Small Office Wi‑Fi Density Planning

At a glance

Reliable office Wi‑Fi comes from understanding how people use the space, placing access points where clients actually sit and meet, and tuning channels and power so devices roam cleanly. A light maintenance cadence keeps performance consistent and avoids surprise outages.

• Networking & Infrastructure services

Start with demand, not equipment

Before picking hardware, count people and devices during a busy hour. Include laptops, phones, tablets, printers, conferencing gear and IoT. Note which apps matter — softphones, video calls, screen sharing, cloud apps and large file sync. This gives a realistic view of throughput and concurrency.

Next, sketch the floor plan and mark desk clusters, collaboration areas, meeting rooms, kitchens and reception. Materials matter: glass, block walls, metal shelving and elevator shafts all affect signal. With this in hand you can make informed placement choices rather than guessing.

2.4, 5 and 6 GHz — what to use where

2.4 GHz travels farther but has few clean channels and is crowded. Prefer it only for IoT or when coverage is otherwise impossible. 5 GHz is the workhorse in most offices: more channels and less interference. 6 GHz (Wi‑Fi 6E) offers additional spectrum and can be excellent for modern laptops and high‑density rooms, but range is shorter and client support varies. A mixed approach is typical: use 5 GHz for general coverage, 6 GHz where available for modern clients, and keep 2.4 GHz for legacy or low‑bandwidth devices.

Heuristics for AP count (validate on site)

Open offices often start around one AP per 1,000–1,500 sq ft. Meeting rooms get one AP each when rooms are used heavily or have many devices. For dense training rooms, plan for more capacity than coverage: one AP may cover the room but struggle when everyone joins at once. These are starting points only — confirm with a quick survey and adjust.

Placement that serves people

Mount APs in open areas near users — ceilings or high on walls — not in cabinets or metal plenums. Avoid tucking APs above drop‑ceilings with foil backing. Keep them away from dense ductwork, large TVs and elevator equipment. In rectangular offices, stagger APs to avoid putting several in a line down one corridor; this reduces co‑channel interference.

Survey and validate

Predictive heat‑maps from a floor plan are a good start. Follow with a quick on‑site validation: walk the space with a laptop or phone and a free analyzer to confirm signal levels and noise. Check meeting rooms with doors closed. If video calls or softphones are important, make a few test calls while walking between APs to watch for stickiness or drops.

Channels and power planning

Use non‑overlapping 5 GHz channels and set modest power. Max power causes APs to yell at clients across the office and creates sticky roaming. In busy areas, prefer 20 MHz channel width for more slots on the air; reserve wider channels for low‑density areas. Avoid auto‑everything settings that change in the middle of the day.

Roaming and minimum RSSI

Phones and laptops often cling to an AP even when the signal from a closer AP is better. Minimum RSSI can gently push devices to roam once the signal falls below a threshold. Tune carefully: too high creates drops; too low leaves sticky clients. Start conservative and adjust after a week of observations.

Meeting rooms and high‑density events

Rooms where everyone joins the same meeting stress the network differently than open areas. Keep at least one AP dedicated to the room and consider client limits or a second AP in large spaces. Favor 5 GHz/6 GHz and 20 MHz channels. Plan wired connections for presenters and room PCs to reduce airtime use.

Voice over Wi‑Fi

Softphones and VoIP handsets are sensitive to jitter and loss. Provide strong 5 GHz coverage, avoid channel overlap near rooms where calls occur, and prioritize voice with QoS on the gateway and switches. Enable fast roaming options supported by your clients (802.11r/k/v) where they help and do not break older devices.

Security, guests and IoT segmentation

Keep guests separate with their own SSID and VLAN and limit bandwidth politely. For IoT, use a dedicated VLAN with clear firewall rules so devices can reach only what they need. Avoid shared passwords posted on the wall; rotate guest credentials or use a simple captive portal.

Cabling, PoE and the rack

Home‑run Cat6/Cat6a to a tidy rack. Size PoE switches with headroom for APs now and the ones you expect later. Label ports and APs, and keep a small legend so anyone can identify runs quickly. Good cable work and documentation are what make upgrades painless.

Mounting and aesthetics

In finished spaces, choose AP enclosures and colors that blend with ceilings. Keep mounting hardware secure and avoid placing APs directly above HVAC grills. In historic buildings, run cable along discreet paths and use existing conduits where possible to avoid surface raceway.

Monitoring and light maintenance

Set up basic monitoring: AP and switch online status, client counts and bandwidth alerts. Quarterly health checks — firmware planning, channel review and a quick test call — prevent slow drift. Keep a short change log so you know what changed when a symptom appears.

Troubleshooting playbook

Approach issues methodically. Reproduce the problem and change one variable at a time. Keep notes so fixes are repeatable and future staff can understand your choices.

• Is it coverage or capacity? Check signal and client counts
• If roaming is sticky, review minimum RSSI and AP power
• Packet loss on calls? Look for channel overlap and QoS
• Slow only in one room? Inspect cabling and switch port
• Random drops? Check for DFS events and neighboring APs

Example: 5,000 sq ft office (open + rooms)

A mixed office with 30 desks, 4 small meeting rooms and one training room might start with eight APs: one per meeting room, one in the training room, and three distributed across the open office. Channels are set to 20 MHz, power modest, and a minimum RSSI gently encourages roaming. The training room gets wired presenter connections. After a week, adjust based on client counts and call feedback.

Costs and timelines

Projects vary with cable routes and building materials, but small offices commonly complete in one to two days once routes are confirmed. Budgets typically include Cat6/Cat6a cable, PoE switches with headroom, APs sized for density, and a tidy rack with labeling. A short follow‑up visit checks roaming and tunes channels based on real use.

Checklist

• Survey where people sit and meet; count clients
• Place APs in open areas; avoid cabinets and plenums
• Prefer 5 GHz/6 GHz; keep 2.4 GHz for legacy/IoT
• Use 20 MHz channels and modest power in dense areas
• Encourage roaming carefully with minimum RSSI
• Segment guests/IoT on VLANs; limit guest bandwidth
• Label rack ports and keep a simple legend
• Monitor basics and run quarterly health checks

• Plan an office Wi‑Fi update