Ruckus Wireless Takes Guess Work Out Of Wireless LAN Design With The Introduction of ZonePlanner

SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 26. Ruckus Wireless, the smart mobile networking company, announced today that it has joined forces with AirMagnet, now part of Fluke Networks, to introduce ZonePlanner, a wireless LAN (WLAN) network planning tool designed specifically for use with Ruckus ZoneFlex Smart Wi-Fi access points (APs).

ZonePlanner combines technology advancements from AirMagnet and Ruckus Wireless and integrates directional high-gain antenna patterns derived from BeamFlex, the Ruckus-patented and award-winning smart antenna array, with AirMagnet's industry leading planning tools. With ZonePlanner, network managers can more easily and accurately plan, design, deploy and manage Ruckus Smart WLAN networks in any indoor environment.

Unlike other Wi-Fi APs on the market that use omni-directional dipole antennas to blindly radiate Wi-Fi energy in all directions, each Ruckus ZoneFlex AP integrates a high-gain directional smart antenna array that constantly focuses and directs Wi-Fi energy over the best performing signal paths to increase throughput and channel capacity while also significantly improving reliability and range.

"The combination of Ruckus ZoneFlex APs with the new ZonePlanner effectively takes all the guess work out of accurately designing and deploying a wireless LAN," said Brian Young, president of inVision Networks, a leading network solutions provider. "The planning process with Ruckus APs is already simple because not only do we need far fewer APs to cover a given area with their smart antenna array, the APs automatically adjust Wi-Fi signals to real-time changes in the environment," said Young. "Combining this technology with a low-cost, custom planning tool radically reduces the upfront time it normally takes to plan a wireless network and this detailed level of planning really streamlines deployment and network support with complete reports, bills of material, and accurate placement."

Great Wi-Fi Networks Start with a Great DesignAccurate network planning is one of the most critical steps to successful Wi-Fi deployment, while poor planning leads to over-spending on infrastructure and results in spotty coverage and unhappy users. ZonePlanner is ideal for designing and estimating Wi-Fi deployments before any installation of APs.

ZonePlanner supports all Ruckus ZoneFlex single and dual-band indoor APs. Planners can calculate and optimize AP counts, layout and configuration - adding Ruckus APs to any location and experimenting to find the ideal AP placement for the environment. It allows network managers to design and visualize Wi-Fi environments that account for different types of building materials, areas of signal attenuation, AP configuration and antenna patterns to provide a predictive map of Wi-Fi coverage and performance.

By simply loading in a map of the location and using the built-in library of doors, walls and windows to match the building's characteristics, ZonePlanner makes it very easy to build a detailed model of any Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi environment. The WLAN plans can be further customized to account for cubicles, offices, elevators, a variety of warehouse obstructions and any user-defined building materials and obstructions.

Affordably designed for Ruckus ZoneFlex Smart WLAN environments, ZonePlanner contains only Ruckus BeamFlex antenna patterns and features built-in and editable attenuation values for obstructions such as walls, windows and doors. Other ZonePlanner capabilities include WLAN throughput estimations, manual or automatic AP placement and signal coverage maps that take into consideration both transmit power and antenna gain.

With ZonePlanner, administrators can set AP channels, transmit power, antenna type, orientation, height and advanced 802.11n configuration options. When the planning session is complete, professional reports are easily generated with all the information required to properly install the network complete with a bill of materials list of required Ruckus APs and their ideal placement and configuration settings.Available immediately, ZonePlanner is priced at US $495 for end users and comes with one year of free support. Deeply discounted not-for-resale (NFR) packages are available to Ruckus BIG DOG channel partners upon request.