Installation Blueprint:
• Perform wifi scan at all installations. Select wifi channels that are free and clear with no
competing carriers.
o Manually configure wifi channel selection. (auto provision band steering often does not
effectively find clear and vacant wifi channels)
• ONT Location and mounting – place ONT centrally within household within proximity of primary
outlet and mount off of the floor.
o ideally off the ground between 4 and 8 feet to maximize effective footprint.
o Minimize use of extenders as practical to maximize speeds, ideally they should be off
the ground between 4 and 8 feet.
• In applications where 5GHz channels do not have sufficient signal strength at point of install (>-
55dBm & >25Mbps download speeds and >2Mbps upload speeds), try 2.4GHz operation. Use of
2.4 GHz wifi for STBs is a valid practice for streaming TV. Put streaming devices on 2.4 GHz
channels, and let the rest of the household use 5 GHz for computers, tablets and phones. While
2.4GHz peak throughput is lower than 5GHz, the reach is much greater and has a better ability
to penetrate walls. Low 5 GHz receive power can reduce throughput, impact tuning times,
create random buffering & failed control plane communications – creating an objectionable TV
experience.
o While 25/2 Mbps is not required for a quality streaming experience, this install objective
will ensure headroom for the customer so that as things change inside or nearby the
household with wifi they can continue to stream effectively.
• Install speed tester (Analiti) on Firesticks and Android boxes to verify >25Mbps download and >2
Mbps upload speeds at point of install. >-55dBm wifi signal strength.
o Perform this test 5x without failure, if failure determine if wifi source needs to be
relocated (or simply re-oriented, try turning 90 degrees) to guarantee performance.
• Develop wifi channel assignment plan in advance of installing high density MDU. Draw floorplan
and assign channels to units.
o Field Deployment Example – 24 unit buildings (12 on top of 12) with high density like a
hotel. Wifi scans for the building and also next-door neighboring units showed that the
same (4) wifi channels were used repeatedly with enough competing signal strength to
be impairing throughput.
• Install Birth Certificate – document installations (This information holds install contractors
accountable and can be used as reference for future truck rolls. If channels have changed,
receive levels, other – can aid in troubleshooting.)
o Require contractors to provide at each install a record of where the ONT and extenders
are placed
o Channels in use/provisioned
o Wifi scan results
o Speed test results and receive power level at each STB
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