Open Field Mesh network

[gluo]

Hi,

I have a customer that wants to provide WiFi access over a 60.000 sqm open storage area and was wondering if sixty 7662 APs with internal antennas and MESHCONNEX setup controlled by a VX9000 controller would be enough to cover the whole area.

This is an estimation of one AP per 1000sqm on 5m poles, no obstacles around. The traffic demands are going to be really light.

What do you think?

[ckelly · Accepted solution]

Possibly…..it depends. My favorite answer.

How many network runs would be included with the AP installations? Even though this would be mesh, you do NOT want to have APs making more than about 3-4 hops to the next wired root node. it will kill performance/throughput.

If this 60,000m was a perfect square, it would be about 245m x 245m
If each AP covered 1000 square meters, then that equates to a 35m diameter between APs.
That would mean that for an AP at the farthest end to be able to pass communication back to the other end completely over mesh, the signal would have to make 6 hops. This would be the worse-case scenario, but you would have to take this into account.