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Are you planning to build a large wifi network ? Then this solution would help you understand the components and procedure to be followed to setup the network.

We explain the solution with a real time case study where a wifi network has to be setup for an office which has three floors and each of the floor is around 10000 sqft. Security and manageability is of utmost priority in this setup.

Wireless router with inbuilt firewall

A wireless router is needed for sharing the internet connection among the users on the network. It is highly recommended that you purchase a wireless router which has inbuilt security. The ASUS WiFi 6 Router (RT-AX3000) is a good choice for a secure router.

Wireless access points

Each floor in the office network is 10000 sqft. So a total of 30000 sqft has to be covered. For this you need to purchase wireless access points.

The NETGEAR Cloud Managed Wireless Access Point (WAX630) is recommended. The access point supports an area of 3500 sqft.

So for each floor , 3 units each of NETGEAR Cloud Managed Wireless Access Point (WAX630) can be purchased.

The access points are cloud managed which makes it easy to manage the entire access point infrasructure. The access point can also be powered using a POE switch.

POE switches

POE switches are needed to power the access points. As there only 9 access points in the setup, a 16 port POE switch would suffice. The NETGEAR 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged PoE Switch is a good choice for POE switch.

Wifi network setup guidelines

1. Cabling infrastructure should be setup for to install the access points.

2. Mount the access points on the ceiling and connect it to the POE switch.

3. The POE switch should be connected to the router.

FAQ

1. How will the access points recieve the IP address

The IP address for the access point can be either be configured manually or provided dynamically by the wireless router.

2. Is POE switch mandatory

POE switch is mandatory if you want to power the access points through POE. This is highly recommended if you are placing the access points on the ceiling where the power is unavailable.

If power supply is available at places where the access points would be installed, a POE switch is not required.

3. How many devices can the access point support

Each access point supports a maximum of 600 clients.

4. There are different departments in this office. What would be the best way to set this up ?

The access points can be configured for 8 SSIDs. Each SSID can be mapped with a unique department.

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