Bâtiments Full Wi-Fi: A New Era with Wi-Fi 7

Presented by Kamel Cherif-Zahar and Federico Ziliotto, Technical Solutions Architects

Track 2, Session 2

Introduction: The Love for Wi-Fi

This presentation explores the advancements in Wi-Fi technology, focusing on the capabilities and benefits of Wi-Fi 7.

The Unified Experience for Smarter Buildings

Cisco offers a unified experience for smarter buildings through its AI-driven solutions:

AI Services: Cisco Security Cloud, AI Endpoint Analytics, AI-Driven Assurance, AI-Enhanced RRM, and Cisco Spaces.
Management: Catalyst Center and Cisco Meraki Dashboard.
Infrastructure: 9800 Controller and Access Points (APs).

This integrated approach leverages AI and cloud platforms to enhance building operations and user experience.

Wi-Fi Evolution

A timeline showcasing the evolution of Wi-Fi standards:

802.11b (Wi-Fi 1)
802.11a
802.11g (Wi-Fi 2)
802.11n (Wi-Fi 4)
802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5)
802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)
802.11ax on 6 GHz (Wi-Fi 6E)
802.11be (Wi-Fi 7)

The New 6 GHz Band: Wi-Fi 6E and Later

The 6 GHz band offers expanded spectrum for Wi-Fi, enabling higher throughput and reduced interference. The diagram illustrates the allocation of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, and 160 MHz channels within the U-NII-5, U-NII-6, U-NII-7, and U-NII-8 sub-bands. For ETSI regions, only U-NII-5 is currently available.

IEEE 802.11be and Wi-Fi 7 Features

Wi-Fi 7 introduces several key advancements:

320 MHz Channels: 320 MHz in 6 GHz and 160 MHz in 5 GHz for increased bandwidth.
4K QAM: Enhances data transmission efficiency by increasing the number of bits per symbol.
Multi-Link Operations (MLO): Allows devices to connect and transmit data across multiple links simultaneously, improving throughput, latency, and reliability.
Multi-RU (Resource Unit): Enables flexible channel utilization.
Preamble Puncturing: Mandatory in 6 GHz, optional in 5 GHz, with a minimum channel width of 80 MHz.
Compressed Block Ack: Improves efficiency in acknowledgments.
Triggered UL Access Optimization: Enhances uplink access.
Enhanced Security: Strengthened security protocols.

Wi-Fi 7 - 4k QAM

4K QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) significantly increases the number of bits per symbol, requiring a very high Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) for optimal performance. This is visualized by comparing the constellation diagrams for Wi-Fi 5 (256 QAM), Wi-Fi 6/6E (1024 QAM), and Wi-Fi 7 (4096 QAM).

Multi Link Operations (MLO)

MLO enables devices to utilize multiple Wi-Fi links concurrently, offering benefits such as increased throughput, lower latency, and improved reliability. The diagram illustrates the connection between an Access Point (AP MLD) and a Wireless Client (Non-AP MLD) across 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands.

MLO modes include:

Multi Link Single Radio (MLSR): Only one radio is operational at a given moment.
Enhanced Multi Link Single Radio (EMLSR): Listens on multiple links in parallel before selecting one.
Multi Link Multi Radio Non-Simultaneous Tx Rx (MLMR NSTR): Uses multiple radios to transmit or receive.
Multi Link Multi Radio Simultaneous Tx Rx (MLMR STR): Uses multiple radios to transmit and/or receive.

RF Design Considerations

Effective RF design is crucial for optimal Wi-Fi performance. The presentation includes heatmaps illustrating signal strength (dBm) and discusses key considerations:

AP antenna patterns at 6 GHz are similar to 5 GHz.
At 6 GHz, the cell size is smaller compared to 5 GHz at the same power level.
AP coverage between 5 GHz and 6 GHz will be similar, but 6 GHz may require power levels that are 2dB higher for comparable coverage.
For existing deployments, consider AP replacement based on power levels and coverage.
For new deployments, a site survey is recommended.

Cisco Wi-Fi 7 Portfolio

Cisco offers a range of Wi-Fi 7 access points designed for various deployment needs:

CW91721/H: 6 Spatial Streams, 2x2:2 across 3 radios (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz), with options for 2x2:2 on 2.4 GHz and 4x4:4 on 5 GHz. Features BLE/IoT, USB 2.0, and integrated omnidirectional antenna.
CW91761/D1: 12 Spatial Streams, 4x4:4 across 3 radios (2.4/5 GHz XOR, 5 GHz, 6 GHz). Features 10 Gbps multigigabit, UWB, USB 2.0, and integrated omnidirectional or directional antenna.
CW91781: 16 Spatial Streams, 4x4:4 across 4 radios (2.4 GHz, dual 5 GHz, 6 GHz). Features dual 10 Gbps multigigabit, UWB, USB 2.0, and integrated omnidirectional antenna.

These APs support previous generations and PoE+.

Cisco Wireless Unified Product Evolution

Cisco's product evolution shows a progression from Wi-Fi 6 (1 SKU per model) to Wi-Fi 6E (17+ SKUs per model) and now to Wi-Fi 7 Global Use APs, offering flexibility in deployment and management.

Global Use AP (GUAP)

Global Use APs simplify the Cisco Wireless AP portfolio by decoupling the AP PID/SKU from geography and boot mode (Meraki or WLC based). Examples of non-Global Use AP PIDs include C9130AXI-B (US use only) and CW9166I-MR (Meraki mode boot).

Ultra Wide-Band (UWB)

Integrated with Access Points CW9176 & CW9178, UWB operates in the 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz spectrum. Cisco APs can utilize Channel 9 (7.737-8.237 GHz) with a 500MHz bandwidth without interfering with Wi-Fi.

Maps: A Typical Challenge for Planning Buildings

Challenges in building planning include accurately placing Access Points on maps, the time required for placement and maintenance, and confidence in AP map placement. Solutions like AP Auto Locate address these challenges.

AP Auto Locate to the Rescue

AP Auto Locate simplifies network deployments by:

Reducing IT admin workload.
Providing quality input for AI-driven operations and assurance.
Reducing troubleshooting effort caused by incorrect AP placement.
Improving client location services accuracy.

AP Auto Locate is supported for Catalyst Center and Meraki Dashboard, with specific AP models listed for each platform.

AI-Enhanced RRM for Improved RF Robustness

AI-Enhanced RRM (Radio Resource Management) provides:

Trend-Based RRM: Optimizes RF using historical data.
Flexible Radio Assignment: Optimizes band selection to minimize 2.4 GHz interference.
Busy Hour Aware: Minimizes disruptive changes during critical times.

Catalyst Center provides actionable insights and detailed RRM channel history.

Meraki Dashboard: Wireless Radio Settings

The Meraki Dashboard allows for the configuration and activation of radio settings, providing insights into RF performance and coverage based on selected parameters. Users can view details such as channel, channel width, transmit power, and RF score for each AP.

Cisco AI Assistant to Unlock Network Intelligence

The Cisco AI Assistant empowers IT teams, reduces management costs, and optimizes network performance and reliability. It offers capabilities for documentation questions, network visibility and configuration, network diagnostics, and network optimization. The AI Assistant is currently available in private beta for Meraki Dashboard and Catalyst Center.

Network as a Sensor with Cisco Spaces

Cisco Spaces transforms the network into a sensor, leveraging data from Wi-Fi, BLE, UWB, IoT devices, and sensors to improve operations and workspaces. It integrates with Cisco Collaboration Devices, Cisco Switches, Meraki MT sensors, and Cisco Access Points to collect data on occupancy, air quality, temperature, CO2, and more.

Cisco Spaces for Smarter Buildings

Cisco Spaces provides a cloud platform for data analysis and monitoring, offering a secure and compliant solution (GDPR, PDPA, ISO 27001, SOC Type 1). It visualizes building data, including floor occupancy, air quality, and temperature, to enhance building management and user experience.

Go Beyond with Cisco CX!

Cisco Customer Experience (CX) offers Premium Support, Solution Attached Services, and Lifecycle Services to help organizations optimize their networks and achieve business outcomes. This includes services for Smart Building Technology, Campus Network Insights, and Energy Optimization.

Conclusion

Thank you.

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