How do you design a Wi-Fi network for a large or complex venue?

Lot of critical elements for large spaces will have multiple needs, including formulating a Mesh network to form a reliable , continued , high QOS, secured network.

In my experience it is imperative to identify potential interference to wifi coverage through a pre-survey wifi assessment of the space in question before developing any sort installation plan. Thinking of a project in terms of required bandwidth and overall area is a mistake without first identifying and overcoming roadblocks to signal loss.

The most popular programs to use for creating wireless design plans and survey tools are Ekahau and Airmagnet. Both companies have great software and hardware that you can take training to use in order to complete accurate design and survey documents. Learning how to use these programs and tools is essential to wireless engineers. They help make your job easier by having features such as "auto AP placement". This feature allows you to import a CAD drawing or image of your floorplan(s), then you choose your wireless requirements (such as designing for voice and video networks), then choose your AP make and model, finally it automatically places the APs in the ideal locations on the map. That's AI in motion but it's not always perfect!

New tools on the marketplace such as Hamina also provide a cost-effective way to perform large venue modeling. Consider what you are trying to accomplish and what your budget is before selecting a tool.

When it comes to surveying a site and mapping its coverage, there are a few important steps to keep in mind. Firstly, you'll need to understand/assess the size and shape of the site as well as any potential obstacles or hazards that could impact your coverage. Again once you have a good understanding of the site, you can begin mapping out your coverage area using specialized software or tools, something like Ekahau. This will allow you to identify any gaps in coverage and make adjustments as needed. It's crucial to be thorough and precise when surveying a site and mapping its coverage, as this can have a major significant impact on the success of your project. - HC.

In areas of higher density, support for 802.11ax should be considered. Also known as Wifi-6, ax uses BSS coloring to allow for reduction in interference and greater transmit rate.

Using tools like Hamina and Ekahau allow you to run a number of “what if” scenarios on your network without ever having to run a cable or place an access point. These tools are helpful for this, saving time and money, and allowing you to model multiple vendor’s devices. Hamina, for example, even takes into account the power draw for each of the access points, and the switch disconnected to in order to understand, power budgets, switch placement, locations, and equipment type.

From my personal experience, we have had several temporary projects that required the deployment of Wi-Fi in open-air territories. The most effective solution for such projects was the use of Mikrotik WiMAX antennas and several outdoor Wi-Fi translators from the same vendor. Despite limited broadband capacity of only up to 20Mbps, this was still a reliable and cost-effective solution for events involving up to 100-150 people. For an another project requiring live translation and a wide channel capacity of 100Mbps, we utilized a mobile site with RRL antennas followed by Mikrotik WiFi, it worked perfectly.

Tools available today like Ekahau and Hamina allow direct API access to most vendors management interfaces. This gives you the ability to create single source of truth for your network and push the configuration parameters directly from your design tool into your management platform.

Regularly measure the experience using real end-user clients to see how they perform. Spot tests in high dwell areas and roaming tests amongst crowds are good representations of how devices are used. Tools like nOversight will allow you to walk around inconspicuously with an iPhone and then retrospectively look at the logs to see what the experience was like.

In order to fine tune a WiFi Network make sure you know your channels, channel frequency & speed/reliability. Double & triple check these readings as the physical structure will only allow specific channel transmission in specific APN

It’s crucial to consider factors such as user density, coverage area, and the physical environment. A real-world example would be a stadium, where high-capacity access points are strategically placed to handle peak traffic during events. The design process includes a site survey to identify optimal access point locations and potential interference sources, followed by the selection of hardware that can support a high number of simultaneous connections and provide seamless coverage throughout the venue. Additionally, advanced features like band steering and airtime fairness are implemented to ensure a consistent and reliable user experience. This approach ensures that attendees can enjoy uninterrupted connectivity.