roughput and bit error rate (BER) can be displayed on digitised site plans, allowing more accurate planning in complex environments. Besides automated placement and configuration of network components, these tools can also ease the later stages of implementation by automatically generating bills of materials and maintenance records. 4-channel grid pattern Cellular pattern Figure 7-3: Channel Allocation Patterns for Four Non-overlapping Channels Implementing Wireless LANs Design and Deployment Using Wireless Switches Wireless switches, described in the Section "Wireless LAN Switches or Controllers, p. 48", not only change the way in which network traffic is routed between stations, but also provide in-built tools that aid the design and later the configuration process, particularly in large-scale WLAN installations. Typically a wireless switch tool kit will include; Automatic layout planning for capacity and coverage (Table 7-10) One-click configuration of multiple access points and WLAN switches Simple monitoring and operation, from the detection and location of rogue access points to automatic transmitter power adjustment to eliminate coverage gaps and optimise network performance. Network Bridging - Point-to-point Wireless Links If the WLAN requirements include linking two separate operating areas, for example providing a link from a WLAN in one building to a wired or wireless LAN in a second, then a point-to-point link will need to be designed. Since RF propagation is more predictable outdoors than indoors, this will generally be more straightforward than designing indoor layouts as described above. Provided suitable antenna locations can be identified that offer a direct line-of-sight between the locations, a link budget calculation can be performed as described in the Section "Link Budget, p. 116". Table 7-10: Wireless Switch Automated Planning Tools Wireless switch feature Description Automated site survey Most wireless switches provide automated site survey tools tools that generate input survey data for s