350-401 Question 18
Select 2A network engineer is designing a wireless network for a large office building. The building includes open office spaces, conference rooms, and areas with dense walls. The goal is to ensure consistent coverage, minimize interference, and support high client density. Which wireless network design principles should be prioritized during the planning phase?
- A
Perform a site survey to identify sources of interference and optimal access point placement.
- B
Increase the transmit power of all access points to maximize coverage across the building.
- C
Use directional antennas to focus the wireless signals in open office spaces.
- D
Plan for overlapping coverage between access points with proper channel separation.
- E
Deploy access points using the 5 GHz band only, as it has less interference compared to 2.4 GHz.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, D
Explanation
To design an effective wireless network, a site survey is essential to assess the environment and identify optimal access point placement while minimizing interference. Overlapping coverage with proper channel separation ensures seamless roaming and reduces interference. Simply increasing transmit power or using a single frequency band can lead to performance issues, and antenna types should match the coverage requirements of the environment.
- A. Correct.
Performing a site survey is critical to identify potential sources of interference, understand the building layout, and determine the optimal placement of access points for consistent coverage.
- B. Incorrect.
Increasing the transmit power can lead to co-channel interference and reduce overall network performance, especially in high-density environments.
- C. Incorrect.
Directional antennas are typically used for specific use cases like point-to-point connections, not for general office space coverage. Omnidirectional antennas are more appropriate in this scenario.
- D. Correct.
Overlapping coverage with proper channel separation helps ensure seamless roaming for users and reduces co-channel interference, which is essential for high client density.
- E. Incorrect.
While the 5 GHz band has less interference, it has a shorter range compared to 2.4 GHz, and exclusively using it may lead to coverage gaps. A mix of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz should be considered based on the environment.