300-110 — frequently asked questions

AirPcap is designed specifically to capture 802.11 frames. It filters out all other RF energy, so it cannot detect non-Wi-Fi devices like Bluetooth or microwaves.

A Layer 1 survey uses a spectrum analyzer to see all RF energy (including non-Wi-Fi). A Layer 2 survey uses Wi-Fi adapters/APs to analyze signal strength and data rates of 802.11 networks only.

RF coverage depends on where APs can physically go. If aesthetics restrict mounting options, coverage design must adapt to those limits, not vice versa.

Yes, ornate coverings can cause attenuation, but the placement strategy is driven first by whether you are allowed to drill or mount visible equipment.

The question explicitly states 'prior to RF overhead,' meaning the target throughput of 1 Mbps is the gross requirement before accounting for protocol inefficiencies.

In high-density planning questions like this, 'cells' refer to coverage areas served by non-overlapping channels to prevent co-channel interference.

Trilateration uses signal strength from multiple APs to calculate a client's position. It requires at least three APs to resolve 2D coordinates accurately.

A minimum of three APs is required per location point to provide sufficient geometric diversity for the location engine to compute a valid fix.

Power threshold controls the actual transmit energy, physically shrinking the cell radius. RX-SOP is a receive filter that tells the radio to ignore frames below a certain signal strength, acting as a secondary boundary enforcement.

Load balancing distributes clients based on count or capacity limits. It does not change the RF propagation characteristics or ensure clients are physically close to their associated AP, which is critical for high data rates.

IEEE 802.3at, also known as PoE+, provides a maximum of 30 watts per port. This is often insufficient for high-performance Wi-Fi 6 access points.

While it may boot on lower power, it will not support full functionalities like high-density client connections or advanced features without the higher power budget of 802.3bt (PoE++).