ProSoft Technology RLXIB-IHN-W-E - Manual (Page 19)

RLXIB-IHN-WC ♦ 802.11n Start Here
Weatherproof Industrial Hotspot User Manual
ProSoft Technology, Inc. Page 19 of 19
July 9, 2012
1.2 Planning the Network
Before you configure and install the network, you should create a plan for it. The
following points assume that you are creating a bridge network of a master and
repeaters, as needed, to work with devices on existing wireless LANs.
The simplest way to design the physical network of radios, antennas, connectors,
cables, amplifiers and other accessories, is to use ProSoft Wireless Designer
(page 22). This application determines your hardware needs based on your
answers to a few questions, and then generates a Bill of Materials specifying all
the components you will need for your installation.
 To begin, determine where you need radios and then choose locations for
them accordingly. For example, you might decide to install your master radio
near a PC in a central plant location (You can use the PC to configure the
radios through the RadioLinx Configuration Manager). If the plant is an oil
refinery, for example, you might decide to install radios near the oil tanks.
 The next important issue is how to link the radios. Unless the radios are very
close together, you must make sure that each pair of radio antennas in the
network has a line of sight between them. In other words, you must be able to
see from one antenna to another, either with the naked eye, or with
binoculars.
 If a line of sight does not exist between antennas, you must choose a site for
installing a repeater radio, which will create a bridge between the radio
antennas.
 Choose the appropriate antennas for the network. If an antenna will be
connected to the radio by a long cable, you might need to purchase a power
amplifier, which is available from ProSoft Technology. The more distance
between an antenna and its radio, the more signal loss the radio will have.
For more information, see Antennas (page 140).
 Consider drawing up your network plans on paper. As part of the drawing,
you should assign a logical name to each radio. You can use these names
later when configuring the radios in the RadioLinx Configuration Manager.
 As part of your planning, you might want to conduct a site survey. ProSoft
Technology can perform this survey, you can do it yourself, or you can hire a
surveyor.
 Protect radios from direct exposure to weather, and provide an adequate,
stable power source. Make sure that your plan complies with the radio’s
power requirements (page 138) and cable specifications (page 139, page
138).
Important: Radios and antennas must be located at least 8 inches (20 cm) away from personnel.