User's Manual

Deployment Guide 9
Chapter 1Preparing for a WLAN Deployment
To ensure a smooth WLAN deployment, you need to begin with a bit of planning. A straightforward review of your
deployment plan before you begin will result in optimal results more quickly. The goals of this chapter are to assist
you in assessing your readiness for WLAN implementation and to provide tips and tricks to resolve any issues that
might arise in your environment. The chapter covers the following topics:
• "Assessing Your Requirements" on page10
• "Planning" on page10
• "Upgrading from Existing Wi-Fi" on page10
• "New WLAN Deployment" on page11
• "Site Surveys" on page12
• "Budgeting Wi-Fi: The Chicken and Egg Problem" on page13
• "Bandwidth Assumptions for Wi-Fi" on page14
• "Overcoming Physical Impediments" on page15
• "Operational Considerations" on page18
• "Preparing the Wired Network for Wireless" on page17
• "Deploying with Confidence" on page18
Although this guide assumes an understanding of corporate data networking, previous experience with LAN
configuration and deployment, and some basic Wi-Fi understanding, the chapter concludes with a section that
provides additional support for the preceding sections: "Basic Wi-Fi Concepts" on page19.
Note: This guide assumes an understanding of corporate data networking and past experience with LAN
configuration and deployment. It also assumes some basic Wi-Fi understanding.