Plan WLAN installations
Define standards-based WLAN (802.11x standards)
Define WLAN organizations and regulations
Identify customer requirements for the wireless LAN
Translate customer requirements into services and design recommendations
Determine WLAN security policies and constraints
Identify ambiguity and/or information gaps
Evaluate environmental characteristics
Define the tasks/goals for a preliminary site survey
Modify proposed solutions based on the applicable regulations
Evaluate the existing L2/L3 network infrastructure
Conduct the site survey
Design WLAN installations
Determine AP quantity and placement based upon the site survey and customer requirements, includes AP type and antenna type
Recommend autonomous or unified deployment model and design
Identify the wireless features needed to be implemented in the design, including AP groups, L2/L3 roaming, H-REAP, VoWLAN, AAA override, etc.
Design the wireless topology including VLANs, DHCP, SSIDs, IP addressing, mobility groups, etc.
Draft an RF operational model that includes:
(a) Radio resource management (Auto-RF, manual, hybrid, TPC and DCA)
(b) Channel use (Radar, other non-WiFi interference)
(c) Power level, overlap
Draft WLAN Security policies:
(a) Traffic restrictions for L2 filters (802.11 association filters), L3/L4 filters (ACL)
(b) Per user, per interface, per SSID; Management access restrictions; peer-to-peer blocking
(c) Layer 2/3 security
(d) WPS, MFP, NAC
Specify the server infrastructure needed to provide the required services
Determine the feasibility of carrying LWAPP over WAN
Determine hardware and software provisioning requirements for the supporting network infrastructure
Determine client provisioning given client hardware and software requirements
Use wireless network design tools
Draft a design that includes deliverables such as: detailed or high level annotated topology diagram, internal estimates for each site, BOMs for a wireless LAN
Implement WLAN Installations
Implement the WLAN in stages including priming and system testing access points
Set appropriate configuration parameters
Configure the existing infrastructure applications to support the WLAN, including authentication services (Radius, TACACS+, CA), NTP, DHCP, DNS (LWAPP controller), clients
Configure the existing network infrastructure to support the WLAN, including VLANS, Multicast, QoS, routing, switch port configurations, port access through Firewalls (guest access, anchor controllers), etc.
For an autonomous wireless architecture deploy APs and antennas, Wireless Distribution Systems (WDS),
Bridges (Point-to-Point, Point-to-Multi-Point), Work-group bridges
For a unified wireless architecture deploy APs and antennas, WLC with(out) WCS, AP and WLC configurations (auto-provisioning), location (location server, WCS Maps, location calibration)
Implement WLAN Security policies, including:
(a)Traffic restrictions:
(i)L2 filters (802.11 association filters)
(ii)L3/L4 filters (ACL) - per user, per interface, per SSID
(iii)Management access restrictions
(iv)Peer-to-peer blocking
(b)Layer 2/3 security
(c)WPS,MFP
Implement support Voice over WLAN deployments, for both Unified and Autonomous
Verify WLAN operation, Client, Location, Voice, Roaming, Post deployment site survey, Network High Availability, Auto-RF, etc
Operate WLAN installations
Determine key performance indicators (kpi) baseline WLAN operational characteristics
Collect baseline WLAN operational characteristics using network analysis tools
Establish fault management policy and procedures for indicators that should be routinely monitored including Establish Alert Profiles; Noise, Channel Utilization, Interference, Load, etc.
Monitor for faults
(a) Actively monitor changes based on thresholds (proactive); SNMP polling
(b) Receive alarms and wait until notification. (reactive); SNMP traps, syslog messages, WCS notifications
Monitor performance trends including Capacity planning; Error rates, Number of clients associated with an AP, AP loading, Threshold figures (1% packet loss for Voice), reference 802.11t; End-to-end traffic flows, etc.
Monitor WLAN Security policies.
(a) Traffic restrictions:
(i)L2 filters (802.11 association filters)
(ii) L3/L4 filters (ACL) - per user, per interface, per SSID
(iii) Management access restrictions
(iv) Peer-to-peer blocking
(b) Layer 2/3 security
(c) WPS
Monitor RF environments using Cisco Spectrum Expert; AP infrastructures
Correlate events, alarms and alerts
Troubleshoot WLAN issues
Use the standard troubleshooting method to solve problems
Check , validate and analyze:
(a)Client Devices
(i)Interpret and analyze client side logs.
(ii)Validate client connectivity/troubleshoot client via WCS.
(iii)Interpret and analyze wireless traces.
(iv)Client wireless drivers and supplicant software.
(b)Network infrastructure.
(i)Check and validate current channel/power settings
(ii)Validate security events with WCS
(iii)Validate location information in WCS
(iv)Validate trap generation, notifications in WCS
(v)Collect appropriate logs for analysis to isolate the problem.
(vi)Interpret and analyze sniffer traces
Analyze the collected information on the RF environment using client-side information and AP-side information (through WLC or WCS) and spectrum analyzer (Cisco Spectrum Expert).
Audit voice over WLAN deployment
Verify baseline functionality has been restored upon implementing problem resolution
