10 suggestions for deploying wireless access points

In recent years, wireless device manufacturers have always been committed to simplifying the deployment of Wireless Access Point devices, which will simplify the overall deployment project. However, users still need to pay attention to several specifications during actual deployment. This article describes the basic principles that should be followed when deploying wireless access points.

1. the access point should not be deployed near the metal structure.

When deploying wireless access points, you must note that the actual location of the deployment should not be subject to radio interference. Once there was such a case, the customer found that the wireless network could not work normally, and then consulted the relevant departments, after providing the specific location of the Access Point, technicians found that the user's access point device was located at the top of the steel girder under the metal roof. Therefore, the surrounding metal materials cause serious interference to radio signals. Finally, the existing problems are solved immediately by adjusting the access point location. Therefore, when deploying wireless access points, we should try to avoid deploying devices near the metal structure.

2. Select the Ethernet power supply mode as far as possible for the access device

To ensure the widest coverage of wireless networks, many companies prefer to deploy wireless access points on top of the ceiling or similar locations. This makes it difficult for the access point to connect to the power supply. There are two solutions to this problem: one is to use a power extension line and the other is to use an Ethernet power supply (PoE. We recommend that you use the second solution. You can use an unused Ethernet port to power the access point. For network devices, connecting the end of the network cable to a dedicated PoE module can avoid the trouble of using wires.

3. After deployment, You need to reset the Access Point password.

After the wireless access point is deployed, the first thing to do is to reset the internal password. Otherwise, anyone who uses the Internet to obtain the default password may directly access the Access Point configuration interface.

4. prevent overlapping DHCP scopes

In the past, a company purchased a Second Wireless Access Point to increase the coverage of wireless networks to a wider range. At the same time, a technician without practical experience is notified that the device must be set the same as other access points. As a result, both access points adopt the same DHCP scope configuration. Fortunately, the Access Point will view IP address conflicts on the network before the IP address lease is assigned. Otherwise, the direct consequence is that overlapping DHCP scopes within the coverage scope may cause a lot of trouble for end users.

5. Improve the security of wireless network connections

A major advantage of a wireless network is that users can access the network without physically connecting to the device. Therefore, it is necessary to encrypt the network. We recommend that you use a more secure approach. Do not trust all users connected to the wireless network. The correct way is to regard the wireless network as an Internet connection. Only users who have been verified by VPN or similar mechanisms can be allowed to access the entire network wirelessly.

6. Use the SSID with specific meanings

Many IT experts recommend that you Disable SSID broadcast for wireless access points. However, for hackers, even if the SSID is not broadcasted, it is easy to detect. To solve this problem, we recommend that you use the SSID name containing the specific meaning. The advantage of doing so is that users who connect to the wireless network for the first time can clearly determine whether they have connected to the correct network.

7. Make full use of the security functions of the device.

Currently, even low-end wireless access points are equipped with numerous security features. This allows the majority of wireless access points to allow administrators to restrict network access using MAC addresses. Some wireless access points also provide an alert mechanism to send alerts by email when users attempt to connect to the network repeatedly using the wrong password. Therefore, in actual deployment, it is necessary for users to fully understand the security functions provided by Wireless Access Point devices, in this way, the network can be effectively optimized through the security functions provided by the device.

8. provide backup power support for access point devices

The wireless network administrator must provide backup power (UPS) support for all wireless access points. Only in this way can the wireless network still run normally when the main power supply fails.

This is a very important issue. The first is to prevent accidents caused by major power failures. Second, the power supply should be restarted after a sudden shutdown for one or two seconds. For wireless connections, this situation is enough to cause network disconnection. In addition, battery-powered laptops or mobile devices are used by a large number of users to connect to wireless networks. These devices will not be affected by temporary power outages. Therefore, most wireless devices have the function of automatically reestablishing lost connections. In this case, if user identity authentication is added to the network settings, all users will be blocked from network resources before being re-authenticated. This will cause users who encounter such problems to call countless phone numbers for help, which puts a lot of pressure and trouble on network managers.

9. Adjust the signal strength as needed

Some Wireless Access Point devices allow users to adjust their signal strength through the network. Most users generally use the maximum signal strength for running, but considering that the requirements for wireless signal strength vary in different scenarios, for example, there may be no need for too much wireless coverage in the parking lot. Therefore, we need to carefully consider the coverage required by the wireless network, then adjust the actual signal strength.

10. Ensure comprehensive after-sales benefits

Finally, there is another common problem, that is, it takes some time to complete the warranty information for the newly purchased Wireless Access Point device. In particular, it is more necessary for newly deployed devices. We cannot rely solely on our previous experience. We believe that the quality of Wireless Access Point devices is very high. In six months to one year, it is difficult for anyone to protect these devices without any problems. Complete warranty information is the only way to protect your future product maintenance benefits.

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