Nile's Channel Planner - RF Optimization

channel planner at nile nile offers access network as a service with sla backed guarantees, it was imperative for nile to fundamentally simplify the design and architecture of the nile service block that provides the access network, eliminate manual configurations, need for expertise on customer it teams while ensuring the network gets deployed to a high level of design standard at nile, the process of building a foundational robust enterprise wired and wi fi network starts from day 1 of a customer’s journey the channel planner is part of the ai automation center and customers, partners do not have to manually set, configure or tweak any of the channel planning related options this document details out how the channel planner at nile functions and the various optimizations it applies day 1 to day 1 comprehensive data gathering nile and nile’s partners conduct a thorough site survey that entails comprehensive data gathering on existing infrastructure, capacity needs, coverage requirements, and applications in use a lot of data is collected on idf and mdf locations, the length of cables required in several cases, an on site active rf site survey is conducted to build the proposed ap placement setting up a robust network right on day 1 day 1, 0 data gathering and extraction all the rf site survey data collected during the data gathering is extracted from the survey files and used in the channel planner service height of the access point, and transmit power used in the predictive survey to ensure 67dbm coverage at each access point is also stored in the site survey files using this data in the channel planning process takes guess the work out of the settings and manual intervention required in determining the right transmit power to use at each ap location day 1 day of the installation with nile’s simple to use nile nav application, installers get an easy to follow step by step install procedure which ensures the ap placement is marked clearly on the floormap installers simply have to ensure the aps are activated at the prescribed locations any deviations in ap placement, such as activating an ap away from the prescribed location beyond a certain threshold is marked for correction channel planner the channel planner is designed to optimize wi fi network capacity and performance by intelligently managing channel configurations the planner aims to address various aspects of channel allocation to ensure maximum bandwidth, capacity, and reliability it also checks for coverage holes or major changes in the physical environment that may affect the coverage thereby affecting end device experience, and applies remedial measures such as bumping up the power on nearby access points if physical environmental changes are detected, rssi measurement anomalies are detected, and alerted to the nile team nile team in turn works with the customer through the customer support team to plan for a new site survey on site, to assess the need for additional aps all the key features listed below work in conjunction and they are each a parameter from the channel planning perspective that needs to be optimized it is a complex evaluation function that the algorithm in cloud solves for to come up with the best possible channel plan based on several metrics such as noise floor, ap neighbor density, external bss interference, self channel utilization to name a few key features frequent planning during installation phase partners and customers have a checklist of tests to be performed once the access points start to come online in order to save time while the rest of the aps get deployed tests could be performed to verify the ssid settings, dhcp, dns, radius and more importantly throughput, data rate, interference measurement tests in order to ensure good results, it is important the aps that are already installed are operating on optimum channel and power hence during the installation phase the channel planner is run frequently to ensure good channel distribution this enables the partners, customers to check off tests even if the entire floor is not deployed yet once the installation is completed, the frequent channel planning switches to a nightly schedule spatial separation and bss coloring maximizes channel separation between neighboring access points to reduce interference uses bss (basic service set) coloring to distinguish overlapping signals and minimize contention importance spatial separation is crucial to minimizing co channel and adjacent channel interference, which can significantly degrade network performance by ensuring that neighboring access points are using non overlapping channels, the channel planner helps maintain a cleaner rf environment, leading to more stable connections and better overall performance unique optimization bss coloring allows overlapping signals on the same frequency to be differentiated by using unique identifiers this reduces contention among access points, even in dense environments, ensuring that devices can more effectively communicate without excessive packet collisions channel width optimization maximizes channel width for higher bandwidth and capacity, balancing the needs of client density and overall network efficiency importance channel width directly impacts the amount of data that can be transmitted over the wi fi network wider channels (e g , 40mhz or 80mhz) allow for higher throughput, which is especially beneficial in environments with high bandwidth demands however, in densely populated areas, narrower channels (e g , 20mhz) may be preferable to reduce interference unique optimization the channel planner dynamically adjusts channel width based on the density of clients and interference levels, ensuring the best balance between high throughput and minimal interference, thereby optimizing the overall network performance utilization of unii 2 bands prioritizes the use of unii 2 channels to make full use of the available spectrum, as wi fi devices evolve to support more channels importance the unii 2 band provides additional channels that are less crowded compared to the commonly used unii 1 band this helps in reducing congestion and improving overall network performance by spreading out the devices across more available channels optimization by utilizing the unii 2 band, the channel planner ensures that the network can accommodate a larger number of devices with minimal interference, particularly in environments where other wi fi networks are present external bss consideration takes into account the impact of external wi fi signals (e g , neighboring networks) to manage interference and load effectively importance external wi fi networks can create interference, especially in dense urban environments by considering these external bss (basic service set) signals, the channel planner can adjust channel assignments to minimize overlap and interference optimization the channel planner continuously scans the environment to identify external networks and adapt channel assignments in real time, reducing the likelihood of performance degradation due to overlapping signals bias towards non dfs channels prefers non dfs (dynamic frequency selection) channels in the 5ghz band to avoid disruptions due to radar detection requirements importance dfs channels are subject to radar detection requirements, which can lead to sudden channel changes and disruptions in connectivity by biasing towards non dfs channels, the channel planner ensures more stable connections without interruptions optimization the use of non dfs channels allows for uninterrupted service, especially in environments where radar is present, such as near airports or weather stations this improves the reliability of the wi fi network for end users noise floor management monitors and mitigates interference from non wi fi sources that affect channel utilization and noise levels importance non wi fi devices, such as microwave ovens and bluetooth devices, can contribute to the noise floor, affecting wi fi performance effective noise floor management is essential for maintaining high quality connections optimization the channel planner uses advanced algorithms to detect and mitigate the impact of non wi fi interference sources, ensuring that the network maintains a low noise floor, which is critical for achieving high data rates and stable connections coverage hole mitigation identifies coverage gaps using alerts for access points that go down, triggering mitigation measures to maintain consistent coverage importance coverage holes can lead to dead zones where clients are unable to connect to the wi fi network identifying and addressing these gaps is crucial for maintaining a seamless user experience optimization the channel planner uses real time monitoring to detect when an access point goes offline or when coverage is insufficient it then triggers alerts and recommends actions, such as adjusting power levels or repositioning access points, to fill the coverage gap auto shut off of radios applies primarily in the 2 4ghz band to reduce interference by powering down redundant radios when overlap is detected, optimizing resource allocation importance the 2 4ghz band is often congested due to the limited number of channels available and the presence of many legacy devices reducing the number of active radios can help minimize interference and improve overall network performance optimization the channel planner intelligently identifies areas where multiple access points are causing unnecessary overlap and automatically shuts off redundant radios this reduces co channel interference and ensures that the remaining radios operate more efficiently, improving the user experience smart dfs allocates non dfs channels intelligently based on end device dfs support awareness importance many wi fi devices do not fully support dfs channels, which can lead to connection disruptions by being aware of device capabilities, the channel planner can optimize channel allocation to avoid potential compatibility issues optimization the channel planner uses smart dfs to ensure that channels are selected with consideration of device support, reducing the likelihood of connectivity issues and improving overall reliability provide smarter backup channel list maintains a smarter backup channel list to ensure better local channel selection in case of radar detection or sudden interference importance in environments where radar detection can force an access point to vacate a channel, having an optimized backup channel list ensures minimal disruption to clients optimization the channel planner dynamically maintains a list of backup channels based on current network conditions, ensuring that any necessary channel switch is smooth and minimizes service interruption external bss monitors external wi fi interference and generates alerts for customers to take action based on the air quality index (aqi) of the wireless environment importance external interference can significantly impact network quality by providing actionable insights regarding the rf environment, the channel planner allows network administrators to proactively manage interference optimization the aqi based approach provides a comprehensive view of external wi fi and non wi fi interference, enabling more informed decision making to optimize performance intelligent channel rollout & channel switch announcement (csa) uses intelligent channel rollout plans and triggers csa (channel switch announcement) to minimize disruption when changing channels importance sudden channel changes can cause disruptions to user connectivity csa helps to ensure that devices are informed in advance, allowing for a smooth transition optimization the channel planner utilizes intelligent scheduling for channel changes, minimizing user impact and maintaining stable connectivity during channel transitions conclusion the primary goal is to maximize wi fi network performance through careful management of channel assignments, bandwidth, interference, and client density—essentially treating channel planning as a math problem that can be solved for optimal capacity and user experience note disabling lower data rates on wi fi access points does not enhance roaming a common misconception is that removing lower data rates on wi fi access points improves device roaming however, this is not accurate across different operating systems the key factor influencing effective roaming is the transmit (tx) power of access points, which is essential for maintaining stable connections as devices move between aps while disabling lower data rates may not aid in roaming, there are real benefits to this approach for instance, it can help reduce co channel interference and increase the overall throughput by encouraging devices to connect at higher data rates this can lead to improved performance in scenarios where bandwidth demanding applications are being used to truly optimize roaming and performance, network administrators should focus on configuring tx power appropriately, analyzing network design, and understanding the specific needs of their environment, rather than solely adjusting data rate settings this comprehensive understanding is crucial for delivering a seamless wireless experience for users