Watch on YouTube
Watch on Vimeo
Wes Purvis of HPE Networking examines the potential benefits and technical hurdles of using 6 GHz standard power (SP) mode in indoor environments. Traditionally, indoor 6 GHz is limited to low power indoor (LPI) mode, which often results in a significant transmission power imbalance between the access point and the client. This discrepancy leads to poor client talk-back performance and a 10 dB average RSSI difference compared to 5 GHz. By flipping the AP to standard power mode, the regulatory constraints ease, allowing client devices to transmit at much higher power levels–up to 24 dBm EIRP compared to as little as 6 dBm in LPI. Testing shows that this shift can improve client signal strength by 10 dB and increase coverage service level expectations (SLE) by up to 30%, making it a valuable tool for low-density or fringe environments like warehouses and large office spaces.
Implementing standard power indoors introduces the complexity of geolocation, a prerequisite for the Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) required to prevent interference with incumbent incumbents. Since GPS signals are notoriously weak inside buildings, HPE utilizes a propagation mechanism within both Mist and Aruba Central that allows APs with a GPS lock to share their coordinates with neighboring devices. This creates a mesh of derived geolocations across large facilities, even spanning distances up to 1,700 feet. The system calculates an “uncertainty area” that compounds with each hop through the network, using various opportunistic methods such as RF neighbor reports, BLE, and 802.11mc (Fine Timing Measurement) to validate the spatial relationships.
While standard power provides a clear boost in signal strength and coverage, it comes with the trade-off of a reduced channel set, dropping from 59 to 41 available 20 MHz channels. HPE notes that this is generally acceptable in the lower-density environments where standard power is most effective. The integration with AFC is seamless for the user; however, if an AP fails to derive its location, it will automatically revert to LPI mode or disable its 6 GHz radio to remain compliant. As this technology matures, HPE intends to explore more dynamic RRM (Radio Resource Management) adjustments that could automatically toggle between LPI and standard power based on real-time network conditions and client needs.
Personnel: Wes Purvis
Thank you for being part of the Tech Field Day community! Our mailing list is a great way to stay up to date on our events and technical content, and we appreciate your signup.
We promise that we’ll never spam you, send ads, or sell your information. This list will only be used to communicate with our community about our events and content. And we’ll limit it to no more than one message per week.
Although we only need your email address, it would be nice if you provided a little more information to help us get to know you better!
