NWA1123-AC PRO: Ceiling versus Wall

smrbrts

Looking at the specifications for this device it appears as though the antennas are more efficient when configured for a wall installation:
2.4 GHz • Ceiling: 3 dBi • Wall: 4 dBi
5 GHz • Ceiling: 4 dBi • Wall: 5 dBi

I'm wondering if anyone in this forum has practical experience to comment.

Zyxel_Joslyn

Hi @smrbrts

Here is the graphic about the ceiling mount and wall mount.

Please let me know if it helps.
Thanks.

Joslyn

Zyxel_Kathy

Hi @smrbrts

If AP deployment on the office with ceiling mount, the Wi-Fi coverage can avoid the interference via partition, people walk...etc. and the coverage is extensive.The station get the AP signal from the ceiling mount can avoid goods block the signal. 

If AP in the wall mount, the Wi-Fi coverage is directional and need to notice that the signal will not be blocked by people or objects in front of them.

As the picture for example:
1. The AP in the ceiling mount, the station 1-4 can get the good signal in the Wi-Fi coverage.
2. The AP in the wall mount, the station 1-3 can get the good signal, but the signal of station 4 may be weaker than the station in front of it.

According to the our deployed experience, the ceiling mount is better choice for office deployment.

It is an important that the RF performance of an AP depends upon a lot many factors like environment conditions, the surrounding objects and the adjacent APs. Also it would also depends upon the location of clients.  

Kathy

   

RVD

I had an experience for deployment APs in my warehouse for your reference.

The goods in the warehouse are usually put near the ceiling about 5cm left,  so the signal of ceiling mount APs would be covered by these goods. The wall mount in this case is the better choice for deployment.

livealive

My experience in the open area environment like office or else is suitable for ceiling mount, and if it is like a corridor environment, more narrow, then use wall mount more suitable.

smrbrts

Thanks all for the feedback. @Zyxel_Kathy, do you have a graphic that shows the signal strength/shape differences between the two orientations? These 3x3 access points have a switch for wall versus ceiling mount and they are advertised as such, but I'm trying to better understand the practical implications of the varying the orientation. I've done some additional reading on dBi measurements and from what I've read, the higher numbers represent the ability to extend range at the expense of the broadness of coverage, which is to say an antenna with a higher dBi value would tend to be more directional. If I wall mount versus ceiling mount, the location in the building won't change much, so the distance to WiFi clients will be about the same in either orientation. 

Zyxel_Joslyn

Hi @smrbrts

Here is the graphic about the ceiling mount and wall mount.

Please let me know if it helps.
Thanks.

Joslyn