Where Is the Best Place to Mount an Outdoor Access Point?

Your access point is basically going to act as a speaker for your Wi-Fi. Like any speaker, where you put it will affect the quality. If you stick it low, behind a wall or near a water tank, the people you're trying to reach will barely get any signal.

But if you put it high, in the middle and in an open space, you can cover your whole compound with just one small box.

This is mostly common sense, really. You just need to know where your customers will be.

Where are your customers?

A lot of people put the access point close to the router to save on cabling and electricity, but it's actually more important to know where your customers will be. Walk around the area and see where the users will hang out. For example, in a hostel they might be sitting on bench seats, in a market they'll be at their stalls, or outside an eatery at the tables. Mark these spots on a simple diagram. The access point should go somewhere central.

Most access points put out a doughnut-shaped signal. That means you get a strong signal sideways but very little straight up and down. If you mount it really high, the people directly underneath will be in the hole of the doughnut and get no signal at all. Some access points are directional, or sector units, and they throw out a torch-like beam. These can work really well for long, skinny areas like market lanes, but you have to be very precise about where you aim them.

The signal gets weaker the farther it travels, and walls, metal, and trees make it worse. 2.4 GHz goes through walls pretty well but struggles with trees, since wet leaves soak up the signal. 5GHz can carry more data, but it doesn't go as far, and it's much easier to block. A lot of hotspots use both frequencies and let your phone choose which one to use.

Best and worst places to put your access point

The best spot is usually a sturdy pole or a short mast. Put it central to where your customers are, high enough to clear anything in the way (walls, vehicles, people), and in an open area. Most Wi-Fi manufacturers' guides suggest mounting it outside on a vertical pole, away from buildings, trees, and so on.

A lot of people suggest somewhere around 3 to 5 meters high. That gets the box up nice and high without being so high that it causes problems for your local customers. Treat this as a rough guideline, though, because you may need to tweak it.

Another option is the corner of a flat roof, facing your customers, so the unit sits just over the edge. Or you can mount it high up on a wall facing your customers. If you have a very open compound, a pole will work best. If you've got a long strip, like a row of market stalls, it's often better to put it at the end or in the middle with a sector unit pointing down the lane.

Don't put it behind anything that could block the signal, like water tanks, parapet walls, or tall gates. Don't put it under eaves or overhangs, because water will pool around the connections. The roof itself can also cause some blocking. Keep it away from big metal objects, since they can mess with how the signal comes out of the antenna. Try not to put it near thick walls either, because you might get a strong signal on one side and almost nothing on the other. Don't put it in a corner, since half the signal will just hit the wall. Stay away from trees, especially fast-growing ones. Wet leaves cause signal loss, and it gets worse every year. And don't put it somewhere low and easy to reach, or it could get stolen.

Think about it from the user's point of view too. Even if a spot looks perfect in the middle of your compound, it won't work if there's no power there or the owner won't let you put up a pole.

Securing your access point

Put your access point outside on a proper bracket and a strong pole. Make sure the pole is well braced so it won't sway in the wind. If the pole moves, the access point will move too, and that causes signal issues. The pole should be attached to something solid. Don't attach it to a thin sheet of roofing. Seal any holes.

Be careful with your cables. Keep your power injector inside or in a watertight box in a dry spot. It shouldn't be sitting outside in the rain. Run your cables up from below and make a small loop just before the connection. This is called a drip loop, and it lets water drip off the cable instead of running into the connection.

Try to keep your cables short. Use UV-resistant outdoor ties to fasten them tightly. Don't let them rub against anything sharp. Standard Ethernet cables shouldn't be longer than 100m.

Storms and Theft

A tall pole outside can attract lightning, so get a qualified technician to fit surge protection and earthing.

Put your equipment box up high to make it harder to steal. Use fittings that are hard to pull off. Try to hide your cables.

Safety

Working on roofs and poles can be risky.

Never work near live wires, alone, or in the rain or wind. If you aren't sure what to do, get someone in with the right equipment and experience.

Adjusting

Your first position probably won't be the best one. Temporarily attach your access point to the pole with clamps or ties. Switch it on and walk around with your phone. Download a free signal strength app and walk around checking the signal. Check the furthest areas where your customers will be sitting, plus shady spots and places behind obstacles.

Anything above -65 dBm is good. Anything below -80 dBm is bad. Note any areas with poor signal. When you find a possible spot, play a video, run a speed test, and make a call from the edge of your coverage.

Move your access point and check again. Sometimes moving it a little, up a meter, around a corner, or angling it a few degrees can help get rid of dead spots. Once you find a good spot, fit your access point properly and check again.

If you can't cover the whole area with one access point, add another. Your phone can't send as strong a signal as your access point. So while your access point may reach your phone, your phone may not be able to reply. Place your access points so they overlap slightly, and try to keep them at a similar height. Use different channels to cut down on interference.

Channels 1, 6, and 11 are the standard non-overlapping channels on the 2.4 GHz frequency. If you can, set your channel manually. Automatic can sometimes pick a bad channel, especially in a busy town. Try not to overload your access point with too many people. If it gets busy, add another unit.