From gut feeling to AI-supported Wi-Fi planning

After a welcome address by Matt Starling (Director of Ekahau University & Product Marketing) and Korbinian Meier (Managing Director of Netpeppers), news and product updates were presented. Participants were able to experience firsthand how the Ekahau's site survey tool " AI Pro " is used for the planning, simulation, and acceptance of Wi-Fi networks. In seconds, walls were drawn on a JPG image of a building plan, access points were placed and repositioned as required, and network coverage was simulated and monitored in 3D visualizations using heat maps. An update to the "Just Go Survey" app was also announced, which allows Wi-Fi coverage, spectrum, and interference to be analyzed via smartphone.

The subsequent presentations provided an overview of the current state of the art as well as practical tips for planning , implementing, and maintaining Wi-Fi solutions. In addition to Wi-Fi deployment in a sports stadium, Wi-Fi solutions for constantly changing environments such as warehouses and moving targets like ferries on water were examined. It became clear that modern societies depend on connectivity, and the approximately 170 million 6 GHz access points (Wi-Fi 6E/7) already installed are playing their part in this.

Nicolas Darcis (Cisco) described how the "hyperconnected world" and Wi-Fi 7 are the basis of the Internet of Things (IoT), augmented and virtual reality, and therefore have to meet special security requirements - keyword beacon protection, in which a data packet helps the client device to identify a trustworthy access point.

Another trend is the automation of network processes. Intelligent platforms now enable proactive testing, automatic incident detection, and offer situation-specific solution recommendations. Marcel Rodewald (Extreme Networks) illustrated the three eras of WLAN planning: from manual planning based on gut feeling (trial and error) to live and real-time visualization with heat maps and cloud integration to predictive, autonomous networks and AI-supported WLAN management. Algorithms detect errors in advance, and networks improve themselves through simulated changes and tests, without the need for manual intervention.

In addition to the individual steps of Wi-Fi design (define, design, install, validate), an insight into the added value generation through captive portals, the comparison of directional antennas to omni antennas, the significance of the extensions of the WLAN standards IEEE 802.11r and IEEE 802.11k, the problem of transition modes and planning with the digital twin were discussed.

Despite all the virtual achievements, Wi-Fi Design Day also addressed some very traditional installation issues. Acceltex Solutions presented covers, design foils, housings, and mounting aids (masts) for access points. Rene Kriedemann (2nd Wave WLAN Consulting) took a closer look at the validation of the installed networks. In his presentation, he discussed testing power loss/attenuation and comparing the heat map of the simulated cell with the measured cell.

Finally, Thorsten Leckebusch (Netpeppers) reminded everyone that even a wireless network cannot function entirely without cables. The cabling in front of the access point is also part of the Wi-Fi infrastructure. He recommended not only checking the age of the cable installed there, but also keeping an eye on the correct wiring, any swapped pins, and the permissible limits for data cables from Cat 5D to Cat 7A, including loop resistance, attenuation, signal propagation delay, and return loss. Even the most modern Wi-Fi network is only as strong as its weakest link.