Tips for Greenfield deployments

Don't forget Wi-Fi in your cabling plan

Industry analysis by expert Joanie Wexler, plus links to the day's wireless news headlines

Greenfield IT deployments give you the luxury to build your environment from scratch using the latest networking gear. Ironically, your cabling plant and wiring closet must account for new wireless devices in addition to traditional wired Ethernet switches, desktops, phones and printers.

Whether you’re constructing a new building or remodeling an old one, a Greenfield deployment means you can get inside floors, walls and ceilings on someone else’s budget. So it can pay to anticipate all your cabling needs for the next several years and bundle them into your entire project at this opportune time.

Most wireless access points (AP) are mounted in the ceiling and plugged into an Ethernet switch at the back end. It’s customary to leave an extra bit of cable length (10 to 20 feet) up in the ceiling for each AP in case you later need to move it to improve your coverage or avoid interference. Predict where you are likely to place APs and order and install the cabling (loops included) alongside your wired infrastructure, even if the APs are to come later. Going back and ripping into walls and ceilings after the fact can be laboriously and financially painful.

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Greenfield IT deployments give you the luxury to build your environment from scratch using the latest networking gear. Ironically, your cabling plant and wiring closet must account for new wireless devices in addition to traditional wired Ethernet switches, desktops, phones and printers.

Whether you’re constructing a new building or remodeling an old one, a Greenfield deployment means you can get inside floors, walls and ceilings on someone else’s budget. So it can pay to anticipate all your cabling needs for the next several years and bundle them into your entire project at this opportune time.

Most wireless access points (AP) are mounted in the ceiling and plugged into an Ethernet switch at the back end. It’s customary to leave an extra bit of cable length (10 to 20 feet) up in the ceiling for each AP in case you later need to move it to improve your coverage or avoid interference. Predict where you are likely to place APs and order and install the cabling (loops included) alongside your wired infrastructure, even if the APs are to come later. Going back and ripping into walls and ceilings after the fact can be laboriously and financially painful.

Anticipation of Wi-Fi also affects the number of Ethernet/Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch ports you’ll need in your wiring closets and data centers, both for APs and controllers (if using a controller-based architecture). So remember to account for APs not only in cabling but also in ports, power and cooling.

Note that if you plan to deploy 802.11n in your foreseeable future, you’ll likely install gigabit-speed switch ports to match the gigabit uplinks in 802.11n APs. If you do, it’s best to install minimum Category 6 copper cabling, which provides the best noise immunity for gigabit speeds, in your distribution network.

Read more about wireless & mobile in Network World's Wireless & Mobile section.

Joanie Wexler is an independent networking technology writer/editor in Silicon Valley.