Spectrum Analyzers are Not All Created Equal

David Stiff, Product Line Manager, Cisco Michael Rhoades, IT Administrator, North American Hgans

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 Interference Impact on Network Performance Detection, Classification and Isolation Standalone vs. System Level Solution What to do About Interference?

Hgans AB - Customer Case Study

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I cant do my job without wireless. It has to work.

Wireless is besteffort. I cant support a level 1 SLA.

Continued Growth and Reliance on Wi-Fi Devices

VS

IT Lacks RF Resources and Expertise

Limited Spectrum
SYSTEM OVERLOAD!

Performance

802.11n Performance Decrease

Support Cost
$

Increase in Support Cost

Throughput Reduction

Interference Type

Near
(25 ft)

Far
(75 ft)

End User Impact Reduced network capacity and coverage

2.4 or 5 GHz Cordless Phones Video Camera Wi-Fi

(busy neighbor)

100% 100% 90% 63% 20% 18%

100% 57% 75% 53% 17% 10%

Poor quality voice and video

Potential complete link failure IT Manager Impact

Microwave Oven

Potential security breaches

Support calls

Bluetooth Headset
DECT Phone

Increased cost of operation

Source: FarPoint Group

 802.11a/b/g/n - CSMA/CA or LBT (Listen Before Talk) Collision Avoidance 802.11 very very polite by design
CCA Collisions - SNR

CCA Clear Channel Assessment

Energy Detect quick low power - prone to false positives Wi-Fi Preamble takes time power less prone to false

CCA threshold for 802.11b/g is -65 dBm CCA for 802.11a is different -65 dBm ED, if true then 20 dB

lower for Preamble interrogation needs to be processed -85 dBm

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 Collisions - Non Wi-Fi devices do not participate in our CA

mechanism they have their own

No respect for Wi-Fi results in: Corrupted packets Increased retransmissions Increased Duty Cycle Less available bandwidth SNR Signal to Noise ratio High SNR
Energy Levels Noise Signal

Low SNR

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 Duty Cycle of interference is directly proportionate to

channel time available

Busy network less interference tolerance Less busy might not even notice low levels of interference Bandwidth is like Money the more you get the more you

spend

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 A Wi-Fi chip is a communications processor a MODEM It only knows Energy that can be demodulated = Wi-Fi

Energy that can not be demodulated = Noise

Noise is complicated! It can be caused by: Collisions, fragments, corruption,

Wi-Fi that is below sensitivity threshold of the receiver

Peaks in Wi-Fi activity can cause all of the above to occur Allowing Automatic & Fast channel changes purely based on noise

leads to network instability from sporadic re-channeling

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Spectrum Analysis with no compromise to data throughput

Typical Wi-Fi chipset Spectral Resolution at 5 MHz
Cisco CleanAir Wi-Fi chipset Spectral Resolution at 78 to 156 KHz

Power

BlueTooth BlueTooth

Chip View Visualization of Microwave oven and BlueTooth Interference

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Power
10

Microwave oven

Microwave oven

Detect & Classify

Uniquely identify and track multiple interferers
100

Assess unique impact to Wi-Fi performance

35

Custom CleanAir ASIC with 4 cores:

Monitor AirQuality

SAgE, DSL, CPU, and Wi-Fi

SAgE has an additional 500K gates

for SI
SAgE is the spectrum analyzer that

was used on the Spectrum Expert Cards (Spectrum Analysis Engine)

All Detection & Classification done in

2.4 GHz

5 GHz

ASIC at AP
No impact to data forwarding

Antenna

How?
Non Wi-Fi Energy Detection FFT, Pulse routines, etc Signal Isolation

Minimal info passed to controller

SAgE

Wi-Fi

1 GB Data Stream/Sec

Energy Stream Analysis Interference Classification

DSP

CPU

Inside the CleanAir ASIC

2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential 11

Cisco Unified Wireless Network 7.0 Release

2.4 GHz only Bluetooth Link Bluetooth Discovery 802.11FH Microwave Oven Industrial wireless/802.15.4 Xbox 5 GHz only Radar WiMAX Mobile WiMAX Fixed 2.4 or 5 GHz

Jammer
Wi-Fi Inverted Wi-Fi Invalid Channel Continuous Transmitter Video Camera SuperAG Canopy

Other (i.e. unclassified devices)

TDD Transmitter DECT-like Phone
Definite Security Threat Devices Potential Security Threat Devices Performance Impacting Devices

1. Classifiers are expandable over time with software upgrade. 2. All third party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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12

 Air Quality is a measurement of non-

Wi-Fi and adjacent channel Wi-Fi interference

All Individual devices when

Classified are assigned a Severity Value. A Severity of 0 is not severe, a Severity of 100 is very severe.
For the same device severity will

Good

differ on each reporting AP because of the APs RF relationship to that device

Air Quality is a measure of all

Bad

Devices/Severities within a Radio, Floor, Building, or Campus

2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential 13

 Persistent Device Avoidance PDA

Operates on Interferer Classification on a per AP basis

Once set biases RRMs channel picking algorithm against the PDA channel for the detecting AP only Remembers interference and avoids placing the AP back on the same channel Energy Detect RRM or ED-RRM Fast acting (=< 30 seconds)

Triggered by AQI value on a per AP basis

Designed to prevent catastrophic interference from disrupting channel/clients NOTE: Only Available with full CleanAir enabled installation not overlay

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14

Enabled Per Band Same on WCS or WLC EDRRM has threshold variable
WLC GUI - Wireless=>802.11a/b=>RRM=>DCA WCS Configure=>controllers=>802.11a/b=>RRM=>DCA

ED-RRM AQI thresholds:

Low 35 Medium (default) 50 High - 60
2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential 15

 Multiple APs = Multiple Sensors Each AP assigns a Psudo-MAC

to an identified device
WLC compares Psudo-MACs

from each AP and merges devices seen into one physical interferer when appropriate.
MSE calculates location of the

90

one, real device.

Prevents False reporting and alert

proliferation.
Aids in quick troubleshooting.

Easy to find THE interfering device.

2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential 16

 2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

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17

 Reactive troubleshooting used when interference suspected Fly the expert onsite with expensive tools Live troubleshooting in a production environment Resolution can be time consuming

Challenges
Requires expertise Hard to find the interferer No continuous monitoring Lengthy resolution time Travel & time & cost requirements

Cisco Spectrum Expert

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18

Keys to Success

Increase Reliability

1. Continual, system-wide discovery to recognize interference exists

2. Accurately identify source(s) of interference and scope the impact

3. Take intelligent, automatic action to avoid current and future interference

Reduce OpEx
2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential 19

Benefits
Self Healing and Optimizing
Reduces Downtime, Maximizes Resilience

Features
AirQuality Aware RRM Event Driven RRM Persistent Device Avoidance

Troubleshooting Forensics
Lowers Problem Resolution Time/Cost

Remote Client Troubleshooting Spectrum Expert Connect Location, Impact Analysis & History Playback
New Rogue Threats Detection (off-channel, inverted) DOS Jammer Detection

Wireless Security
Improves Visibility to New Threats

Policy Enforcement
Enables Enforceable Rules

Unwanted Device Notification Unwanted Device Location

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20

Product
AP3500

Licensing Requirements
None

Functionality
Multi-interferer Detection & Classification AirQuality Monitoring Self-Healing Event Driven RRM AirQuality Aware RRM Self-Learning Persistent Device Avoidance Spectrum Expert Connect AirQuality and Interferer Alerts

Wireless LAN Controller

Standard per AP

MSE

Context Aware client license required for each interferer tracked MSE adds support for 100 interferers when AP3500 present (5 per AP, additive)

Interferer Tracking and Merging Location Calculations History Storage

NCS

Standard per AP count

Remote Client Troubleshooting AirQuality Visualization and Mapping Forensics Tools Location Visualization Impact Analysis History Playback

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21

North American Hgans Wireless Implementation

Michael Rhoades IT Administrator

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22

 Hgans AB Based in Hgans Sweden Worlds Largest producer of

Iron Powders
Multi-National Company Publically held and traded on

the Swedish Stock Exchange in Stockholm

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23

 4 Sites in the US

Hollsopple, PA (Stony Creek Plant (HQ)) Johnstown, PA St Marys, PA Niagara Falls, NY

360 Employees

2 Full time IT Staff

Microsoft Environment

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24

 Cisco Unified Communications

(Version 8.5)
Cisco Unified Messaging Cisco Unified Presence Cisco Catalyst 3750 Series

Core Switch MDF

22 Cisco Catalyst 3560 IDFs

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25

 Large Warehouse with

500,000 Sq. Ft.

Coverage Areas:
Maintenance Production Logistics (Fork Lift Computers)

Emergency Device

Tracking

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26

 Surveyed at 2.4-GHz 802.11b/g 2 Cisco 4400 Series Wireless

Controllers
52 Cisco Aironet 1240 Series

Access Points
Mounted very high inside and outside of the plant

Cisco 7921 Wireless Phones Omni Directional High Gain

Antennas
Added 5-GHz and 802.11a
No major improvement
2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential 27

 Large Steel Building

500,000 Square Feet Two 7 Story Bay Open Steel Structures Numerous Multi-level Spaces Large Equipment

Metal Powder in the Air Large Metal Racks with 2 Ton Bags of

Metal Powder
Magnetic Separator Overhead Cranes Tunnels, Small Enclosed Spaces Electric Arc Furnace Poured Concrete Walls with Rebar
2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential 28

 Multipath Reflection Shadowing One way calling Loss of service (Leaving Service Area) Antenna Patterns missing coverage area APs improperly placed Wrong Antennas

Interference from plant equipment

Other wireless networks (Friendly Rogues)

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29

 Cisco Advanced Services

Survey for Harsh Environments

802.11a/g/n
2.4GHz (primary) and 5GHz

3 qty 5505 Series Controllers

Cisco WCS (Wireless Control System)

for Management
MIMO technology

90 Cisco Aironet 3500 Series APs with

CleanAir technology
50 Cisco 7925G-EX wireless phones

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30

 Use Cisco Aironet 3500 Series Access

Points with CleanAir Technology and Wireless Controllers

Use small Di-pole and Directional

Antennas to ensure proper coverage

Lower placement of APs RRM (Radio Resource Management)

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31

 Locates Interference with Zone

Persistent Device Avoidance

of Impact
Air Quality Results Map Visualization with WCS
2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Self Healing Networks

ClientLink and MIMO 802.11a/g devices work better
Cisco Confidential 32

 Helps troubleshooting

performance problems in real-time

Tracks intermittent and

past problems
Reporting on usage and

interference trends
Reduces man hours to

manage and troubleshoot wireless problems

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33

 Outdoor Survey Upgrading from WCS to

Prime NCS
Cisco Aironet 1500 Series

Mesh Access Points

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34

 Survey WCS AP Placement (Lower) AP Selection Antenna selection and mounting

angles

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35

 2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

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36

Thank you.