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The Wi-Fi Device Explosion - What’s Your Plan?

The Wi-Fi Device Explosion - What’s Your Plan?. Keith Mackinen (CWNA) Principal Sales Engineer Keith.mackinen@xirrus.com. AGENDA. Device Explosion Evolution of Wi-Fi Designing for Performance Case Studies Best Practices. Traditional (Tethered) Instruction. Untethered Instruction.

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The Wi-Fi Device Explosion - What’s Your Plan?

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  1. The Wi-Fi Device Explosion - What’s Your Plan? Keith Mackinen (CWNA) Principal Sales Engineer Keith.mackinen@xirrus.com

  2. AGENDA • Device Explosion • Evolution of Wi-Fi • Designing for Performance • Case Studies • Best Practices

  3. Traditional (Tethered) Instruction

  4. Untethered Instruction

  5. Key Trends Impacting Wi-Fi Growth • Number of Wi-Fi Devices • Capacity/Density supersedes coverage • Higher Performance for applications

  6. Wi-Fi Growth – The Tablet

  7. The Evolution of Wi-FiAnd taking advantage of lessons learned

  8. Learning from Cellular Phone Network Evolution • From the first commercial networks of the 1980’s to today… • Coverage expanded significantly • Capacity increased significantly • User densities exploded

  9. Learning from Cellular Phone Network Evolution • From the first commercial networks of the 1980’s to today… • Coverage expanded significantly • Capacity increased significantly • User densities exploded • To handle the growth… • Changed from omni to directionalantennas • Increased#radios per base station • Utilized additional channels of spectrum

  10. History: Standards 802.11a (1999) • Operates in 5GHz spectrum • Data Rates: Up to 54Mbps • Available channels: 24 (1.3 Gig) 802.11b (1999) • Operates in 2.4GHz spectrum • Data Rates: 11Mbps • Available channels: 3 (33 Mbps) 802.11g (2003) • Operates in 2.4GHz spectrum • Data Rates: 1, 2, 5.5, 11, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54Mbps • Backward compatible with 802.11b • Available channels: 3 (162 Mbps) 802.11n (2009) • Operates in 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrum (backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g) • Data Rates: Up to 450Mbps today (future = 600Mbps and more!) • Available channels: 27

  11. 5 GHz Needed to Scale 2.4 GHz (Channels 1, 6, 11) 5 GHz ( 24 Channels)

  12. 2.4 GHz Interference

  13. More 2.4GHz Interference

  14. 2.4GHz to 5GHz ratio

  15. Evolution: Performance/Capacity Capacity is based on Radios & Segmentation(just ask the cell guys) • Available Radios = Available Bandwidth • First Generation APs offered a single radio • Traditional APs typically offer two (2.4 & 5 GHz) • Arrays offer up to 16 radios • Coverage/Cell Segmentation • Greater capacity, density and less interference • Improved RF management, coverage shaping, security • Fewer devices to cover same area

  16. Evolution: Performance/Capacity Problem: Moredevices… More content… More demand… Solution: MoreRadios… More Bandwidth… More Satisfied Users…

  17. Evolution: Architecture Centralized Processing Distributed Processing • Distributed = HIGHER PERFORMANCE • Packet Processing at edge • Control plane at edge • Policy and security enforcement at edge • Filters traffic before wired network • Encryption processing at edge • Packet switching at edge, like Ethernet • Greater scalability, each device adds resources • Central management • Central Controller + Thin APs • Packet Processing at core • Control plane at core • Policy and security enforcement at core • Encryption processing at core • Back End Network Bottlenecks • Central processing increase latency and jitter • Central management - Single point of failure

  18. Examples: Existing Customers

  19. Forsyth County 100% Wireless - BYOTServes over 37000 students Laptops, Desktops, etc… 40 Schools - initiated BYOT this year.... Requirements • Support Thousands of simultaneous users across the county • Bandwidth - relatively similar or equal to wired network Benefits • Un-tethered instruction – no more duct tape cables or stationary labs • Sufficient Bandwidth and performance for thousands of clients Savings • Used 585 Arrays which meant required 585 cables pulls not 2500 • Time to installation average 1 day per school for arrays

  20. BYOT Growth

  21. Greater Atlanta Christian SchoolServes over 3,000 clients All teachers have MACs - The HS/MS student’s computer ratio is 2:1. Requirements • Support hundreds of simultaneous connections in a small area • Utilize the 5GHz channels • Wireless support for wireless MACs Benefits • Superior range and coverage with 75% fewer devices and cable pulls • Bandwidth and performance for thousands of students, faculty, and staff Saving vs. Traditional APs • Used 26 Arrays instead of 120+ APs (huge reduction in devices and cable pulls) • Time to installation – Xirrus took 2 days to physically install – with some tweaking…

  22. Meridian High School

  23. Real Life Difference – 1:1 Traditional AP

  24. Scaleable Over Time

  25. High Performance Wi-Fi: Best Practices Recommendations • DemandActive ‘live’ surveys • Predictive surveys are only a best guess – cannot tell what is in the walls • Live surveys guarantee performance • Transition to the 5GHz spectrum (802.11a minimum, 802.11n ASAP) to achieve: • 8X increased capacity (300meg going to 600…), • Significantly reduced interference – no more lunchtime microwave interference • Client Devices • Move away from 802.11b, it seriously degrades 802.11g/n performance • DRIVERS, DRIVERS, DRIVERS • At least buy 802.11a/g/n adapters A/B/G/N recommended • Fold in new 802.11n clients (5GHz) for greater bandwidth • Wired Network Infrastructure • Pull at least one Gigabit Ethernet connection to each AP • Confirm PoE capabilities to support 11n requirements • Wireless Network – Have a plan to expand • Buy infrastructure gear that is upgradeable - no 2X2 Antennae they limit future growth • Performswitching at the edge, avoid ‘tromboning’

  26. High Performance Wi-Fi: Best Practices • Clients – The Weakest Link • iPads and Netbooks • -72 doesn’t work anymore • Station Location and Identification • Identify iPods vs. iPads • Locate iPods and iPads to within 10 Ft. (single array) • Assist the client in roaming – hand off • Load Balancing • Equalize the number of clients across multiple radios

  27. High Performance Wi-Fi: Best Practices DUAL BAND!!! • Buy A/B/G/N – not Just B/G/N • Reminder – 802.11N is in 2.4 and 5GHz

  28. High Performance Wi-Fi: Best Practices Planning for Growth – Be Careful… DO THE MATH! • Currently 300M (bonded) Wireless through put (450 best case) • Best case TCP is 130M - most around 60 to 90M 130M/150 to 300 Users = Misery

  29. High Performance Wi-Fi: Best Practices 2.4 GHz (Channels 1, 6, 11) 5 GHz ( 24 Channels)

  30. Wi-Fi: Scaling to 1:1 Traditional Wi-Fi: • Most existing Wi-Fi was designed as only an ‘Overlay’ (Coverage not Bandwidth) • 1-to-1 initiatives hampered by today’s wireless infrastructures – its coming! • Online video training strains legacy wireless bandwidth - Multicast • When in doubt TEST THE SOLUTION! High Performance Wi-Fi • High Performance Wi-Fi is designed to replace not augment wired network • Eliminates costly and restrictive computer labs – move the labs anywhere! • Enables the use of PODs (Personally Owned Devices) in the classroom • Instruction is no longer limited by building, classroom or IT schedules

  31. Superior Range, Coverage and Capacity Up to 16 Radio Interfaces 802.11a/b/g + 802.11n (Switchable) Integrated Antennas (not screw on or flip down) Modular Radios Integrated Controller Line-Rate Encryption Single Cable Deployment Dual Gigabit Ethernet uplinks Integrated Spectrum Analyzer Integrated Wi-Fi Threat sensor Xirrus Wi-Fi Array Overview

  32. Wi-Fi Posters Deployment Examples Design Guides Deployment Guide Technical Resources White Papers FAQs Application Notes And More Wi-Fi Gadgets Request a FREE Site Survey Additional Wi-Fi Resources: WWW.XIRRUS.COM

  33. Who are your students connecting to?

  34. Questions???

  35. Xirrus: What’s New in 6.0 Live Heat Maps: • The XMS now provides predictive RF coverage heat maps for Arrays within a network. Network Administrators are able to upload floor plans for each building and place theArrays in their approximate location on each floor plan.

  36. Xirrus: What’s New in 6.0 Location Identification: • XMS now provides the approximate location of wireless stations within the network. Signal strength triangulation between Arrays is used by the XMS to predict location. In an appropriately designed network (Array placement), XMS can identify the location within 5 meters 75% of the time and within 10 meters 90% of the time Multicast Optimization : • Xirrus is not INMP aware and now has the ability to convert multicast traffic to Unicast to improve performance in a wireless environment.

  37. Xirrus: What’s New in 6.0 Network Assurance: • Network Assurance identifies key network components such as the Gateway and DNS server and validates that these resources remain available. If the Array cannot communicate with these resources, it will notify the network manager that there may be a problem with the network . SSID – Per-Radio mapping WPR Customization

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