AP1131 antenna coverage

jdodson · ‎02-28-2007

I am installing AP1131's for a customer. I usually mount them horizontally below the ceiling tile. My customer wants me to mount them vertically above the ceiling to drywall. My question is mounting the AP1131 vertically vs. horizontally changes the coverage patterns?

Rob Huffman · ‎03-01-2007

Hi Jeffrey,

You should be "good to go" either way. We have quite a few 1131's mounted both Vertically and Horizontally and they work well in each case (think Omni - 360 degree coverage pattern). Have a look at the docs below;

Cisco Aironet 1100 Series Access Point Hardware Installation Guide,

Mounting Instructions

The mounting brackets and hardware shipped with your access point enables you to mount it on any of the following surfaces:

**Horizontal or vertical flat surfaces, such as walls or ceilings

Suspended ceilings

Cubical partition walls

Desktop or other suitable horizontal surface

From this good doc;

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/wireless/ps4570/products_installation_guide_chapter09186a0080797e3e.html#wp1037800

Integrated AP1130AG Antenna

Omni - An omnidirectional antenna is designed to provide a 360-degree radiation pattern. This type of antenna is used when coverage in all directions from the antenna is required.

Diversity antenna package for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz designed for high performance in both **ceiling and wall mount applications. Antennas provide hemispherical coverage and can not be removed from the Access Point. No connectors are offered for additional external antennas.

From this Antenna Reference Guide

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/wireless/ps469/products_data_sheet09186a008008883b.html

Hope this helps!

Rob

johnruffing · ‎03-02-2007

You may want to be aware that if you are running in a lightweight (aka "Unified" / Controller-based) environment, RRM (Radio Resource Management) will not work correctly if the AIR-LAP1131AG is wall-mounted.

Also, for what it is worth, we just surveyed a customer site where a third-party contractor handled the installation of the 1131's and the installers erroneously installed the 1131s above the ceiling.

Fortunately, the RF coverage so far has seemed adequate. However, we had one AP per classroom and had plenty of density.

While I would not recommend simply laying the 1131s on the ceiling tile as they did, there is a 3rd-party mounting kit that straddles across the "T" bar grid supporting the ceiling tiles. You may have good success with that.

We also ran into a situation where the customer wanted installation above the ceiling tiles using 1231AGs with "rubber duck" antenna (carpeted office space). This also worked successfully.

Finally, as you review the coverage pattern in the Antenna Reference Guide for the 1131, please note that the 1131 is at one edge of the RF pattern not the center of it. In other words, don't expect a great deal of coverage behind the AP (if wall mounted).

- John