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Deployments based on 802.11b/g can choose from only three nonoverlapping channels in the 2.4-GHz range. Adding another AP on channel 6 between two others on channels 1 and 11 may be OK. But if there are APs using channel 6 on the floors above and below, the resulting co-channel interference will reduce overall system performance in a moderately to heavily used environment.
To help solve this, Archibald's group uses Cisco's 1100 Series thin-AP system (formerly from Airespace), which includes auto-channel selection. The team deployed one AP for every 3,000 square feet. Another option is to use 802.11a. The additional 255 MHz that the FCC allocated means there are essentially 23 or 24 nonoverlapping channels in the 5-GHz range.
This would resolve channel selection even in the densest wireless environments, but schools and enterprises alike have demonstrated little interest in an option that adds to the cost of client cards and APs. A dual-band AP costs from $100 to $200 more than one that's just b/g, though wireless cards are only $10 more and are becoming standard. This resistance will lessen as prices drop, and IT groups face the realities of dense wireless deployments that require better performance.
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