Summary I advocate for planning symmetry in my WLAN designs and avoid, whenever possible, creating an unbalanced relationship between transmitters and receivers regarding their radio capabilities. Following the deployment of a new wireless network in a large public venue, it was recognised during validation and by the end client that...
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CNWE – Technical Essay #2 – Very High-Density (VHD) Stadium Wi-Fi Design
Introduction For this project, the design brief required the provision of very high-density Wi-Fi coverage within an indoor live music arena for a user population of up to 23,500, and a design that would be able to guarantee support for up to 50% of general attendance (Take Rate) and 2Mbps...
Continue reading...CNWE – Technical Essay #1 – Implementing a converged 802.1x wireless solution for SSID consolidation within a large public venue.
Introduction A key consideration when designing wireless networks for large venues is ensuring that all appropriate steps are taken to maximise airtime efficiency. Multipurpose facilities, with a diverse range of use cases, often find SSID consolidation challenging due to a requirement for macro or micro-segmentation of user data traffic, usually...
Continue reading...Wi-Fi Design Day 2025 – Shaw Theatre – London
Each year, Ekahau — a leader in Wi-Fi planning, design, surveying, optimisation, and troubleshooting — and Open Reality, a leading UK distributor of wireless solutions, bring together engineers, vendors, technical sales professionals, and business stakeholders for a one-day event dedicated to Wi-Fi design and the evolving shifts in wireless technology....
Continue reading...Why i turned off MU-MIMO, or maybe not?
Introduction As an engineer who has studied the CWNP track and taken the CWAP exam, I have seen enough evidence to build a strong argument for disabling MU-MIMO, especially when researching best practices for very high-density wireless deployments within large public venues. This is only the start of the journey,...
Continue reading...AccelTex “Warehouse” Antenna Comparisons and Use Cases
Introduction ————————————————- “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail” Abraham Maslow / Abraham Kaplan They say there is a tool for every job, and the quote couldn’t ring truer when it comes to WiFi design in complex environments. This is very much an appreciation post,...
Continue reading...“Field” Testing The Cisco 9104 Stadium Antenna
Introduction I have long admired this product, and the wait to finally put it through its paces was a very exciting prospect. Conceived during the covid era, out of a necessity to solve a number of challenges for deploying WiFi in large public venues, particularly overhead, at greater distances than...
Continue reading...Cisco 9800 CAPWAP Discovery w/ NAT
In certain instances, it may be a required to install a wireless LAN controller (WLC) behind a NAT boundary, requiring that the IP address used for CAPWAP discovery during access point (AP) initialisation, be defined as the NATed IP address, as opposed to the real one assigned to the wireless...
Continue reading...LPV Underseat AP Enclosures – Technical Review
Introduction One of the considerations when deploying APs into any high-density environment, is, where do you put them? For this type of venue, uses cases are dissected across many common areas, for the purpose of this discussion however, we are focused on the main arena where live performances will take...
Continue reading...The Stadium Project
There are some projects just feel more profound, whilst the same level of pride, commitment and due diligence is given to all customer engagements, it is often those that span many weeks, months or even years that provide the greatest satisfaction. Not just on a personal level, but also professionally,...
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