Fieldbus & Industrial Networking


Site planning and wireless network installation

February 2011 Fieldbus & Industrial Networking

Building a wireless network can be quite an undertaking. Compared to wired networks, wireless networks require a great deal more planning to install and deploy. In addition to marked differences between wired and wireless LANs, there are currently no standardised procedures for wireless network planning and installation.

So before you begin site planning your network, you need to decide which technologies will be the most beneficial and whether or not consumer-grade products can meet the needs of your mission-critical application. This white paper explains the important factors you should consider in planning and installing a wireless network.

Why choose industrial wireless?

The convenience of connecting devices without the use of wires has led to the unprecedented success of wireless technologies in the consumer sector. Due to this success, these same technologies are beginning to appear in various other settings including industrial applications. Wireless technologies offer a number of key benefits including mobility, flexibility, wide coverage, and cost savings.

Better site planning

Site planning and wireless network installation start with the most obvious and simplest questions, such as 'What kind of wireless technology do I need?' or 'How many wireless access points are needed in this project and where should they be placed?' Planning a wireless network is a trade-off between resources and requests. A well-planned wireless network will reach a balance between technology, system performance, and, of course, installation cost.

Before installing your wireless network, there are some important factors you should consider for your site planning:

Subjective Factors:

* Project budget.

* Coverage and range.

* Data communication rate.

* Capacity and location.

Objective Factors:

* Government regulations.

* Technical or environmental limitations.

* Radio interference.

* Error prevention.</i>

For greater detail on these topics and more about wireless network planning, readers can download the full Moxa white paper at http://instrumentation.co.za/+C14685

For more information contact RJ Programmable Techniques, +27 (0)11 781 0777, info@rjprogtech.co.za, www.rjprogtech.co.za



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