Cisco Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Policy Feature Card Libro blanco

Wireless LAN Design Guide for High Density 

Client Environments in Higher Education   

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In a high-density environment such as a lecture hall or auditorium, the densities of users in the occupied space increase 
dramatically. User seating is typically clustered very close together to achieve high occupancy. The overall dimensions of 
the space are really only useful for getting an idea of the free space path loss of the AP signal. User densities are not evenly 
distributed over the entire space as aisle ways, stages, and podiums represent a percentage of space which is relatively 
unoccupied. The RF dynamics of the AP are very different from those experienced at the user level. The APs are exposed with 
an excellent view of the room and the user devices will be packed closely together with attenuating bodies surrounding them. 

The single biggest sources of interference in the room are the client devices themselves. For each user sitting in the auditorium 
who can rest their hand comfortably on the back of the seat in front of them, the distance is approximately three feet, with an 
average seat width of 24 inches. This yields what is defined as a high-density environment, with less than 1 square meter per 
device deployed, assuming one or more devices connected per seat.