Deciding whether APs go on the ceiling or on the wall.
Ceiling almost always beats wall. APs are designed to radiate down and around, not through a wall in one direction. Wall mounts are a compromise when a suspended ceiling is off-limits, or in a high room where the ceiling is too far. Never park them in a closed meter cabinet, not even 'for now'.
Try this first
- 1Default: ceiling, middle of the room, antennas pointing down. That gives a round cell beneath the AP.
- 2Suspended ceiling with grid tiles? Use the clip kit, do not screw through a tile, it works loose.
- 3No suspended ceiling? Wall mount at 2.4 to 2.8 metres, antenna direction pointing away from the outer wall.
- 4Tall space (5+ metres, warehouse, atrium)? Ceiling is too far, use a wall or pendant mount at working height plus 1 metre.
- 5Avoid: on top of a metal cabinet, behind a metal panel, inside the meter cabinet, next to microwave or UPS. All cause interference.
- 6Walk the floor with a phone and a Wi-Fi analyzer app before drilling, confirm signal lands where you expected.
When to bring us in
The office has lots of concrete, metal-coated glass or fire walls: hand surveys lie, a proper heatmap with Ekahau or NetSpot saves extra AP purchases later.
See also
- Wi-Fi drops randomly across the officeFirst rule out whether it is the access points or the internet connection itself. Different fix.
- One room or corner has no or bad Wi-FiNot always "add another AP"; often one is poorly positioned, or there is a metal wall in the way.
- Internet is suddenly slow for everyoneThree suspects: your provider, a colleague soaking the line, or a backup or update kicking in unexpectedly.
None of the above fits?
Describe your situation below. We pass your input plus the steps you already saw to our AI and return tailored next-step advice. If it's too risky to DIY, we'll say so.
Or skip the DIY entirely
Our Managed IT clients do not look these things up. One point of contact, a fixed monthly price, resolved within working hours.