Strategic planning for seamless wireless and network connectivity
Detailed and careful planning has never been more important when it comes to designing and implementing wireless networks.
While focusing on the business applications and end-user devices which support mobility, it’s important not to forget the rest of your network infrastructure.
With a wealth of experience in wireless and wired networking, Frame uses rigorous planning, selects the most appropriate products, and engages with stakeholders throughout the design process, to deliver the optimal experience for end-users.
What you can expect
Secure wireless and mobility solutions which optimise your users’ experience, meet their performance expectations, and minimise your operating overheads.
The right level of planning to design effective indoor and outdoor wireless networks
Today’s enterprise wireless networks must meet the challenges of bandwidth-hungry applications, wired infrastructure limitations, our constant need to be connected, and interference from external wireless networks.
Planning ensures we deliver you a resilient wireless solution, with levels of availability, performance and security which can be maintained for the long term.
And while interference is inevitable, Frame takes measures to minimise its impact on your network.
An engaging experience for your users
A properly designed wireless solution enhances your users’ experience. Your infrastructure requirements are typically driven by the business application.
The impact of poor infrastructure design decisions can be significant.
The wrong decisions can tarnish users’ first contact with a mobility application, like the complexity of multiple logins or unnecessary user options.
Similarly, poor decisions can result in unnecessary overheads for the team that inherits responsibility for operating and supporting the solution.
Because Frame designs wireless and mobility solutions based on experience, best practices, selecting suitable products and continually engaging with stakeholders, we’re able to deliver the optimal user experience.
We can help you with connectivity to handheld devices using wireless LANs, carrier mobile networks and internet-based VPN, as well as set up proxies for mobile application traffic and change the way devices authenticate.
Whatever your requirements, we’re cognisant of the need for availablity, performance and security, without causing operating overheads.
Frame understands how crucial it is to get the foundation infrastructure right.
In doing so, your users will be engaged by their mobile applications instead of the technology, which will be seamless.
Wired network infrastructure capable of supporting high-speed wireless
The performance of a wireless network is dependent on the underlying wired network infrastructure.
If it turns out that your ICT infrastructure needs to be upgraded to effectively support high-speed wireless, we can help you build the business case as well as design and deliver the solution.
Infrastructure product selection and architecture can have major implications on your users’ experience, as well as your operating costs.
By planning and designing a high-speed wired infrastructure based on the right products for your requirements, proper placement of access points and effective capacity planning, Frame ensures optimal throughput is achieved.
An approach to wireless planning and design which maximises resilience and quality of service
Wireless site surveys are integral to planning and designing a wireless network.
By getting the foundation infrastructure right, your users will be engaged by their mobile experience rather than be distracted by technology glitches.
Conducting a physical site survey is often the first step in the planning and design process, especially if you’re unable to provide building information like site maps, floor plans, building types and materials.
The physical site survey is carried out by a survey engineer who defines the coverage area and confirms the construction types, materials and elevations, as well as obstructions through which the RF signal must pass.
In addition, the physical site survey is used to determine
- requirements for capacity
- density of access points
- applications and services in use
- throughput requirements for voice, video, data, messaging and real-time locating (RTLS)
- RF environment conditions to maintain signal strength
- sources of interference.
Once the physical site survey is completed, a predictive survey is used to determine the number of access points your site requires, and where to place them.
This survey is done during the initial stage of the project, before the infrastructure build commences. This helps you to make an informed decision about the design, ensuring it bears the best value and business benefit.
Using a survey tool, heat maps are generated and overlaid on the required area of wireless coverage.
Predictive surveys are correct in 90% of cases.
Passive surveys are used to test the RF energy present in the area of wireless coverage. We use passive surveys in 95% of cases.
While installing a wireless network, Frame chooses 30% of the total access points for passive testing.
We test 30% of the coverage area because:
- it’s representative of the access point positions to gather enough information about the signal strength between walls
- it saves you money as we take less time with the installation and deployment.
The information about signal strength drop-offs is plugged back into the predictive model so we can make any necessary adjustments.
Active surveys are used to test an access point for things like packet jitter, loss and delay.
Because only one access point can be tested at a time, active surveys are expensive. Frame generally only uses active surveys to test voice handsets at sites where the environment is a major concern to the quality of service.
Post-install surveys are standard on all of Frame’s wireless projects.
These are a passive survey of the RF energy present on the floor once the network has been active for 24 hours.
This makes it possible for Frame to test signal strength, adjust the placement of access points and refine the wireless network’s configuration.
A system for keeping track of your valuable assets
For enterprises like hospitals, hotels and universities, keeping track of thousands of costly items of equipment isn’t easy. Assets get misplaced and aren’t available when needed.
The answer: real-time asset tracking technology using radio frequency identification (RFID) tags.
RFID operates perfectly with an RTLS-grade wireless network design, which means you can track asset movements with up to 1‑metre accuracy.
Frame can design and implement an asset tracking solution which:
- gives you real-time visibility of the location of assets
- provides history of asset movements
- prevents loss and theft by issuing alerts when assets are removed from site or from within a specific boundary.