802.11 Wireless Network Site Surveying and Installation [Hardcover]

Bruce Alexander (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1587051648 | ISBN-13: 978-1587051647 | Publication Date: November 19, 2004 | Edition: 1

The definitive guide to performing wireless network site surveys, selecting the right wireless equipment, and installing 802.11 wireless LANs

• Prepare for a WLAN installation with this definitive guide
• Perform a proper site survey to ensure the maximum performance of your 802.11 WLAN
• Compare and choose the right WLAN technologies to match application and users needs
• Install WLAN products properly taking the unique needs of the users and environment into account

Performing a wireless LAN (WLAN) site survey before installing a wireless network is the key to any successful WLAN deployment. Yet each location and company have unique needs that must be taken into account. 802.11 Wireless Network Site Surveying and Installation helps you understand the challenges associated with any site survey, including multipath mitigation, reflection, absorption, and radio wave interference, plus the added complexity of user and application demands. This book helps you identify obstacles to a successful deployment and guides your equipment decisions to ensure that your WLAN reaches its maximum potential. Use this complete guide to understand the following components of any thorough site survey:

• The architecture of the access points, cable routes, and electrical needs
• The proper site survey technique and usage of appropriate utilities
• The structural and installation obstacles, including building construction, transmission coverage area, building contents, present cable configuration, area regulations, and building codes
• The documentation that outlines the necessary parts and equipment, and diagrams exhibiting the proper placement of the equipment

802.11 Wireless Network Site Surveying and Installation begins with an introduction to WLAN architectures and definitions and then moves on to site survey methodologies, helping you assess and address your site's specific needs. The book delves into the installation process for WLAN equipment, including the rules and regulations to which WLANs must adhere, various obstacles that arise when installing WLAN equipment, and ways to connect WLAN products to the wired network.

802.11 Wireless Network Site Surveying and Installation is your complete guide to performing a WLAN site survey and successfully installing your 802.11 wireless network.

This book is part of the Networking Technology Series from Cisco Press¿ which offers networking professionals valuable information for constructing efficient networks, understanding new technologies, and building successful careers.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The definitive guide to performing wireless network site surveys, selecting the right wireless equipment, and installing 802.11 wireless LANs

• Prepare for a WLAN installation with this definitive guide
• Perform a proper site survey to ensure the maximum performance of your 802.11 WLAN
• Compare and choose the right WLAN technologies to match application and users needs
• Install WLAN products properly taking the unique needs of the users and environment into account

Performing a wireless LAN (WLAN) site survey before installing a wireless network is the key to any successful WLAN deployment. Yet each location and company have unique needs that must be taken into account. 802.11 Wireless Network Site Surveying and Installation helps you understand the challenges associated with any site survey, including multipath mitigation, reflection, absorption, and radio wave interference, plus the added complexity of user and application demands. This book helps you identify obstacles to a successful deployment and guides your equipment decisions to ensure that your WLAN reaches its maximum potential. Use this complete guide to understand the following components of any thorough site survey:

• The architecture of the access points, cable routes, and electrical needs
• The proper site survey technique and usage of appropriate utilities
• The structural and installation obstacles, including building construction, transmission coverage area, building contents, present cable configuration, area regulations, and building codes
• The documentation that outlines the necessary parts and equipment, and diagrams exhibiting the proper placement of the equipment

802.11 Wireless Network Site Surveying and Installation begins with an introduction to WLAN architectures and definitions and then moves on to site survey methodologies, helping you assess and address your site's specific needs. The book delves into the installation process for WLAN equipment, including the rules and regulations to which WLANs must adhere, various obstacles that arise when installing WLAN equipment, and ways to connect WLAN products to the wired network.

802.11 Wireless Network Site Surveying and Installation is your complete guide to performing a WLAN site survey and successfully installing your 802.11 wireless network.

This book is part of the Networking Technology Series from Cisco Press¿ which offers networking professionals valuable information for constructing efficient networks, understanding new technologies, and building successful careers.

About the Author

Bruce Alexander is the technical marketing manager for the Cisco Systems Wireless Networking Business Unit. Bruce joined Cisco Systems when it acquired Aironet Wireless Communication, where Bruce was the director of technical support. At Aironet Wireless Communication, Bruce provided field support, and field and partner training. Bruce has been in the RF technology area for more than 30 years and has worked in RF WLAN technology during the past 18 years. Bruce attended Akron University, where he majored in computer programming and business administration.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 456 pages
• Publisher: Cisco Press; 1 edition (November 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587051648
• ISBN-13: 978-1587051647
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,198,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Reference Book, April 5, 2005

By 

TimR (California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 802.11 Wireless Network Site Surveying and Installation (Hardcover)

802.11 Wireless Network Site Surveying and Installation
ISBN: 1587051648

802.11 Wireless Network Site Surveying and Installation guide by Bruce Alexander is an excellent guide to implementing wireless networking. It covers the foundations of wireless communication and how it can benefit an organization.

The book is broken down into the following five main sections:

1. UNDERSTANDING THE PREREQUISITES OF A SITE SURVEY

This deals with defining how wireless works. The section goes deep and explains the history of wifi and how it works. It talks about the different standards and when to use each one. This section also explains the different wireless devices, antennas, and discusses signal strength.

2. THE SITE SURVEY

This section primarily covers how do perform site surveys. It discusses about what needs to be done before one actually goes out to the site and what needs to be addressed once on site. This mainly covers identifying the requirements and selecting the location and hardware necessary to fulfill those requirements. A big part of this section describes the tools required to complete a wireless survey and how to analyze what comes out of the tools.

3. INSTALLING WLAN COMPONENTS

This section is not what a network engineer would expect to see with a name like this. This has nothing to do with integrating wireless into the existing infrastructure. This mainly deals with facilities and how to physically install wireless equipment such as access points. It covers how to mount equipment safely and in the right locations.

This book really dives into how wireless works on the physical level. It is a great addition to any library. If you are a network engineer looking for configuration examples and how to tie wireless into an existing infrastructure, this book is not going to help. Configuration examples and network diagrams would have been a great addition to this book. The author could of added another section to address these items. After going through the book again I realized that this is not what the author meant the book to cover. It is written to provide the necessary information for engineer to successfully get wireless networking built out at layer one.

I would highly recommend this book as an addition to an engineer reference library. I will give you the warning that it is not a book that one can easily sit down and read cover to cover unless you are really into frequency wavelengths.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Starting Book, January 20, 2005

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 802.11 Wireless Network Site Surveying and Installation (Hardcover)

This book assists in understanding the available systems, architectures, components, and tools of the trade in completing a design for an 802.11 WLAN. The book is aranged to match the chronological order of the final design, survey, and installation of a project. It begins with the prerequisites of a site survey, moves on to the survey and finally covers the installation process.

Of particular interest to me, because of the project I'm working on was Chapter 14 on Outdoor Bridge Deployments. Handling a small WLAN, such as across the room in a Starbucks or McDonalds is one thing. When you are going between buildings with distance, mountains and trees and periodically rain or snow in the way it is a different situation.

I consider this to be a beginning level book. It covers the basic considerations and details that I needed to know as I worked on my first WLAN. After this book come more specialized books on things like securing the network.

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Reference, November 18, 2007

By 

B. Nicodemus (North Wales, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 802.11 Wireless Network Site Surveying and Installation (Hardcover)

This book is a very good reference. A complete walkthrough of reqs gathering, the site survey process and design considerations. Some some cheap shots at competitors and too much Cisco product promotion, but that is common in a Cisco Press book; It is just as much about promoting Cisco solutions as it is about technology education. Recommended.