Do you need outdoor connectivity?
If you answered yes, then you need to understand which characteristics are important so you buy the right model.
The AP1251 model, an OmniAccess Stellar access point, is specifically designed for outdoor environments. It resists bad weather and tolerates inhospitable environments.
Why AP1251?
There are many reasons why you should deploy Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess AP1251, however one important reason is that it is certified IP67. You’re probably wondering what’s the big deal about IP67.
Well, the first number (6) is for physical protection. The sixth category is the highest level of device protection and certifies that the smallest grain of dust cannot enter the access point (AP).
The second number (7) is for liquid protection. The seventh category indicates that the device is protected in water for up to 30 minutes at one meter deep. This implies that the AP is fully rain protected.
IP67 certification is the first intrinsic characteristic that makes this AP ideal for an outdoor environment. It is also designed to operate from -40° C to +65° C (-40° F to +149° F), and up to 160km/h (100m/h) sustained winds or 265 km/h (165m/h) wind gusts.
Moreover, the access point electrical interfaces include industrial strength surge protection and functions as a lightning arrester and Ethernet surge protector.
The lightning-arrester role is to protect radio equipment from static electricity and lightning induced surges that travel on coaxial transmission lines. It also protects the installation and construction behind the antenna from damage by a direct hit.
With all these features, you can confidently rely on the AP1251 for outdoor use as such extreme conditions are rarely experienced.
The OmniAccess Stellar AP1251 is already a proven and widely adopted outdoor Wi-Fi solution in dedicated environments such as swimming pool areas at a hotel, manufacturing warehouses where there are dust or heat constraints, or even coverage for those who want to camp but not give up all ties to the outside world.
Real life example
A customer wanted to equip a camping site with outdoor Wi-Fi connectivity. The site survey and deployment were done during winter (low season for attendance) and the AP1251 access points were placed on the trees to simplify and accelerate deployment.
When summer came, the wi-fi network performance was lower when compared to the signal during the deployment phase. After analyzing the data the reason became clear: The lower performance was due to the leaves blocking the signal thus reducing the overall wi-fi strength. In the winter when the APs were installed, there weren’t any leaves! The remedy was to deploy a few more APs and relocate the existing ones to places where the signal was less likely to be blocked.
The AP1251 ideally complements any Wi-Fi coverage needs for outdoor environments with high performance and reliability.