Wi-Fi 6/6E/7 That’s Fast, Secure, and Proven
A WLAN carries real work: laptops and tablets, scanners and AR headsets, phones, IoT/OT devices, and guest traffic.
SolveForce builds Wireless LAN as a system: RF design + switching + identity-first access (802.1X NAC) + Zero-Trust edges + QoS for voice/video—wired to evidence pipelines so every AP, SSID, policy, and change is measurable and auditable.
Related rails & guardrails
• Campus fabric → /lan • Metro/WAN → /man • Overlays → /sd-wan
• Identity/Access → /nac • /ztna • /sase • Boundary → /waf
• Mobility/Edge → /private-5g • /cbrs • Evidence/Ops → /siem-soar
🎯 Outcomes We Optimize
- Deterministic experience— predictable join, fast roams, stable throughput, low jitter for UC and real-time apps.
- Identity-first security— WPA3-Enterprise (802.1X EAP-TLS), dynamic segmentation (VLAN/SGT), per-role policy.
- Operability at scale— clean SSID strategy, template-driven configs, automation hooks, and RF telemetry you can trust.
- Evidence on demand— surveys, config diffs, NAC decisions, join/roam timers, MOS/Jitter/Loss streamed to /siem-soar.
🧭 Reference Architecture (WLAN with Zero-Trust)
Access Layer (APs + Edge Switching)
- Multigig PoE switches (2.5/5G) feeding Wi-Fi 6/6E/7 APs; 10/25G uplinks; MACsec optional on uplinks.
- WPA3-Enterprise (EAP-TLS) for corp; WPA3-SAE or OWE for guest; IoT onboarding via PPSK/DPSK or EAP-TLS + device profiling.
→ /nac
Identity & Segmentation
- 802.1X with certificate auth (EAP-TLS); dynamic VLAN or SGT tags from NAC; guest isolation; IoT micro-segments.
- ZTNA for application access; SASE policy for web/SaaS.
→ /ztna • /sase
RF & Channel Plan
- Dual-5 GHz + 6 GHz designs; DFS planning; 20/40/80-MHz channelization per density.
- Minimum data rates enabled; band-steering & client load balancing where sane.
Northbound Integration
- DHCP/DNS/IPAM hygiene; SD-WAN breakout/backhaul policy; NTP for timestamp integrity.
→ /lan • /sd-wan
Observability & Evidence
- Syslog/NetFlow/Telemetry → SIEM; acceptance artifacts (surveys, join & roam timers, MOS) archived for QBRs/audits.
→ /siem-soar
🧰 Service Catalog (what we deliver & run)
1) RF Surveys & Design — predictive and on-site (active/passive) heatmaps, capacity modeling, roaming targets, AP placement, antenna selection.
2) AP & Edge Switching — PoE budgets, multigig uplinks, MLAG/stacking, optics plan, storm/BPDU guard, DHCP snooping/DAI/IPSG.
3) SSID & Policy Strategy — corp (EAP-TLS), guest (captive/OWE), IoT (PPSK/DPSK/EAP-TLS), limit to 2–4 SSIDs per band.
4) Identity & NAC — certificates (PKI), profiling, dynamic VLAN/SGT, posture checks, guest/Sponsor workflows.
5) QoS & Real-Time — WMM access categories, DSCP trust/preservation, voice SSID, 802.11e mapping to EF/AF classes end-to-end.
6) Security Controls — WPA3, PMF, management frame protection, rogue/WIPS policy, east-west microseg.
7) Automation & Templates — intents in Git, lint/tests for SSIDs/RADIUS/profiles; drift detection; API for inventories.
8) Observability & Evidence — join/roam timers, retry/airtime stats, MOS/Jitter/Loss, NAC decision logs, config diffs → SIEM/SOAR.
9) Operations — firmware lifecycle rings, spares/UPS plan, vendor escalation via /noc.
📦 Quick Reference Tables
1) Bands & Channelization
| Band | Pros | Typical Channel Width | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4 GHz | Range, legacy clients | 20 MHz | IoT low-bandwidth only |
| 5 GHz | Capacity, many channels | 20/40/80 MHz | Default corp/voice/video |
| 6 GHz (Wi-Fi 6E/7) | Clean spectrum, wide channels, LPI/VLP | 80/160 MHz* | High-density, AR/VR, low-latency apps |
* Use 80 MHz for density; 160 MHz where clients and interference permit.
2) Security Modes & Use
| Mode | Use Case | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WPA3-Enterprise (EAP-TLS) | Corp devices | Cert-based; strongest; maps to roles/SGTs |
| PPSK/DPSK (per-device keys) | IoT/guest devices | Unique keys; easy revocation; good for IoT |
| WPA3-SAE | Guest/simple corp BYOD | Password-based; better than WPA2-PSK |
| OWE | Open Guest | Encryption without auth; captive portal optional |
3) PoE & AP Classes (typical)
| AP Class | PoE Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dual-radio Wi-Fi 6 | 802.3at (30 W) | Common office AP |
| Tri-radio Wi-Fi 6E | 802.3bt Type 3 (≈60 W) | 2.5/5G multigig uplink |
| High-density Wi-Fi 7 | 802.3bt Type 3/4 (60–90 W) | Stadiums, arenas, lecture halls |
Plan 20–30% PoE headroom per stack and ensure multigig (2.5/5/10G) uplinks.
4) Roaming Enhancements
| Feature | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 802.11k | Neighbor reports (faster scanning) |
| 802.11v | Network-assisted roaming/steering |
| 802.11r | Fast BSS transition (FT); test client compatibility |
🔐 Security by Default (that actually sticks)
- EAP-TLS everywherefor corp; cert lifecycle via PKI; posture via NAC (managed vs unmanaged vs IoT).
- Dynamic segmentation— role/SGT and VLAN mapping at join; IoT/OT isolated with explicit allow-lists.
- Integrity— PMF/802.11w on, frame protection, rogue containment by policy, MACsec on uplinks.
- Zero-Trust ties— ZTNA for private apps, SASE for web/SaaS, WAF for portals; DLP on uploads where needed.
→ /nac • /ztna • /sase • /waf
🎛️ QoS & Application Mapping
| App Class | WLAN/WMM | DSCP | Design Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voice (UC/VoWiFi) | AC_VO | EF (46) | Target -67 dBm @ 20–25 dB SNR; 20 MHz channels; roam ≤ 150 ms |
| Video Conferencing | AC_VI | AF41/42 | Consider packet dup/FEC via SD-WAN upstream |
| Control/OT | AC_VI/BE | AF31/CS3 | Pin to specific SSIDs/VLANs; microseg allow-lists |
| Best-Effort | AC_BE | BE/CS0 | Rate-limit bulk traffic; disable low basic rates |
| Background/Bulk | AC_BK | CS1 | Schedule backup windows; prefer wired if possible |
📐 SLO Guardrails (targets you can tune)
| Domain | KPI / SLO (p95 unless noted) | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Join (corp) | Assoc + 802.1X + DHCP | ≤ 2–4 s |
| Roam | Same-SSID handoff | ≤ 50–150 ms |
| Coverage/SNR | Min SNR at cell edge | ≥ 20–25 dB (-67 dBm RSSI) |
| Voice quality | MOS (wideband) | ≥ 4.1 |
| Jitter / Loss | One-way / sustained | ≤ 20–30 ms / < 0.3–0.5% |
| Airtime | Busy time (avg/peak) | < 40% / < 70% per cell |
| NAC | 802.1X success (managed fleet) | ≥ 98–100% |
| Security | PMF + WPA3 coverage | = 100% corp SSIDs |
| Evidence | Logs/artifacts → SIEM | ≤ 60–120 s |
Breaches open a case and trigger SOAR (tune power/channels, adjust min rates, isolate AP/port, rotate certs/keys, policy rollback), with artifacts. → /siem-soar
🧪 Acceptance Tests & Artifacts (we keep the receipts)
- RF— predictive & on-site surveys (heatmaps, SNR, retries); AP placement photos; channel/power plans.
- Join & Roam— timer captures for assoc/EAP/DHCP; 802.11k/v/r behavior; roam timing walking paths.
- Voice Under Load— MOS/Jitter/Loss with 20 MHz channels; roaming calls across cells.
- Policy— NAC decision logs (role→VLAN/SGT), PMF/WPA3 enforcement, guest isolation, IoT PPSK mapping.
- QoS— WMM and DSCP preservation checks; upstream SD-WAN packet-dup/FEC tests.
- Security— DHCP snooping/DAI/IPSG; rogue detection policies; MACsec enablement on uplinks.
- Ops— firmware baselines, golden templates, drift reports, change diffs, AP inventory audit.
Artifacts archive to /siem-soar and package into QBR/audit bundles.
🧱 Design Notes & Best Practices
- Keep SSIDs lean(2–4 per band); too many SSIDs waste airtime.
- Disable low basic ratesto reduce sticky clients; prefer 12/18/24 Mbps on 5 GHz; 6 GHz has no legacy rates.
- Design for capacity, not just coverage— size to users/apps/airtime, not only square footage.
- Validate client mix— test with real clients (barcode guns, phones, laptops, headsets).
- Use multigigto APs and plan PoE headroom for Wi-Fi 6E/7.
- RTLS needs geometry— extra APs along hallways/perimeter; consistent height; calibrated maps.
- DFS awareness— avoid DFS channels for voice in radar-heavy areas or ensure fallback plan.
- Consider Private 5G/CBRSfor deterministic mobility (AGVs/AMRs) and keep Wi-Fi for user access. → /private-5g • /cbrs
📝 WLAN Intake (copy-paste & fill)
- Sites/floors(drawings if available), ceiling heights, materials (RF).
- Users/devices(corp, guest, IoT/OT counts), applications (voice/video/AR/VDI).
- Security(IdP/SSO/MFA, cert PKI, NAC scope, WPA3/PMF, guest policy, IoT onboarding).
- APs & switching(quantity, multigig/PoE, uplinks, MACsec).
- RF(DFS environment, interference, 6 GHz readiness), target SSIDs & channel widths.
- QoS(voice, video, control classes), SD-WAN interaction.
- IP services(DNS/DHCP/IPAM), IPv6 posture.
- Compliance(PCI/HIPAA/NIST/IEC), evidence retention.
- Operations(managed vs co-managed, change windows, SIEM destination).
- Timeline & budget, SLO goals (join/roam/MOS).
We’ll return a design-to-quote with AP placement, PoE/multigig, NAC/PKI, SSID/policy sets, SLO-mapped pricing, and an evidence plan you can reuse in audits and QBRs.
Or jump to /customized-quotes.
📞 Build a WLAN That’s Fast, Secure, and Auditable
- Call: (888) 765-8301
- Email: contact@solveforce.com
From offices and clinics to warehouses, campuses, and venues, we’ll deliver Wi-Fi 6/6E/7 that performs, protects, and proves it.
Key terms in plain language
Open a term for a concise explanation of language used on this page.
Bandwidth
The amount of data a connection can carry in a given time, usually measured in Mbps or Gbps. More bandwidth supports more users, devices, and simultaneous applications.
Latency
The time it takes data to travel between two points. Lower latency improves voice, video meetings, cloud applications, gaming, and other real-time services.
SD-WAN
Software-defined wide area networking. It manages multiple connections and chooses paths based on application needs, performance, and policy to improve resilience and control.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Software accessed as an online service instead of being installed and maintained entirely on the customer’s own computers or servers.
Zero Trust
A security model that does not automatically trust a user or device because of its location. Access is continuously verified and limited to what is necessary.
SASE
Secure Access Service Edge combines networking and security capabilities in a cloud-delivered architecture so users and locations can receive consistent policy wherever they connect.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
A login control requiring more than one form of verification, such as a password plus an authenticator app, security key, or biometric factor.
API
An application programming interface is a defined way for software systems to exchange data or request functions from one another.