Tag: Network Design

Wi-Fi Design Strategies in a Converged World Webinar Questions Part 3: iBwave Products

With iBwave Release 9 successfully launched we thought this is a great time to share the third installment of this post webinar blog series since this one is all about iBwave products.

And in case you missed this webinar or simply need a refresher, here is a link to the recording: Wi-Fi Design Strategies Webinar.

We are also holding some Product Demos in case you want to check out the great new features in iBwave Design 9 and iBwave Wi-Fi 9: Register for Demos

A big thank you to our experts Ronald van Kleunen, Vladan Jevremoivc and Ali Jemmali for taking the time to answer these questions. We hope you find these response informative, please let us know your thoughts.

  • 1- Does iBwave contain digital product libraries for main Wi-Fi and passive products?

    [Vladan / Ali] iBwave has a digital library database that contains over 25,000 active and passive components that can be customized by the user to design any cellular or Wi-Fi inbuilding network.
  • 2- When doing the active/passive surveys, is there a recommended external adapter/antenna to be used w/ the software?

    [Ronald] There is no recommended external/antenna to be used with the software but with the newer technology 802.11n / 802.11ac / 802.11ac MU-MIMO, etc. and the sensitive levels of the dongles/adapters (and calibration of the dongles) these need to be recommended. Also note when doing site surveys with mobile devices there is a lot of difference in Radios and Antenna’s and you need to find a way to standardize for the RF measurements

    [Ali] I agree and I understand the issue. Also, I think we should have our own dongle/adapter to be able to make some calibration of measurements. Unfortunately, for now we don’t offer our own dongle/adapter at this point of time.
  • 3- How to design a system to triangulate location on 1500 moving tags.
    Systems like Ekahau Wi-Fi tracking

    [Ronald] To design a location based system (LBS) or in this case an RTLS (Real-time Location System) to detect the battery-operated Wi-Fi tags. These tags send out so called “chirp” messages to the WLAN infrastructure (thus not the complete Wi-Fi protocol to associate to an AP, the reasons for that are battery consumption and the time to authenticate/associate). The WLAN infrastructure need to be able to understand these “chirp” messages and it need to be enabled (e.g. Cisco, HPE/Aruba, ExtremeNetworks/WiNG do support it and check with your WLAN Vendor if they can understand these chirp messages).

    From an RF coverage perspective, these devices can send the messages at low data rates (low speeds) so that they can be far away of the APs. The lowest data rate is 1 Mbps (IEEE 802.11 which is the original Wi-Fi standard in 2.4 GHz), later standards IEEE 802.11b/g/n are backwards compatible with the 1 Mbps data rate (they basically shift back to IEEE 802.11 “DSSS” = Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Modulation).

    In a Wi-Fi design tool, the RF coverage need to be done in such case that all the APs cover the area to support 1 Mbps, but also that in this case the Ekahau Wi-Fi tags can communicate back to the APs (there need to be a balance between the radios). Both devices look at the so called “RSSI levels – Received Signal Strength Levels” to determine at which speed they can communicate (e.g. for 1 Mbps the RSSI is -97 dBm). Unfortunately, the RSSI is not standardized (you need to check the vendor’s datasheets to see the mapping of RSSI with the dBm values). In addition, you also need to look into SNR (Signal to Noise) levels and Capacity requirements (e.g. how many Wi-Fi Tags are in that particular area as maybe more APs are needed).
  • 4- How does iBwave different from other tools such as EDX ?

    [Vladan / Ali] iBwave propagation module relies on modified ray tracing, which takes into account direct, reflected and diffracted paths. This method is inherently more accurate than COST231 or other direct path only algorithms.  iBwave supports both cellular and Wi-Fi technologies, while most other planning tools can support only one, but not both. IBwave also has a capacity module, which helps network planners determine the needed number of small cells or APs in the network, under presumed traffic load. Lastly, iBwave digital library has a database with over 25,000 active and passive components.
  • 5- Can iBwave design suite be used for enterprise Wi-Fi?

    [Vladan / Ali] To design for enterprise Wi-Fi, IBwave suite has access to digital database that has over 25,000 active and passive DAS and Wi-Fi parts
  • 6- When will Radiant Cable be available in the Wi-Fi software, as it is already available in the Enterprise version?

    [Ronald] In the version 8.1.4.143 64-bit edition (used in the webinar) the Radiating cable is already included. The reference is to DAS (Distributed Antenna System) and Leaky Cabling. Those will not be used for Wi-Fi network designs, because of the Hidden Node issues.

    The Radiant Cable can be found once a floorplan has been opened and select

    Parts > Cable > Radiating Cable
  • 8- Please let us know if we can use iBwave for outdoor Wi-Fi designs?

    [Vladan / Ali] iBwave Wi-Fi is mainly intended for indoor environments. However, as you are familiar with capabilities of iBwave, coverage area of each AP could be determined using Fast ray propagation model, Cost231 propagation model and variable path loss exponent model.

    Since we don’t support the import of outdoor environments in iBwave, such as trees and buildings, I would suggest using antenna contours. In the upcoming release 9, we will be supporting smart antenna contours, that will utilize the 3D antenna patterns and also if any walls defined.
  • 9- What if you have to design and outdoor Wi-Fi Network, can I use iBwave for this?

    See the answer above by [Vladan / Ali]
  • 10- Why iBwave vs other Wi-Fi planners?

    [Ronald] To design wireless networks in Buildings it is not only Wi-Fi that need to be designed (as mentioned more services exist in the ceiling, like video cameras, Wi-Fi APs, sensors, etc.). Also, other wireless networks cellular/mobile, DAS typically need to be installed. iBwave supports these types of integrated tools. When focusing only on Wi-Fi networks, then the leading vendors are similar in functionality doing the RF planning / RF Site Survey (Passive / Active), but some differentiators iBwave has is the Project Management approach (different stages), a very detailed capacity dimensioning tool (I have not seen any other vendor doing it in such detail), 3D visualizations (antenna’s and buildings), import of AutoCAD drawing (other tools also support it, but some do not visualize it properly) and integration with the Cloud and mobile devices as well supporting the site survey information to the cloud (now you can have people doing remote site surveys).

Stay tuned for the last installment of your questions next week.

Convergence & Evolution in Indoor Wireless Networks

Guest Post by Dean Bubley, Disruptive Analysis

It is not a new assertion that indoor wireless networks are important. The frustrations of poor indoor cellular coverage are universal, while businesses of all types need to provide employees and guests with high-quality Wi-Fi.

Various solutions abound for providing good signal indoors – distributed antenna systems (DAS), small cells, or even just deployment of lower-frequency bands in outdoor networks, with better penetration through walls. Yet costs remain considerable, especially as usage increases near-exponentially. Upgrading or retro-fitting existing installations often requires hard economic decisions, given that most such investments are not directly “monetized”. Suitable expertise, foresight, planning tools and ongoing monitoring/reporting are important.

The future, however, will accelerate the role of in-building/on-site wireless connectivity – in both predictable and unpredictable fashion. If we consider what a building might look like in the year 2030, say – and how it may be used and occupied – we can start to see the challenges and opportunities.

As well as today’s well-known and well-described uses of wireless (smartphones and laptops on Wi-Fi and cellular networks), we can expect to see a huge number of new uses emerge. This means that today’s implementations will require future-proofing, to support the unknowns of tomorrow. For example, consider the implications of:

  • IoT deployments for smart buildings, such as a proliferation of sensors for heating, security, or the operation of elevators. These may require better coverage in unusual places – in ceiling voids, lift-shafts, basements and so on. Bandwidth and latency requirements will vary hugely, from life-critical but low-data fire/carbon monoxide sensors, to networked video cameras, or once-an-hour reporting from water tanks.
  • Moving devices such as robots or automated trolleys, delivering products around the building. While some will be fully-autonomous, others will need constant wireless connectivity and control.
  • 5G networks will be deployed from around 2020, with further evolutions in following years. These may be extremely demanding on in-building coverage solutions, especially as some networks are likely to use frequencies above 6GHz – perhaps even as high as 80GHz.
  • Likely huge growth in narrowband wireless, connecting low-powered (but maybe very dense) networks of sensors or other endpoints. These may use 3GPP technologies such as NB-IoT, or other options such as LoRa and SigFox.

All of these trends imply very different traffic patterns. It is not realistic just to extrapolate from current usage – robots may go places in the buildings where humans do not. Mobility requirements may evolve – and so will regulations.

It is not just new classes of device and application which will need to be supported by well-designed infrastructure, but also new classes of service provider that need to access them.

The advent of new unlicensed or shared-spectrum models of frequency allocation (eg CBRS in the US, or MuLTEfire) may mean the arrival of new operator types – dedicated IoT solutions providers that “bring their own wireless”; enterprises acting as their own local on-site MNOs; various models of “neutral host” and so on.

Private enterprise cellular networks are starting to become more widespread. Some governments are allocating spectrum for industries like utilities or smart-cities, while equipment vendors are offering optimised enterprise-grade cellular infrastructure.

Potential future regulations for emergency-services wireless connections. Police and fire authorities are increasingly using broadband mobile, both for humans and remote-sensing devices.

Distributed-mesh service providers, that operate as decentralised networks with micropayments, or as community initiatives. Some may use blockchain-type arrangements for shared-ownership or membership fees.

One of the unknowns is about the convergence (or divergence) of different network types. On one hand, cellular networks are embracing Wi-Fi for offload, or for multi-network aggregation, especially as they worry that returning flat-rate data plans may stress their networks. On the other, some networks are looking at running 4G/5G in unlicensed spectrum instead of (or in addition to) Wi-Fi. Yet more service providers are adopting a “Wi-Fi first” approach, reverting to MVNO models for cellular where needed. Future permutations will likely be more complex still.

For property developers and owners, the quality of indoor networks is increasingly key in determining valuations and rental occupancy. Already seen in hotels, and office new builds, it will be important for today’s new constructions and refurbishments to support adequate flexibility and headroom for the next decade or more.

This takes on further emphasis if you consider the trend towards “buildings-as-a-service”, exemplified by organisations such as WeWork. These new classes of facility often incorporate wireless connectivity both as a billable service element, but also to enable their owners to manage the properties effectively, in terms of energy-efficiency and security. Other forms of monetisation and data-analytics around wireless location-sensing/tracking are also becoming more important.

Lastly, in-building challenges will be driven by the specific location and industry, which themselves may change in nature over the next decade. New building materials, construction practices and regulations will impact wireless in unpredictable ways – more metallic insulation perhaps, but also perhaps robot or pre-fabricated construction allowing wireless systems to be installed more easily. Individual industry verticals will have their own shifts – what will retail stores look like, and how will customers behave, in the era of home deliveries by drone, but more on-premise “experiences”, perhaps with AR/VR systems? What workplaces of the future look like, in an era of self-driving vehicles? Industrial facilities will become increasingly automated, with the largest uses of wireless connections being machines rather than humans. Hotels and airports will see shifts in data connectivity needs from employees and visitors, as application usage shifts.

There are no easy answers here – even if you construct good scenarios for the future, undoubtedly we will be surprised by events. But some form of upfront discipline in designing and building indoor wireless solutions is ever more critical, given the unknowns. The more future-proofing is possible, the lower the potential risk of being caught out.

Dean Bubley (@disruptivedean ) is Director of Disruptive Analysis. On October 5th, at 10am EDT, he will be discussing some of these topics in more depth on a webinar with us here at iBwave. 

Wi-Fi Design Strategies in a Converged World Webinar Questions Part 2: Convergence

We are a few days late in posting our second installment but here it is. This week’s topic is convergence. Our attendees had a lot of great questions about this topic and here are the answers by our experts. 

And in case you missed this webinar or simply need a refresher, here is a link to the recording: Wi-Fi Design Strategies Webinar.

Oh and we also have a 15-day free trial of iBwave Wi-Fi, so give it a try!

Convergence

1- Is this the future for DAS deployment? 

[Ronald] No it is not, both DAS and Wi-Fi networks will exist next to each other as covered in the presentation. Note that iBwave has products for both DAS and Wi-Fi as wireless architects need these tools to do the RF-planning

2- Wi-Fi vs DAS designs. How do you design for both in 1 DAS? 

[Ronald] As covered in the presentation there are different type of DAS solutions (passive, active and hybrid), Wi-Fi on a passive DAS does not work so well. Active DAS with PoE (Power over Ethernet) components to power up Wi-Fi APs could be a solution to use the DAS cabling purely for the backhaul traffic. Note that iBwave has products for both DAS and Wi-Fi as wireless architects need these tools to do the RF-planning.

3- Historically Wi-Fi & Cellular DAS systems have not worked well on the same infrastructure.  What is different now?
  
[Ronald] Correct, the reason is “Hidden Node” the Wi-Fi protocol does not work well over DAS. We discussed co-existence in the buildings, but also some vendors use integration whereby DAS is used as backbone (“active DAS” with PoE ethernet adapters, but still using the normal Wi-Fi APs)

4- Comparison between indoor DAS, Wi-Fi. Based on which criteria to choose them? 

[Ronald] They co-exist and will not replace each other.

5- Do you have more information on remote Wi-Fi APs (connection through DAS)?

6-What is the summary of a step-by-step approach for engineering a balanced Wi-Fi, Small Cell and DAS converged environment?

[Ronald] This approach is in progress for Wi-Fi by the WLAN Association (WLA), see the link in the webinar presentation, but in general the approach works for any wireless network.

  • Get the requirements (end-users, # devices, roaming, costs, etc.) “Red book”
  • Design the network “Blue book”
  • Install “White book”
  • Validate “Green book”

And in addition, there should be also one covering

  • Operate and Monitor

7-Do you have some of the best/new design tips or products being used in design for “CONVERGED NETWORKS” In-Building?

[Ronald] Design Tips: Separate the Wi-Fi network from the DAS network (and at airports maybe have 2x DAS networks as mentioned, 1x for public safety services (like the first responders, police, etc.). Roaming/convergence services for Wi-Fi and LTE/5G also depends on the client device capability (e.g. software to determine which network provides better services and throughput) 

Products: iBwave Enterprise (as it integrates the different networks, like Cellular/Mobile, DAS, Wi-Fi, etc.  (different Frequency ranges)

8- Future of in-building wireless phones Voice over LTE (VOLTE), Voice over Wi-Fi, others.

[Ronald]Correct. You typically design per floor level to have good RF coverage and Capacity for clients for different areas. If you have open spaces (like Atriums, you need to take that into account, maybe AP Transmit Radio Powers need to be reduced to avoid RF leakage through those Atriums, which means that suddenly clients see too many APs)

In the design tool (between the floors) you also need to see the attenuation levels (e.g. a very thick concrete floor or not), but if the APs can hear each other in 3D, then you also need to look at the Channel allocation that they do not interfere on the same channels (e.g. APs “stacked” on Channel 1).

9- Wi-Fi in trains(wagons) using external 3G/4G networks

[Ronald] 3G/4G need to be used as the backhaul and there need to be enough capacity to handle the Wi-Fi traffic (e.g. downloading videos, doing voice over Wi-Fi calls and doing performance tests might be prohibited). Other aspects to take into account are Wi-Fi Mesh connections between the wagons (as wagon configuration sometimes changes it is difficult to lay cables between the wagons). Also note that other type of services can run over the Wi-Fi network (e.g. CCTV or IPTV camera monitoring). There are many examples of Wi-Fi in train projects if you search in twitter on hashtag: “#WiFiTrains”

10- Do we need to increase the unlicensed spectrum allocation for LTE and Wi-Fi for a better mobile offload strategy?

[Ronald] This is not so easy to do (see for example the US Spectrum Allocation Chart link) as most frequencies are used already. It is a difficult topic where also the ITU-R plays a part in it to coordinate with the different countries.

11- Are you designing for generic Cat6 or Belden Cat6

[Ronald] The presentation has a vendor neutral approach (with a link to iBwave Wi-Fi design how the tool can help design Wi-Fi / cabling also from a vendor neutral approach). The focus was on the Wi-Fi design, but we covered also cabling design and standards (like 2.5 GBps and 5 GBps over Cat 6 cabling and PoE++ requirements). Also, the webinar presentation has a link to the BICSI Winter conference presentation – who is designing your network (the cabling or the Wi-Fi expert)? (Ref: https://www.bicsi.org/conferences-and-events/bicsi-events/bicsi-conference-presentation-archives)

12- I would like to know about the impact cabling has on Wi-Fi networks planning

[Ronald] This was covered in the webinar, like type of speed needed 2.5 Gb/s (Cat 5e cabling) or 5 Gb/s (Cat 6 cabling), length limitations and also PoE (Power over Ethernet considerations to power up the APs). Then the cabling architecture deployment (TIA TSB 162 and/or the Zone based cabling architecture (see the Siemon document).  But a separate Wi-Fi architecture need to be done for the “last link” cable to be laid from the Telecom Outlet / Service Outlet to the AP. 
(do not deploy APs following the Telecom Outlets or all in a line, APs need to be placed were needed for RF coverage and RF Capacity)

13- The cable limitation of 100 meters how practical is it? What happens if the distance to the access point needs to be farther away?

[Ronald] It is a limitation for the Cat 5e/6 cabling and even to get the higher speeds, the length might be even shorter to provide the good quality signal on the cable. For longer distances (e.g. airport concourse areas) typically the Power of Ethernet switches can have a Fiber optic adapter for the long-distance cables back to the DataCenters, thus only the last mile is copper/Ethernet cabling. You create kind of Telecom-closets around the facility (“distribution areas, based on the length of the copper cabling to the APs and other services in the building).See also the BICSI archives as there is tons of information about cabling (and a related certification known as RCDD): https://www.bicsi.org/single.aspx?l=1712

Winter Conference: https://www.bicsi.org/winter/2017/attendee.aspx?id=8734

14- Carrier Off-loading to Wi-Fi.

[Ronald] Carrier off-loading to Wi-Fi (e.g. 3G / 4G offloading) also has to do with the “agent-software” client devices do detect if the carriers Wi-Fi network is available and services are reachable with a good performance to make a decision to switch networks.

Parts catalog includes switches, patch panels, cabling etc.

[Vladan/Ali] IBwave has digital database that has over 25,000 active and passive DAS and Wi-Fi parts that can be used to design any cellular or Wi-Fi inbuilding network

15- DAS vs. iCN network design?

[Ronald] Assumed is that iCN (= in-building Cellular Network) 
The focus of the webinar was on the Wi-Fi design and convergence and/or off-loading to cellular/mobile networks. See also the other questions here related to DAS and iCN. 
(note: iCN can also refer to Information Centric Networks (ICN) 
https://newnet.telecom-paristech.fr/index.php/icn-das but they refer to DASH (not DAS). 
https://www.ietf.org/proceedings/87/slides/slides-87-icnrg-5.pdf

16- Integration with in-building Cellular Network
 
 [Ronald] See the answers to the other DAS and iCN related questions

Next week’s topic: iBwave Products,  Stay tuned! 

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