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--- networking:wifiplanning [2024/10/24 06:50] – created willy
+++ networking:wifiplanning [2025/03/13 14:47] (current) – [Channels Selection] willy
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-====== WiFi planning ======
+====== B) WiFi planning ======
-So you have wired your home with ethernet cables as described [[:networking|here]], but of course you want to add a WiFi infrastructure for your mobile devices, smart devices and IoT stuff.
+So you have wired your home with ethernet cables as described [[networking:networking|here]], but of course you want to add a WiFi infrastructure for your mobile devices, smart devices and IoT stuff.
 Welcome to WiFi hell. Yes, there is a reason why there is a big market for extravagant WiFi solutions, advanced (and very expensive) WiFi Access Points / Routers / Repeaters, mesh stuff and buzzwords.
@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 ===== The issues =====
-Security is nowadays not an issue anymore. The latest encryption protocols have solved that. As well, bandwith is not an issue anymore. Since 2010+ (IEEE 802.11n) WiFi offers more than enough bandwidth at low enough latency for any pratical home use, from video streaming to online competitive gaming.
+WiFi security is nowadays not an issue anymore thanks to the latest encryption protocols that have solved that. As well, bandwith is not an issue anymore. Since 2010+ (IEEE 802.11n) WiFi offers more than enough bandwidth at low enough latency for any pratical home use, from video streaming to online competitive gaming.
 But there is one last issue, which is structural to WiFi technology, that has not been solved and cannot be solved no matter what WiFi AP producers say and how many antennas they put on your new fancy, and expensive, access point.
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 == Using OpenWRT ==
-Lockly for you, [[https://openwrt.org/|OpenWRT]] do support Fast Transitioning, and supports even more advanced features. See [[networking:openwrt|this page]] for more details on OpenWRT.
+Luckly for you, [[https://openwrt.org/|OpenWRT]] do support Fast Transitioning, and supports even more advanced features. See [[networking:openwrt|this page]] for more details on OpenWRT.
-multi AP properly spaced
+===== WiFi home Planning =====
+So the best solution i have found is to place around the house a number of WiFi Access Points, each one with OpenWRT installed on it, and enabling Fast Transitioning on them. You sohuld look for a non too expensive commercial WiFi Access Point that is supported by OpenWRT, but more details [[networking:openwrt|here]] on this.
+You should start with one access point and try to see how much coverage you get. As a rule of thumb:
+  * If your home is multi-floors, get at least one AP for each floor.
+  * If your home is elongated, consider placing two APs for each floor, at the opposite sides.
+  * If you have a garden or an outside area, consider placing one AP outside instead of trying to get good signal from the ones inside
+In some very bad cases, you might evern need one AP for each room specially for 6Ghz coverage.
+Of course, this require the availability of an ethernet cable reaching each WiFi AP. See [[networking:networking|the backbone]] page, i would stay away from mesh wireless technology unless you really have no way to bring a cable to the access point.
+===== Channels Selection =====
+Each WiFi band (2.5Ghz, 5Ghz, 6Ghz...) is divided into channels that you can choose to aovid interferences, specially with nearby wifi networks. While you should find our which channels are free in your area, it might not be so easy. There are apps for Android that you can use, but i don't want to link anyone specifically.
+In general if you plan to use also a ZigBee network, you must choose your 2.4Ghz channels with care, see [[homeautomation:protocols:zigbee|this page]].

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