User's Manual

Deployment Guide 9
Chapter 1 Preparing for a WLAN Deployment
To ensure a smooth WLAN deployment, you need to begin with a bit of planning. A straightforward review of your
deployment plan before you begin will result in optimal results more quickly. The goals of this chapter are to assist
you in assessing your readiness for WLAN implementation and to provide tips and tricks to resolve any issues that
might arise in your environment. The chapter covers the following topics:
• "Assessing Your Requirements" on page 10
• "Planning" on page 10
• "Upgrading from Existing Wi-Fi" on page 10
• "New WLAN Deployment" on page 11
• "Site Surveys" on page 12
• "Budgeting Wi-Fi: The Chicken and Egg Problem" on page 13
• "Bandwidth Assumptions for Wi-Fi" on page 14
• "Overcoming Physical Impediments" on page 15
• "Operational Considerations" on page 18
• "Preparing the Wired Network for Wireless" on page 17
• "Deploying with Confidence" on page 18
Although this guide assumes an understanding of corporate data networking, previous experience with LAN
configuration and deployment, and some basic Wi-Fi understanding, the chapter concludes with a section that
provides additional support for the preceding sections: "Basic Wi-Fi Concepts" on page 19.
Note: This guide assumes an understanding of corporate data networking and past experience with LAN
configuration and deployment. It also assumes some basic Wi-Fi understanding.