Wireless Access

I know that the 303H APs are made for being mounted on the wall. However, has anyone used them on a ceiling? I know it is not optimal, but I am trying to get new networking equipment through E-Rate. Right now, all the 303H APs are located at outlet height in the classrooms. So teachers cover them with book cases, shelves (some metal), they get knocked off, etc. This was all set up before I started at the school.

My thought is to get new wiring run and get the existing 303H APs mounted on the ceiling for the time being. At least they will not get covered up and looking at the pattern plots that it cannot be any worse. Then my wiring would be ready for upgrading to ceiling mounted 300 or 500 series.

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David Faber
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David,

I'm sure you can find a way to improvise with the wall mount bracket for the AP-303H and mount it on the ceiling instead, but I would strongly recommend against this. The antenna pattern is designed and optimized for the case where the AP is mounted vertically, at moderate height. More critically, the Ap-303H needs to be oriented that way, and using one of the Aruba mounts designed for the product to ensure sufficient airflow along the back of the AP to avoid over heating (and not trigger the thermal shutdown function).
A potentially somewhat better option  would be to mount the AP higher up the wall, possibly flipping them upside down (antenna pattern has a moderate uptilt when deployed as intended; it may be better to make that a moderate downtilt when the AP is high up the wall).
Or just use APs that are intended to be on the ceiling, like the AP-303 or AP-505. I'm guessing you do not need the wired ports?

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Onno Harms
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In dorm rooms, we mount the Hospitality APs at about eye-level using a surface-mount box with surface-mount conduit leading down to the  baseboard-level box. One trick that we have is mounting them on the wall right next to a closet door, with corners being great. The cable conduit goes inside the closet and the cable comes through the wall right at the mounting spot. The closet doorways are kept clear because you need to go constantly in and out.

(Of course I've also got a gazillion AP105s mounted on walls right up close to the ceiling -- facepalm! Honest -- this was all done before I got here! The attached picture is my favorite utterly ridiculous example. This is a 2nd-floor room with a vaulted ceiling, and they brought the cable into a dead space above the ceiling which is on the other side of the wall in a third-floor closet. See the two holes on the wall near ceiling height? That was where they mounted the AP, flat against the wall. It produced a great wireless signal if you were sitting outside on the roof ridge -- or maybe flying above the roof on your flying carpet or broom, LOL. In the picture you can see how I improvised a mount at the right height and angle. I used a shelving angle brace and some random hardware that we had lying around, and then we screwed it into the top of the molding where the holes will always be out of sight. I was very proud of myself that I figured out a solution that used random crap we had laying around!)

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Cathy Fasano
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Original Message:
Sent: May 10, 2022 01:46 PM
From: Unknown User
Subject: 303H Ceiling Mount

It would probably be better than being covered by furniture.  Not ideal, but better.

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Jim Lucas

Network Manager

Information Technology Services

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