Technical Tip : New FortiAPs deployment and installation

[pprince]

Description	This article describes useful tips for new FortiAPs deployment. When implementing a wireless network, it can occasionally be difficult to properly plan the deployment because people assume that the access point can be installed in any environment. The FortiAP can be installed anywhere, but the wireless network will not perform the same at different locations. The following tasks must always be completed before installing any access point in order to know how to provide the best installation possible.
Scope	All FortiAPs and FortiGate deployments.
Solution	Create a support ticket with the Professional Services team to obtain supported design and configuration.  Professional services can guide on meeting the requirements and suggest any alternative solutions or better options that may be available to fulfill the needs. Conduct a thorough site survey to identify optimal FortiAP placement based on coverage requirements and interference factors: Technical Tip: RF Design for Wireless networks Focus on the physical installation of the FortiAP in such a way that the FortiAPs are installed in strategic points to  to ensure optimal coverage: Technical Tip: Avoid bad practices when placing FortiAP Carefully configure the transmit power to balance coverage and interference; the transmit power of a FortiAP directly affects its signal strength and coverage area. While higher power can extend coverage, it also increases the potential for interference with other wireless networks: Technical Tip: How to encourage WiFi clients to connect to 5 GHz band instead of 2.4 GHz band The use of DARRP is a powerful tool in the FortiAP arsenal, designed to optimize wireless network performance by intelligently managing radio resources Troubleshooting Tip: DARRP channel assignment on FortiAP WiFi FortiAP profile settings are the cornerstone of configuring and managing FortiAP devices. It defines the essential parameters that govern the behavior of the AP and performance: Technical Tip: How to Optimize speed on FortiWifi Segment the network into multiple VLANs to isolate traffic and reduce congestion. Use VLANs to separate different types of devices, such as guest devices and employee devices: Technical Tip: SSID Local bridge vs Tunnel mode Legacy devices often have limitations in terms of Wi-Fi standards and security protocols. To ensure optimal performance and security, it's crucial to configure FortiAPs to accommodate these devices: Technical Tip: How to troubleshoot connectivity issues with legacy wireless devices/Scanners/POS mac... To scale many FortiAPs per FortiGate Controller, set up multiple CPUs for wireless daemons. The total number of FortiAPs is divided into smaller groups for FortiGate-managed APs, with each daemon overseeing a group: Troubleshooting Tip: cw_acd process spikes to 99% on FortiGate Firewall Refer to the below docs for more information:  FortiAP Placement Guidelines and Channel Planning Best practices for OSI common sources of wireless issues Wi-Fi Clients Analysis and Planning