select an object, click on the Toolbar. To select more than one object, do one of the following: • Use the Control key.
Menu and Toolbar Options Figure 36. Viewing Layout object properties You can change the following parameters: • Material: Select the material type from the drop‐down list. • a: Specify the length of the object. • b: Specify the width of the object. • Angle: Specify the angle at which you want the object to be inclined. • Apply Rotation: Specify the rotation of the object. Click to apply the rotation incrementally to the object. 5.
Menu and Toolbar Options • • • Add: Click to add a new material to the list of materials in the Global Repository. The Material Properties dialog box appears. Refer to section Adding a Material for more information. View: Click to view material properties of a material in the factory default list. The Material Properties dialog box appears. However, the fields in this dialog box are disabled, and read‐only. Modify: Click to modify material properties of a material that you have defined.
Menu and Toolbar Options • • Delete: Click to delete a user‐defined material. Planner checks if you have used the material on the current layout. If you have used the material, Planner prompts you to delete those objects from the layout and then continue with the deletion of the material from the repository. A confirmation message appears asking if you want to delete the material. Import from Global Repository: Click to import materials from the Global Material Repository.
Menu and Toolbar Options • • • • • • Back Color: Background color for the new material. Click the color to choose the desired color from the Color dialog box. Fill Color: Fill color for the material. Click the color to choose the desired color from the Color dialog box. Border Color: Border color for the material. Click the color to choose the desired color from the Color dialog box. Fill Style: Select the fill type pattern from the drop‐down list.
Menu and Toolbar Options • • • Add an AP Modify an AP Delete an AP Add AP Click to add an AP and specify the AP properties. The Add Access Point dialog box allows you to select and define radio properties. Figure 42. AP Repository – Adding an AP Add AP Properties Description Manufacturer Enter the name of the manufacturer. Model Available Radio Enter the AP model. Select the radio from the drop-down list of available radios.
Menu and Toolbar Options Figure 43. Adding an AP – 802.11n Advance Parameters Define the desired 802.11n advance parameters. • MIMO configuration: Select the MIMO configuration from the drop‐down list • Channel width (MHz): Select the Channel width from the drop‐down list • Guard interval (ns): Select the Guard interval from the drop‐down list • Frame Aggregation: Select either AMSDU or AMPDU, or both checkboxes for frame aggregation.
Menu and Toolbar Options Figure 45. Tool Menu – Sensor Repository The Sensor Repository dialog box displays a list of available Sensors, their manufacturer, model, and number of radios. You can do the following: • Add a Sensor • Modify a Sensor • Delete a Sensor Add Sensor Click to add a Sensor and specify the Sensor properties. Figure 46.
Menu and Toolbar Options Add Sensor Properties Description Manufacturer Enter the name of the manufacturer. Model Available Radio Enter the Sensor model. Select the radio from the drop-down list of available radios. Click to add a new radio to the Sensor. This takes you to the Radio Properties section. Click to delete a radio. Add Radio Delete Radio Antenna Select the antenna type from the drop-down list. Click to select or add a new antenna. For details, refer to the Antenna Repository section.
Menu and Toolbar Options Figure 48. Tools Menu – Antenna Repository The Antenna Repository dialog box displays a list of available antennae, their manufacturer, model, radiation pattern and gain. You can do the following: • Add an antenna • Modify an antenna • Delete an antenna Add Antenna Click to add an antenna and specify the antenna properties. Figure 49. Antenna Repository – Adding an Antenna Add Antenna Properties Description Manufacturer Enter the name of the manufacturer.
Menu and Toolbar Options Figure 50. Antenna Repository – Modifying an Antenna The Modify Antenna dialog box is similar to the Add Antenna dialog box. Delete Antenna Click and confirm the deletion of the antenna. 5.5.4 Radiation Pattern Repository You can create custom defined radiation patterns where you can define the gain at each angle starting from 0° to 359°. Select Radiation Pattern Repository from the Tools menu. Figure 51.
Menu and Toolbar Options Add Radiation Pattern Click to add a Radiation Pattern and specify the antenna properties. Figure 52. Radiation Pattern Repository – Adding a Radiation Pattern Add Radiation Pattern Properties Description Name Enter the name of the radiation pattern. Start with Select the type of antenna to start with from the dropdown list. You can choose from None, Dipole, Yagi, Patch, or Parabolic. Max Gain The maximum gain controls pattern behavior.
Menu and Toolbar Options Figure 53. Radiation Pattern Repository – Modifying a Radiation Pattern The Modify Radiation Pattern dialog box is similar to the Add Radiation Pattern dialog box. Delete Radiation Pattern Click and confirm the deletion of a Radiation Pattern. 5.5.5 Application Environment Repository Planner provides a list of application environments, which lists environment settings. You can use these environments to design the layout.
Menu and Toolbar Options ¾ View an Application Environment Note: The Modify and Delete options are disabled in case of the Default Application Environment. • In case of a system or user‐defined application environment: ¾ Add an Application Environment ¾ Modify an Application Environment ¾ Delete an Application Environment When you use the Default application environment, you have to model the layout by drawing objects on the layout.
Menu and Toolbar Options Figure 56. Application Environment Repository – Modifying an Application Environment The Modify Application Environment dialog box is similar to the Add Application Environment dialog box. Deleting an Application Environment Click and confirm the deletion of the application environment. 5.5.6 Waterfall Curve Repository Planner provides a list of waterfall curves. You can use them to design the layout. You can also create custom defined waterfall curves.
Menu and Toolbar Options Waterfall Curve dialog box for 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g protocols is different from the 802.11a/n and 802.11b/g/n protocols. 802.11 (a, b, g): Figure 58. • • Waterfall Curve Repository – Adding a Waterfall Curve: 802.11 (a, b, g) Name: Enter the name of the waterfall curve. Select 802.11a protocol in the Waterfall Curve: Select the checkbox to select and enable edit access to values in the list for the 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.
Menu and Toolbar Options 802.11 (a/n, b/g/n): Figure 59. • • • Waterfall Curve Repository – Adding a Waterfall Curve: 802.11 (a/n, b/g/n) Name: Enter the name of the waterfall curve. Select 802.11a/n protocol in the Waterfall Curve: Select the checkbox to select and enable edit access to values in the list for the 802.11a/n or 802.11b/g/n protocols (from the respective tabs) in the Waterfall Curve. Channel Width (MHz): Select the channel width from the drop‐down list.
Menu and Toolbar Options Figure 60. Waterfall Curve Repository – Modifying a Waterfall Curve The Modify Waterfall Curve dialog box is similar to the Add Waterfall Curve dialog box. Deleting a Waterfall Curve Click and confirm the deletion of the waterfall curve. 5.5.7 Import Planner Settings The Import option allows you to import settings and preferences so that all workstations have the same set of environments and all the planning team members can work in synchronization.
Menu and Toolbar Options Figure 61. Tools Menu – Import Planner Settings You can do the following on the Import Planner Settings screen: • Click to navigate to the file you want to import. Following is the basic list of parameters that you can import. Select the appropriate fields.
Menu and Toolbar Options Figure 62. Tools Menu – Export Planner Settings Following is the basic list of parameters that you can export. Select the appropriate fields. • Settings ¾ Preferences: Layout Designer, AP Views, Sensor Views, and Color Palettes ¾ AP Defaults ¾ Sensor Defaults • AP Repository • Sensor Repository • Antenna Repository • Radiation Pattern Repository • Waterfall Curve Repository • Application Environment Repository Click to export selected options. 5.5.
Menu and Toolbar Options Figure 63. Changing Location Properties – Dimensions Tab Specify the following dimensions and properties: • Unit: Select the unit of measurement from the drop‐down list. • Length in ‘a’ direction: Specify the length to be used for all layouts in the plan. • Length in ‘b’ direction: Specify the width to be used for all layouts in the plan.
Menu and Toolbar Options Figure 64. Changing Location Properties – Calculations Tab Calculation Settings: • Spillage Factor: Specifies the size of the area as a multiplier of the actual layout area over which Planner will assess the WLAN signal spillage. For example, if you set the spillage factor to 2, the system will assess the signal strength over 2 times along each dimension of the layout.
Menu and Toolbar Options Figure 65. Changing Location Properties – Local Material Repository Tab 5.5.10 Renumber Devices Planner creates a default numbering label, namely 01, 02 …for the devices. For example, APs as AP01, AP02 …, while Sensors as Sensor01, Sensor02 …. If you delete a particular AP or Sensor, it can create a discontinuity. You can restore sequential numbering using the Renumber Devices option. Select Renumber Devices from the Tools menu. Figure 66.
WLAN Planning Wizard Chapter 6 WLAN Planning Wizard WLAN Planning Wizard is a feature in Planner that helps you plan the layout as per your requirements. The wizard helps you define objectives by seeking your inputs on Wi‐Fi network parameters. Planner uses these given parameters to make available number of APs required on a floor, assigning channels to them, and placing the same on the floor map. Go to ToolsÆWLAN Planning, or click on the Toolbar to open the wizard.
WLAN Planning Wizard Figure 68. WLAN Planning – Welcome Screen Click each step in the workflow to view the information pop‐up for that step. For example, if you click Select AP Model and configuration, an information pop‐up for selecting AP models and their configuration appears. Figure 69. Select AP Model and Configuration – I-Pop-up On the WLAN Planning Wizard screens: • Click to view more information about the current step of the wizard.
WLAN Planning Wizard Figure 70. • WLAN Planning – Device Selection Choose AP Model: Select the AP model from the drop‐down list. If the desired AP model does not exist in the device repository, click to exit the wizard and add the custom AP to the device repository by following steps in the Add AP section. Recommended: Choose a device with omni directional antenna, in order to get results that are more accurate for capacity calculations.
WLAN Planning Wizard Guard Interval (ns): Specify the desired guard interval. Frame Aggregation: Select either AMSDU or AMPDU, or both checkboxes for the desired frame aggregation. For more details on the advance parameters, refer to Appendix D: Glossary of Terms. • 3 Channel Allocation Strategy: Due to limited available frequency spectrum for 802.11 WLANs, dense AP deployment often requires spatial reuse of frequencies. The strategy you chose determines the set of available channels.
WLAN Planning Wizard on the floor can connect with atleast the specified data rate. Figure 73. • • WLAN Planning – Coverage Planning AP Model: Displays the AP Model. The AP Properties table displays the Active Protocol. Enter the following details: ¾ Minimum Data Rate (Mbps): Select the minimum data rate for the current active protocols from the drop‐down list. The list contains available and applicable data rates for the active protocol set for each radio in the Device Selection step.
WLAN Planning Wizard specifications. It also gives you the number of APs, as estimated by Planner to suit your requirements of coverage. Capacity Planning If you have selected Capacity Planning in the previous step of the wizard, the WLAN Planning Wizard: Capacity Planning – Parameters screen appears. Capacity of an AP refers to the maximum achievable throughput of that AP. Several factors such as number of active users, type of applications, RF interference and so on affect the capacity of an AP.
WLAN Planning Wizard Figure 76. Capacity Planning – Advance Parameters Specify the factors you would like to consider for WLAN capacity planning. These are ‘What‐If’ scenarios. • Select the effects on AP capacity: ¾ 802.11 medium access anomaly: Select to consider the proportion of active users at various data rates. ¾ 802.11 medium access contention: Select to consider bandwidth contention determined by the total number of active users per AP and the amount of uplink traffic. ¾ 802.
WLAN Planning Wizard Figure 77. Capacity Planning Summary The Capacity Planning Summary screen gives you a summary of the capacity‐focused plan as per your requirements and specifications, results of the ‘What‐If Scenario Analysis’, and the number of APs, as estimated by Planner to suit the user and application requirements of capacity. Planner also gives you its analysis of feasibility of capacity planning as ‘Passed!’ or ‘Failed!’, with the given settings.
WLAN Planning Wizard Figure 79. • Capacity Planning Summary – Passed? (Orange) If the Capacity Feasibility Check is ‘Failed!’, Planner also gives the potential reason for the failure. Figure 80. Capacity Planning Summary – Failed! Click to view the reason for failure. The ‘What‐If Scenario Analysis’ is useful to understand the reason for failure.
WLAN Planning Wizard • Whether there are any Area Polygons defined. ¾ If an Area Polygon is defined, Planner tries to place the calculated number of devices within the Area Polygon. ¾ If there are no Area Polygons defined, Planner places the devices on the layout at the calculated locations.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Chapter 7 Device Placement on the Layout Model Device placement enables you to: • Plan the location of Sensors and APs on the layout model • Create ‘What‐If’ scenarios • Generate RF views to get visibility into the security exposure and RF coverage • Use various filters to get most relevant views 7.1 Planning Device Placement Planning Device Placement is divided into: • RF View Area • Status and Control Pane 7.1.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Coverage View Channel View Access Point Views Link Speed View Interference View Redundancy View SINR View Sensor Views Coverage View Threat View Calibration View Redundancy View Calibration Note: Whenever you shift from one tab of the RF view to another, Planner displays an Information message describing that tab. 7.1.2 Status and Control Pane The Status and Control pane is divided into two.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 83. AP Coverage View: Indoor Layout Figure 84.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Color Palette Customization: Double‐click the Color Index in the Status bar. This opens the Color dialog box where you can customize the colors. Note: You can customize the Color Palette in all the other views too. Figure 85. 7.2.2 Planning Device Placement: Customize Color Dialog Box AP Channel View This view displays the channel distribution over the current layout.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 86. AP Channel View: Indoor Layout Figure 87.
Device Placement on the Layout Model 7.2.3 AP Link Speed View This view helps you plan for available downlink connectivity speeds and the choice of wireless Clients that should be used at various locations on the layout. It displays the maximum downlink data rate that a wireless Client can expect from a connection. It shows the 802.11 downlink connection speed available at each point on the layout. This view also helps you plan for minimum link speed at all locations on the current layout.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 89. 7.2.4 AP Link Speed View: Outdoor Layout AP Interference View This view displays the level of 802.11 channel interference at various locations on the plan. The interference is based on the signal strength of different APs, operating on the same channel, at that location. This view helps you plan for minimum interference to provide better network connectivity and better throughput for higher end user satisfaction.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 90. Interference View: Selecting Channels Figure 91.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 92. 7.2.5 AP Interference View: Outdoor Layout AP Redundancy View This view displays the area on the layout covered by a set of AP radios. It is useful in planning for improved network availability in case of device breakdown, AP malfunction, capacity planning, and planned outages. Each AP Redundancy value is mapped to a color code. You can set the values using the color palette given at the bottom of the AP Redundancy View.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 93. AP Redundancy View: Indoor Layout Figure 94.
Device Placement on the Layout Model 7.2.6 AP SINR View This view displays the signal‐to‐interference‐and‐noise ratio (SINR) values at different areas on the layout. SINR is the ratio of the received signal to the amount of interference and ambient noise at a given location on the layout. SINR determines the maximum date rate or the link speed feasible at a given point on the layout. If SINR is poor, see the AP Interference View to determine if the amount of interference is the limiting factor.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 96. 7.2.7 AP SINR View: Outdoor Layout Sensor Coverage View This view helps plan the placement of Sensors. It displays the zone of visibility for each Sensor. Sensors can cover 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11a/n, and 802.11b/g/n protocols. Sensors are placed on the layout such that they can detect WLAN activity at each point on the layout and its perimeter and can prevent unauthorized activity.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 97. Sensor Coverage View: Indoor Layout Figure 98.
Device Placement on the Layout Model 7.2.8 Sensor Threat View This view displays the area beyond the detection and prevention ranges of the Sensors. It shows the areas with security lapses, which may be subjected to different kinds of threats and attacks. This view enables you to identify the type of threat depending on the type of device: AP, Sensor, and Client. The risk/safety levels are color‐coded. It helps you identify the number of Sensors needed to adequately cover the layout against threats.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 100. 7.2.9 Sensor Threat View: Outdoor Layout Sensor Redundancy View This view displays the area covered by a set of Sensors. It is useful in planning for improved security cover in case of Sensor breakdown, malfunction, planned outages, and for location tracking by 3Com ® AirProtect Enterprise. You can set the Redundancy value using the slider bar at the bottom of the screen. Recommended: Use a Sensor redundancy of three for location tracking.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 101. Sensor Redundancy View: Indoor Layout Figure 102.
Device Placement on the Layout Model 7.2.10 Calibration View This view displays a predefined set of points where you need to collect signal strength. These predefined set of points are called system generated points and the placement of these points depends on various factors like location of floor objects, their material type, and so on. This view helps you fine tune the current predictions closer to real life values. For this, Planner needs to collect signal strength values at various places.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 104. Visible AP Info List Select the desired AP’s signal strength and click . This creates a user‐defined point. After taking readings at all points, click . Planner will calculate the signal loss due to objects and other factors based on the measured signal strength. This process completes the loop of starting with RF prediction and using the actual measured signal strength to fine tune the RF prediction.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 107. 7.3.2 Status and Control Pane: Signal Certainty Level I-Pop-up Accuracy The Accuracy tab on the Toolbar allows you to set four levels of accuracy for RF computations with 1 being the lowest (default) and 4 being the highest. Computation time for creating RF maps increases with the accuracy level. 7.3.3 Opacity The Opacity option helps you view the floor model and coverage together. Select the Opacity value from the drop‐down list.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 108. Spillage View Note: The Spillage View option is available only in the AP Coverage View, Sensor Coverage View, and Sensor Threat View. 7.3.8 Selecting Protocols Planner allows you to select protocols. You can try various ‘What‐If’ scenarios using combinations of protocols and WLAN devices. You can select the following: • 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11a/n, or 802.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 109. Filters In the above figure, Show Coverage For Devices has the following options: • On Current Layout 1. Shows devices placed on the current layout 2. Displays coverage only for those devices placed on the current layout • On Layout Above 1. Shows devices placed on the layout above the current layout 2. Displays coverage only for those devices placed on the layout above the current layout • On Layout Below 1.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 110. 7.4 Status and Control Pane: Color Palette Status Bar The Status Bar appears at the extreme bottom of the screen. The Status Bar is divided into five sections. • Cursor Location • RSSI Display • Layout Dimensions • Current Mode • Interference • SINR 7.4.1 Cursor Location (X, Y) Cursor Location displays the location coordinates with respect to the top left corner of the layout. Figure 111. 7.4.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 116. 7.5 Click Status and Control Pane: SINR Device Library on the Toolbar to invoke the Device Library dialog box. The Device Library dialog box displays the available APs and Sensors. It has two tabs: Access Points and Sensors. You can directly drag and drop the devices from this list at an appropriate place on the floor map. Figure 117.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 118. Device Library: Display Coverage Area of the Device Once you place the devices on the layout, they do not appear in the list. These devices appear in the Devices Tree on the left pane of the screen. You can change the location of a device by dragging the device to the new location. 7.6 Device Properties You can change the device properties of APs and Sensors used to plan the layout. 7.6.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 119. Access Point Properties You can set the following AP parameters. • Name: Enter a unique name by which the AP is identified. • Model: Select an AP Model from the drop‐down list of commercially available AP models. Planner enables, disables, or changes the other properties in this dialog box based on the selected AP model. • Ethernet MAC: Enter the Ethernet MAC Address of the AP. • Select Radio: Select the radio from the drop‐down list.
Device Placement on the Layout Model ¾ ¾ ¾ Waterfall Curve: Select a waterfall curve from the drop‐down list of available waterfall curves for the selected protocol. Power (mW): Select a power level from the supported power values at which the AP will operate for each selected protocol. You must keep the default values, which are based on the maximum transmit power for the protocol as permitted by the regulatory agencies in the countries for which you are doing the WLAN planning.
Device Placement on the Layout Model ¾ ¾ MAC Address: Enter the MAC Address of the Radio. Antenna: Select an antenna from the drop‐down list. Click to view additional details of the antenna. The Select Antenna dialog box appears which helps you add or select the antenna in a better manner, from the list of available antennae. It is a good practice to keep the Sensor antennae to be dipole or omni‐directional, which enables the Sensor to detect and prevent attacks from any direction.
Device Placement on the Layout Model If you choose a specific area with the Area Polygon option, you can view statistics for different regions such as: • All Defined Area • Only Selected Area • Area Not Covered By Defined Area • Complete Layout Figure 122. Statistics: Area – Signal Distribution Figure 123.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 124. Statistics: Area – Channel Interference Distribution Figure 125. Statistics: Area - Sensor Detection Note: To view the Statistics for Sensor Prevention, ensure that you have selected the Show Prevention checkbox in the Sensor Coverage View.
Device Placement on the Layout Model Figure 126. Statistics: Area - Sensor Prevention Figure 127. Statistics: Area - Sensor Redundancy 7.9 Saving the File After you have planned the entire network, you must save the file. If you have not saved the file, Planner prompts you to save the file, under the following circumstances: • Open another file. • Create a new file. • Save as a different file. • Generate a Report. • Exit Planner. 7.
Device Placement on the Layout Model • • • • • Open another project. Create a new project. Save as a different project. Export the whole project for import into 3Com ® AirProtect Enterprise or any other system running Planner. Exit Planner.
Settings Chapter 8 8.1 Settings Settings: Invoking from Tools Menu Figure 128. Settings: Invoking from Tools Menu The Settings window contains the following: • Preferences • AP Defaults • Sensor Defaults 8.2 Settings: Preferences Go to SettingsÆPreferences, the Preferences screen opens in the Layout Designer tab. Figure 129. 8.2.1 Preferences – Layout Designer Preferences: Layout Designer The Layout Designer allows you to perform the following functions on the Layout Designer.
Settings • • • 8.2.2 Tolerance: Specify the tolerance in the range of 1 to 20. For example, if you click the mouse 20 pixels away from the declared tolerance value, the cursor will select the device. Angular Line Settings: Default Width: Specify the desired width to draw all angular lines. Hollow Object Settings: Default Thickness: Specify the desired thickness to draw all hollow objects. Preferences: AP Views Go to SettingsÆPreferencesÆAP Views, the AP Views tab appears. Figure 130.
Settings Figure 131. Preferences – Sensor Views The prevention and detection thresholds are different for different protocols. The above screen enables you to set the prevention and detection threshold values for these protocols. • Sensor View Settings ¾ Protocol: Select a protocol from the drop‐down list. ¾ The right pane of the screen displays the detection and prevention fields for the selected protocol.
Settings Figure 133. • • 8.3 Preferences – Calibration Create System Defined Calibration Points: Select the checkbox to create system defined calibration points. This enables you to specify the pairs of points for calibration. Planner creates these points around a material when you are in the Calibration View. These points are represented by the icon. Specify Number of Pairs: Specify the number of pairs of calibration points. The default value is 4 pairs.
Settings Figure 134. Settings – AP Defaults Define settings for the following AP parameters. • AP Prefix: Specify the text to prefix to an AP when APs are numbered. • Model: Select an AP model from the drop‐down list of commercially available AP models. Planner enables, disables, or changes the other properties in this dialog box based on the selected AP model. • Select Radio: Select the radio from the drop‐down list. • Radio Properties ¾ SSID: Enter the SSID of the AP’s radio.
Settings ¾ ¾ Power (mW): Select a power level from the supported power values at which the AP will operate for each selected protocol. You must keep the default values, which are based on the maximum transmit power for the protocol as permitted by the regulatory agencies in the countries for which you are doing the WLAN planning. Refer to Appendix D: Glossary of Terms for more details on regulatory domain compliance. Click to set advance 802.11n parameters.
Settings ¾ ¾ ¾ Power (mW): Select a power level from the supported power values at which the Sensor operates for each selected protocol. You must keep the default values, which are based on the maximum transmit power for the protocol as permitted by the regulatory agencies in the countries for which you are doing the WLAN planning (Example: FCC in the United States). Refer to Appendix D: Glossary of Terms for more details on regulatory domain compliance.
Generating Output from Planner Chapter 9 Generating Output from Planner Planner generates a comprehensive report giving the architect’s drawings, BoM for WLAN devices, information about APs’ and Sensors’ configuration, original layouts, and all the security exposure and network coverage RF views generated during planning. It also replays customer input as a ready reference. The report is configurable where by you can select any of the above for inclusion in the report.
Generating Output from Planner Figure 137. Generating a Report Enter the details to generate the report. • Work Order Number: Enter the work order number. • Customer Name: Enter the name of the customer for whom you are generating the report. • Click to change the report details. The Report Details dialog box appears. Figure 138.
Generating Output from Planner You cannot edit the Work Order Number and Customer Name fields from this screen.
Appendix A: Planning Sensors Appendix A: Planning Sensors In addition to Planner, 3Com Corporation also has a complementary product called 3Com ® AirProtect Enterprise. 3Com ® AirProtect Enterprise monitors and protects the corporate network that includes both wired and wireless devices. 3Com ® AirProtect Enterprise consists of two main components—3Com ® AirProtect Enterprise Server and 3Com ® AirProtect Enterprise Sensors (Sensors).
Appendix B: Integration of 3Com ® AirProtect Planner and 3Com ® AirProtect Enterprise Appendix B: Integration of 3Com ® AirProtect Planner and 3Com ® AirProtect Enterprise 3Com ® AirProtect Enterprise monitors and protects the corporate network that includes both wired and wireless devices on a 24x7 basis. Two key features of 3Com ® AirProtect Enterprise are: • Live RF Views: Enables you to take live RSSI readings from the Sensors to show live RF coverage maps for any layout.
Appendix B: Integration of 3Com ® AirProtect Planner and 3Com ® AirProtect Enterprise Figure 141. Export Options The Export dialog box contains the Export Options. This enables you to select the files and preferences you wish to export. • Preferences: Select the checkbox to export the project with all the preferences.
Appendix C: File Level and Application Level Parameters Appendix C: File Level and Application Level Parameters The following section presents an overview of the File level and the Application level parameters. Table 1 File Level Parameters File Level Parameters Data Type Default Value Minimum Maximum Accuracy Integer 1 1 4 RSSI Calibration Spillage Factor Integer Positive Integer -10 dB 2 -40 dB 2 40 dB 3 Min Attenuation Factor Max Attenuation Factor Real Real 2 2 1.6 1.
Appendix D: Glossary of Terms Appendix D: Glossary of Terms This section provides a quick reference to wireless networking and Planner related terms and abbreviations used in this guide. Table 3 Glossary of Terms Term Definition Description 802.11 802 Series LANs The IEEE 802.11 is a standard for WLANs. This standard is continuously developed to provide better and higher transmission rates. AP Access Point BoM Bill of Material An AP is an interface between wireless and wired networks.
Appendix D: Glossary of Terms size of a unit determines the granularity of the RF computations and computational time. Smaller the size of the unit, higher is the granularity. However, this requires more time for WLAN signal computations. Higher granularity also increases the amount of data generated. The dimension of each unit is called ‘Factor’. A Factor of four means that the plan is divided into 4x4 feet or 4x4 meters as per the measurement unit in use.
Appendix D: Glossary of Terms 802.11b supports bandwidth up to 11 Mbps. 802.11b uses the same radio signaling frequency – 2.4 GHz, as the original 802.11 standard. Being an unregulated frequency, 802.11b gear can incur interference from microwave ovens, cordless phones, and other appliances using the same 2.4 GHz range. However, you can easily avoid interference by installing 802.11b gear at a reasonable distance from other appliances.
Appendix D: Glossary of Terms MCS Modulation and Coding Schemes IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 defines 77 MCS based on the modulation technique, coding rate, number of spatial streams, channel width, and guard interval. The mandatory settings of 20 MHz channel width, 800 ns guard interval, and up to two spatial streams gives a total of 16 mandatory schemes (MCS 0 to 15). Frame aggregation Frame aggregation is introduced in IEEE 802.11n for improving the protocol efficiency.
