Wireless & Zone Enclosures

Why will IEEE 802.11ac Change the Wireless Experience?

by Scott D. Thompson

PART II: Cabling and Wireless Installation Articles

Last year I wrote an article on IEEE 802.11ac compliant products -suggesting that products built to this standard would feature "wired like" speeds, data rates beyond 1 Gig, unprecedented user density, scalability in large venues, and better client battery life.

All this new capability is provided by larger swaths of bandwidth available in the 5 GHz band and sophisticated modulation and coding schemes enabled by advanced signal processing techniques. I described in that article that 802.11ac is being rolled out in two waves, actually referred to as Wave 1 and Wave 2. I also described that Wave 2 products will engage, for the first time, Multi-User Multiple Input-Multiple Output, or MU-MIMO, technology. MU-MIMO has the ability to significantly advance data throughput.

In this article I will discuss Wave 2 data rates in more detail, compared to Wave 1 and prior technologies, and implications on the wireline network. I will also attempt to make a forecast of requirements for planning cabled infrastructure into the next decade.

Model 1052-00 Ceiling Tile Enclosure - Multivendor WAP & External Antennas

This locking 2' x 2' suspended ceiling tile enclosure is designed for WAPs and DAS remote units with detachable antennas. The aesthetic, white powder-coated steel enclosure replaces a standard ceiling tile and simplifies WAP moves, adds, and changes.

Oberon Model 1052-00 with 4 Oberon ZDUAL Wi-Fi antennas mounted on the door

The 1052-00 has openings in the door to mount up to seven external antennas. Interchangeable retrofit doors allow current owners to upgrade to new WAP or antenna solutions from different vendors, simply by swapping doors (examples below).

Many wireless access point manufacturers recommend that the access point be mounted in a horizontal orientation to achieve best wireless coverage. Horizontal mounting may be difficult in hard lid and other environments where the access point is mounted on the wall.

Oberon Model 1008-00

Oberon, Inc., a leading manufacturer of wireless and zone enclosures, recently expanded its line of right-angle wall brackets in order to provide a variety of secure, aesthetic solutions for wall-mounting access points.

Oberon's line of right-angle brackets permit mounting of the access point in the preferred horizontal orientation in residence halls, conference halls, hotels, and other hard lid venues. Conduit, raceways, and cable can be terminated in the bracket to provide for a clean appearance. The access points can be locked in place using the access point manufacturer's locking features. Paintable vanity covers can be ordered with the right angle bracket to help to conceal the access point and antennas.