Optimized Wireless LAN Plan An AirTight Service For Sample Customer The Global Leader in Wireless Vulnerability Management AirTight Networks 339 N. Bernardo Avenue #200 Mountain View, CA 94043 www.airtightnetworks.com Phone: 650-961-1111 Fax: 650-961-1169 JULY 22 2008
Optimized WLAN Plan Report TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION... 3 RF INFORMATION INDOOR_DEMO1...4 1. WORK ORDER...4 2. WLAN COVERAGE MAP...5 WLAN coverage for 802.11 a:...6 WLAN coverage for 802.11 b:...7 3. AP COVERAGE REDUNDANCY MAP...7 AP Coverage Redundancy for 802.11 a:...8 AP Coverage Redundancy for 802.11 b:...8 4. CHANNEL ALLOCATION MAP...9 Channel Allocation for 802.11 a:...9 Channel Allocation for 802.11 b:...10 5. CHANNEL INTERFERENCE MAP...10 Channel Interference for 802.11 a:...11 Channel Interference for 802.11 b:...12 6. LINK SPEED MAP...12 Link Speed for 802.11 a:...13 Link Speed for 802.11 b:...14 7. SECURITY EXPOSURE MAP...14 8. SENSOR COVERAGE MAP...15 Sensor Coverage for 802.11 a:...16 Sensor Coverage for 802.11 b:...16 9. SENSOR REDUNDANCY MAP...17 Sensor Redundancy for 802.11 a:...17 Sensor Redundancy for 802.11 b:...17 10. SENSOR EXTERNAL MAP...18 SUMMARY... 18 Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 2 of 19
Introduction This report is customized for the Sample Customer for Wireless LAN (WLAN) planning. The report presents two types of WLAN maps as follows: 1. WLAN network coverage: signal coverage, Access Point (AP) redundancy, channel allocation, channel interference and link speed. 2. Security coverage: AP signal spillage beyond the site perimeter, Sensor coverage represented by Sensor detection range, Sensor prevention range, and Sensor coverage beyond the site perimeter also called Sensor external coverage. To use this report effectively, read the following descriptions. 1. Work Order: This section describes details of the AP installation. Install the APs specified in the work order at the specified location and settings. This creates a network RF profile that matches the maps described in this report. 2. WLAN Coverage Map: This map shows the WLAN Coverage in dbm at each point on the layout. This information is useful to find out available signal strength at each point. Color coding shows the signal strength at each location. It is important to ensure coverage at each point on the layout. 3. AP Coverage Redundancy Map: This map shows whether the desired AP Redundancy level is achieved at a location on the layout. In a redundant network, if an AP goes down then the Clients associated with that AP can connect to another AP. With higher redundancy you can improve the accuracy and efficiency of advanced SpectraGuard Enterprise (SGE) features like Location Tracking. 4. Channel Allocation Map: This map shows the allocation of channels for various APs. When a Client is present at a particular location on this layout, this view shows which AP the Client is likely to associate with. For a well planned site the adjacent zones should have distinct colors implying that nearby APs are using non overlapping channels. 5. Channel Interference Map: This map shows the level of co channel interference between the deployed APs. It helps you to plan for lesser interference, which leads to better network throughput and performance. 6. Link Speed Map: This map shows the expected connectivity speed of a Client device at each point on the layout. This map is used to plan the placement of devices at various locations depending on their need for speed. 7. Security Exposure Map: This map shows the level of signal spillage outside the designated WLAN deployment area. Higher signal spillage indicates a higher security exposure. With higher spillage, a hacker Client device sitting far away from the building can connect into the network. 8. Sensor Coverage Map*: This map shows the regions where Sensors can reliably detect and prevent any 802.11 activity. It helps you plan for proper monitoring of your 802.11 airspace as shown by the Detection region. Prevention region displays the area in which SGE can effectively block unwanted APs or Clients. 9. Sensor Redundancy Map : This map shows whether the desired Sensor Redundancy level is achieved at a location. With higher redundancy you can improve the accuracy and efficiency of advanced SGE features like Location Tracking. 10. Sensor External Map: This map shows the level of Sensor coverage outside the designated WLAN deployment area. Maps and Statistics appear only if you have planned for Sensors in your deployment. Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 3 of 19
Note: A live RF environment is dependent on a variety of factors that may change. These changes affect network reliability and performance. The RF signal can fluctuate with time. Therefore, your readings may not perfectly match the above coverage maps. RF Information Indoor_Demo1 1. Work Order Install APs and Sensors in your deployment as per the following work order. The plan output assumes a ceiling mount for APs and Sensors. Certain areas of the layout are marked as Ignore areas. These areas are marked with Striped rectangles. These areas are chosen based on special customer request or on general guidelines for ignoring areas such as elevators and restrooms. Table 1 List of Devices Layout Name Device ID Vendor Model Location From NW corner Number of Radios Indoor_Demo1 Sensor01 AirTight SE125 53 ft E, 80 ft S 2 Indoor_Demo1 Sensor02 AirTight SE125 125 ft E, 31 ft S 2 Indoor_Demo1 Sensor03 AirTight SE125 182 ft E, 85 ft S 2 Indoor_Demo1 AP01 Generic ABG 77 ft E, 65 ft S 2 Indoor_Demo1 AP02 Generic ABG 181 ft E, 75 ft S 2 Table 2 Device Details Device ID MAC Address Operating Protocol Channel Transmit Power (mw) Antenna AP01 a 36 50 Generic_2.2dBi/Dipole AP01 b 1 100 Generic_2.2dBi/Dipole AP02 a 161 50 Generic_2.2dBi/Dipole AP02 b 11 100 Generic_2.2dBi/Dipole Sensor01 a NA 25 Generic_2.2dBi/Dipole Sensor01 b NA 100 Generic_2.2dBi/Dipole Sensor02 a NA 25 Generic_2.2dBi/Dipole Sensor02 b NA 100 Generic_2.2dBi/Dipole Sensor03 a NA 25 Generic_2.2dBi/Dipole Sensor03 b NA 100 Generic_2.2dBi/Dipole Indoor_Demo1: AP Location Map Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 4 of 19
Sensor Location Map 2. WLAN Coverage Map The maps shown below describe the WLAN Coverage in dbm at each point on the layout. A separate coverage map is drawn for each 802.11 protocol. This information is useful to find out available signal strength at each point. The color coding shows signal strength at each location. Default SpectraGuard Planner (Planner) color settings use darker colors and/or shades for higher signal strength meaning better coverage. Standard office data applications require minimum signal strength of 75 dbm. A minimum signal strength of 65 dbm is often used for voice applications. Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 5 of 19
WLAN coverage for 802.11 a: Signal Distribution Percentage Area 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 8.02% 35.12% > -55 dbm-55 to -70 (Excellent) dbm (Very Good) 21.99% 34.87% -70 to -80 < -80 dbm dbm (Poor) (Good) Signal Strength Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 6 of 19
WLAN coverage for 802.11 b: Signal Distribution 60 50.68% Percentage Area 50 40 30 20 10 28.66% 15.47% 5.19% 0 > -55 dbm (Excellent) -55 to -70 dbm (Very Good) -70 to -80 dbm (Good) Signal Strength < -80 dbm (Poor) Planner computes the radio signal distribution assuming no losses except for the layout material losses and propagation losses. In reality, RF signal distribution is also dependent upon other site specific factors such as site geometry and human density. The RSSI Calibration factor in Planner accounts for these losses. However, a live RF environment is dynamic and hence the observed signal strength may differ from the signal predicted by Planner due to these factors. 3. AP Coverage Redundancy Map The maps below show the AP Redundancy at each point on the layout. In a redundant network, if an AP goes down then the Clients associated with that AP can connect to another AP. A separate map is shown Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 7 of 19
for each 802.11 protocol. This map is used to ensure the desired AP Redundancy at different locations on the layout. The colored areas represent the regions where a particular AP Redundancy is achieved. However, rapid fluctuations do happen in RF environments. Hence, observed redundancy at some locations might be different from the predicted one. AP Coverage Redundancy for 802.11 a: AP Coverage Redundancy for 802.11 b: Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 8 of 19
4. Channel Allocation Map This map shows the allocation of channels for various APs. This map is important to decide the allocation of channels to minimize the channel interference. When a Client is present at a particular location on this layout, this view will show which AP the Client is likely to associate with. Each channel is encoded in a different color. Channel Allocation for 802.11 a: Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 9 of 19
Channel Allocation for 802.11 b: 5. Channel Interference Map The maps below show the level of co channel interference at each point on the layout. A separate map is shown for each 802.11 protocol. This map is used to decide channel allocation for various APs to minimize the interference amongst them, which in turn leads to better network performance and throughput. The areas highlighted by different colors represent the level of co channel interference in that area. This is a value computed using proprietary algorithms. However, given the site specific and dynamic nature of RF signals, the observed level of interference at a location may differ from the predicted one. Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 10 of 19
Channel Interference for 802.11 a: Channel Interference Distribution 100% 100 Percentage Area 80 60 40 20 0 No Channel Interference Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 11 of 19
Channel Interference for 802.11 b: Percentage Area 100 80 60 40 20 0 Channel Interference Distribution 97% 3% No Negligible Channel Interference 6. Link Speed Map The maps below show the expected connectivity speed of a Client device at each point on the layout. A separate map is shown for each 802.11 protocol. This map is used to plan the placement of devices at various locations depending on their need for speed. The areas highlighted by different colors represent the connection speeds of the Clients connecting from that area. This map shows the most probable speed at which the Client connects to the AP from a location. However, given the transient nature of RF signals, observed link speeds may differ from those predicted below. Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 12 of 19
Link Speed for 802.11 a: Percentage Area 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Link Speed Distribution 38.6% 21.8% 18.3% 2% 54 Mbps 48 Mbps 24 Mbps 11 Mbps Link Speed Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 13 of 19
Link Speed for 802.11 b: 99.5% Link Speed Distribution Percentage Area 100 80 60 40 20 0 0.1% 11 Mbps 1 Mbps Link Speed 7. Security Exposure Map This map shows the level of signal spillage outside the layout perimeter. It is assumed that the layout perimeter constitutes the physical boundary of the layout and any signal outside the perimeter is a security risk. Higher spillage indicates a higher security exposure, in that the network inside the perimeter can be tapped by hackers sitting far away from the site perimeter. Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 14 of 19
WLAN attacks can be launched from anywhere in the spillage area. These vulnerabilities exist even if you do not have WLAN, as rogue APs and Clients devices such as laptops, PDAs and phones have built in Wi Fi these days. This can seriously compromise your entire wired network even though you have not deployed any of your own APs. Protection against WLAN based network attacks is necessary to enforce your wired network security policy and protect your investment in the security infrastructure. 8. Sensor Coverage Map The maps show the detection and prevention regions of Sensors. These maps help you to visualize the areas that the deployed Sensors can reliably monitor, and areas where these Sensors can reliably prevent any unauthorized WLAN activity. The areas under detection and prevention range are marked with different colors as per the default legend in the image. These maps are based on certain assumptions about the RF environment. Here too, as in case of APs, observed detection and prevention regions may differ from predicted ones due to site specific and dynamic nature of the RF environment. Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 15 of 19
Sensor Coverage for 802.11 a: Sensor Coverage for 802.11 b: Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 16 of 19
9. Sensor Redundancy Map The maps below show the Sensor Redundancy at each point on the layout. A separate map is shown for each 802.11 protocol. This map is used to ensure the desired Sensor Redundancy at different locations on the layout. The colored areas represent the regions where a particular Sensor Redundancy is achieved. However, rapid fluctuations occur in RF environments. Hence, the observed redundancy at some locations might be different from the predicted one. Sensor Redundancy for 802.11 a: Sensor Redundancy for 802.11 b: Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 17 of 19
10. Sensor External Map This map shows the level of Sensor coverage outside the designated WLAN deployment area. Higher Sensor coverage indicates a better protection against the security exposure. With higher coverage, a Sensor can detect a device sitting far away from site perimeter. Summary This report contains the WLAN plan for the Piper for Indoor, customized for your site. The plan has taken into account critical planning factors such as RF coverage, link speed, capacity, channel allocations, signal spillage, Sensor range, and AP/Sensor redundancy. In addition, any other planning objectives that were specified were also considered. Using this report, you can install an efficient WLAN that is simple to deploy and easy to maintain. Though sufficient care has been taken to minimize the signal spillage outside the deployment area, it cannot be completely avoided (refer to the security exposure map to see the extent of spillage). Due to the non physical medium of transport, WLAN deployments are inherently much more vulnerable to security breaches than the traditional wired LANs. Additionally, WLANs can also be difficult to maintain. Diagnosing and troubleshooting WLANs is often hard because of the lack of visibility into the network. Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 18 of 19
WLAN monitoring that provides visibility into the network through live RF maps and device states can significantly reduce WLAN TCO (Total cost of operation) while ensuring 24x7 network reliability and performance. Therefore, you may want to consider deploying WLAN specific security and monitoring solutions to protect your internal assets and maintain smooth operation of your network. Please contact planningservices@airtightnetworks.com if you have further questions about this report. Disclaimer Output reports from SpectraGuard Planner are based on a combination of empirical observations and theoretical predictions of the 802.11 Radio Frequency (RF) medium. Such estimation of the RF medium is based on heuristics and therefore, may have certain inaccuracies. AirTight Networks, its distributors or suppliers are not liable for any special, incidental or consequential damages whatsoever (including but not limited to damages for loss of business profits, business interruptions, loss of business information or any other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of these reports. Copyright 2008 AirTight Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 19 of 19