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Network infrastructure upgrade

Why and how we’re splitting office and warehouse Wi‑Fi, adding seven access points, and tuning radios so scanners roam without dropping.

OwnerWarehouse Systems PlatformUniFi Network StatusIn progress: first new AP installed 11/05/2026

1. Why we are making these changes

Our Wi‑Fi currently serves office computers, warehouse equipment, and personal devices with the same rules. That creates four problems for operations:

  1. Operations equipment competes with everything else. Handheld scanners and other floor equipment share airtime and internet bandwidth with phones and other non‑work devices, including video streaming.
  2. Coverage gaps on the floor. Some aisles in Suite 115 have no access point (AP), so scanners in those aisles connect to a distant AP with a weak signal.
  3. Slow or dropped roaming. As pickers move, scanners tend to stay connected to an AP they have moved away from instead of switching to the closer one. This causes lag and disconnections in the WMS.
  4. No access control by role. Offices need access to every platform, but the warehouse floor does not need streaming or other non‑work sites.

Goal: give operations equipment a dedicated, fast, and stable network; keep the offices fully connected; and limit everything that is not critical to operations.

UniFi's own guidance supports this direction. It recommends medium transmit power in high‑density environments, keeping wireless meshing to a minimum, and treating −70 dBm or better as the signal level needed for a stable connection, with −65 dBm or better recommended (UniFi: Optimizing WiFi Connectivity).

2. Summary of changes

# Change Applies to
1 Split into two networks: Office and Warehouse Whole site
2 Office network broadcasts PALLETIZED-OFFICE and PALLETIZED-HOTSPOT 2 office APs
3 Warehouse network broadcasts PALLETIZED-WH and PALLETIZED-HUB All warehouse APs
4 Install 7 new, higher‑spec APs Aisle WW, D2C, Suite 115
5 Disable meshing (every AP is wired) All APs
6 Set transmit power: 2.4 GHz low, 5 GHz and 6 GHz medium All APs
7 Set minimum RSSI to −67 dBm (fallback −70 dBm) All APs
8 Limit PALLETIZED-WH to approved devices, full speed Warehouse
9 Raise minimum data rates on PALLETIZED-WH after all new APs are live Warehouse
10 25 Mbps speed limit on PALLETIZED-HUB and PALLETIZED-HOTSPOT Both networks
11 Block streaming platforms on PALLETIZED-WH and PALLETIZED-HUB Warehouse
12 Evaluate automatic channel assignment before enabling All APs

3. Network architecture

flowchart TD
    I[Internet] --> G[UniFi Gateway]
    G --> O[Office network]
    G --> W[Warehouse network]
    O --> OA1[AP - Main office]
    O --> OA2[AP - Suite 115 office]
    OA1 & OA2 --> S1[PALLETIZED-OFFICE<br/>Full speed, all platforms]
    OA1 & OA2 --> S2[PALLETIZED-HOTSPOT<br/>25 Mbps limit]
    W --> WA[All warehouse APs<br/>Aisle WW, D2C, Suite 115 aisles, existing APs]
    WA --> S3[PALLETIZED-WH<br/>Approved equipment, full speed]
    WA --> S4[PALLETIZED-HUB<br/>Everything else, 25 Mbps limit]

Office network

Two APs, one in each office.

Wi‑Fi (SSID) Who connects Speed Access
PALLETIZED-OFFICE Office staff and office devices Full speed Every platform, no site restrictions
PALLETIZED-HOTSPOT Secondary devices in the office area 25 Mbps limit per device Internet access

Warehouse network

Every AP on the warehouse floor.

Wi‑Fi (SSID) Who connects Speed Access
PALLETIZED-WH Approved operations equipment only, starting with handheld scanners Full speed Device allowlist; streaming and non‑work sites blocked
PALLETIZED-HUB Every device not critical to operations 25 Mbps or lower per device Streaming and non‑work sites blocked

How this is configured in UniFi

  • Which APs broadcast each SSID: each Wi‑Fi network can be broadcast from all APs, specific APs, or AP groups. Office SSIDs go to the office AP group; warehouse SSIDs go to the warehouse AP group (UniFi: SSID and AP Settings).
  • Speed limits: set with the WiFi Speed Limit option on PALLETIZED-HUB and PALLETIZED-HOTSPOT.
  • Device restriction on PALLETIZED-WH: MAC Address Filter (allowlist), or PPSK as a more robust option.
  • Site blocking: Simple App Blocking under Settings → CyberSecure → Protection, or Traffic Rules, scoped to the warehouse networks (UniFi: Application filtering).

Pros and cons
Pros Separating operations devices from general and guest devices is standard practice for warehouses; mixing scanners with phones and laptops on one SSID degrades scanner roaming under load (2M Technology warehouse guide). Office staff keep unrestricted access. Each network can be tuned for its own devices.
Cons More SSIDs mean more management overhead, and every SSID adds beacon traffic and uses airtime, so we keep it to two per network. Devices have to be moved to the right network and kept there.

4. New access points

We are adding 7 APs with better specifications than the current units.

Location New APs Purpose Status
D2C area 2 More capacity for the picking team 1 installed 11/05/2026, 1 pending
Suite 115 aisles 3 Cover aisles that had no AP Pending
Aisle WW 1 Dedicated coverage for the aisle Pending
Suite 115 offices 1 Serves the office network Pending

Pros and cons
Pros Closes the coverage gaps. Adds the overlap scanners need to roam, since roaming tools cannot replace proper coverage and overlap between cells (HostiFi: Roaming Assistant). When signal is weak even at high power, UniFi's guidance is to add APs rather than turn power up.
Cons Hardware, cabling, and PoE cost. More APs on the same channels increase the risk of co‑channel interference, which makes the power and channel settings below more important.

5. Radio configuration (all APs)

5.1 Meshing disabled

All APs have a direct Ethernet connection, so no AP needs to relay traffic wirelessly through another.
Pros UniFi recommends minimizing meshing because it adds interference, and every wireless hop cuts throughput by at least half. Turning it off frees airtime for devices.
Cons If an AP's cable or switch port fails, that AP goes offline instead of falling back to a wireless link. Mitigation: monitor AP status in UniFi and check cabling during the install.

5.2 Transmit power

Band Power
2.4 GHz Low
5 GHz Medium
6 GHz Medium
Pros UniFi recommends medium power in high‑density environments so APs do not interfere with each other. Smaller cells stop devices from holding on to a distant AP. Lower 2.4 GHz power makes 5 GHz look stronger, which helps band steering move capable devices to the faster band.
Cons 2.4 GHz goes through metal racking better than 5 GHz; at low power, devices that only support 2.4 GHz may get weak signal in deep aisles. Mitigation: walk the aisles with a 2.4 GHz‑only device and check signal after the new APs are installed.

5.3 Minimum RSSI: −67 dBm (fallback −70 dBm)

Each AP disconnects any device whose signal drops below the threshold, so the device reconnects to a closer AP.
Pros Prevents "sticky" clients. UniFi describes Minimum RSSI as a way to help clients roam between nearby APs (UniFi: Minimum RSSI). −67 dBm sits between UniFi's −70 dBm minimum for a stable connection and its −65 dBm recommendation. Warehouse integrators commonly use around −70 dBm on scanner networks.
Cons It is a "hard kick." UniFi warns that poor tuning can cause instability: if no AP meets the threshold, the device is kicked repeatedly, and some devices refuse to rejoin an AP that kicked them several times. UniFi generally reserves it for high‑density deployments. Mitigation: start at −67 dBm, move to −70 dBm if devices disconnect too often, and consider Roaming Assistant (a softer, BSS‑transition‑based alternative, recommended below −70 dBm) or Interference Blocker.

6. PALLETIZED-WH: fast roaming for operations equipment

6.1 Approved devices only, full speed

PALLETIZED-WH has no speed limit. Only approved operations equipment can join. We move devices in this order: 1. Handheld scanners 2. All other warehouse equipment

6.2 Higher minimum data rates

Applied only after all 7 new APs are installed.

Band Minimum data rate
2.4 GHz 12 Mbps
5 GHz and 6 GHz 24 Mbps

Together with the minimum RSSI and lower transmit power, this keeps each AP's cell small and makes roaming fast, because there is always another AP nearby to take over.
Pros UniFi notes that a higher minimum rate reduces airtime use and makes clients roam sooner, especially in large or high‑density networks. Beacons and management frames go out at the lowest allowed rate, so raising it shortens them and frees airtime. 12 Mbps and 24 Mbps match common practice for standard and high‑density environments.
Cons Legacy devices that only support low rates cannot connect. On 2.4 GHz, a 12 Mbps minimum removes the old 802.11b rates (1–11 Mbps). UniFi also warns that even modern devices drop to lower rates when signal is weak, so without full coverage they would disconnect. This is why we wait until all APs are live. Mitigation: confirm every scanner model supports these rates before the change.

6.3 Device allowlist
Pros Only known equipment uses the operations network, so it stays uncongested and predictable.
Cons UniFi's MAC Address Filter is a basic control. It works best with devices that do not randomize their MAC address; phones and some tablets do. Every new or replaced device has to be added manually. UniFi suggests PPSK as a more robust option. Mitigation: turn off MAC randomization on scanners for this SSID and keep an inventory of approved MACs.

7. Speed‑limited networks: PALLETIZED-HUB and PALLETIZED-HOTSPOT

Both have a 25 Mbps limit (HUB may go lower). PALLETIZED-HUB also blocks streaming platforms.
Pros UniFi designed WiFi Speed Limit to deprioritize guest and non‑critical traffic so more bandwidth is left for important clients. Blocking streaming removes the heaviest non‑work traffic from the warehouse.
Cons The limit applies per device, not to the whole SSID, so many devices together can still use a large share of the internet connection. The speed limit is a simple cap with no per‑app prioritization. Application blocking relies on traffic identification and does not catch everything, especially encrypted traffic. Mitigation: review usage per client in UniFi and lower the HUB limit if total usage stays high.

8. Channel assignment (under evaluation)

UniFi can assign channels automatically. Its current tool, Channel AI, scans the RF environment and nearby APs, proposes a channel plan, and applies it without changing channel width or transmit power (UniFi: Channel AI). We will decide whether to use it after the new APs are installed.
Pros Adapts to interference from neighbors and our own new APs without manual planning. UniFi states changes are applied without disrupting connected clients. Specific channels can be excluded from the plan.
Cons Channels can change over time, which makes problems harder to trace. Warehouse integrators often prefer a fixed manual plan for scanner networks: only channels 1, 6, and 11 on 2.4 GHz, and no DFS channels on 5 GHz, because radar detection can pause service. The algorithm does not know which areas matter most to operations.

Next step: after all APs are installed, run Channel AI, review its proposed plan (excluding DFS channels for PALLETIZED-WH), and compare it with a manual plan before applying anything.

UniFi recommends keeping these enabled. Confirm our scanner models support them: - Fast Roaming (802.11r): speeds up handoff between APs. - BSS Transition: suggests a better AP to devices as they move.

10. Rollout plan

Step Action Depends on
1 Install the 7 new APs (first D2C AP installed 11/05/2026) —
2 Create office and warehouse networks and the four SSIDs; disable meshing —
3 Apply transmit power per band and −67 dBm minimum RSSI Step 2
4 Move handheld scanners to PALLETIZED-WH; enable the device allowlist Step 2
5 Move remaining warehouse equipment to PALLETIZED-WH; move everything else to PALLETIZED-HUB / PALLETIZED-HOTSPOT Step 4
6 Raise PALLETIZED-WH minimum data rates (12 / 24 Mbps) All 7 APs live
7 Monitor roaming and disconnections; relax minimum RSSI to −70 dBm if needed Step 6
8 Evaluate Channel AI vs. a manual channel plan All 7 APs live 
flowchart LR
  S1[1. Install 7 APs] --> S6
  S2[2. Create networks and SSIDs, disable meshing] --> S3[3. Power and minimum RSSI]
  S2 --> S4[4. Scanners to WH + allowlist] --> S5[5. Other devices to WH / HUB / HOTSPOT]
  S3 --> S6[6. Raise WH minimum data rates]
  S5 --> S6
  S6 --> S7[7. Monitor; relax RSSI to −70 dBm if needed]
  S1 --> S8[8. Evaluate Channel AI]

Figure 2. Rollout dependencies. Data rates go up only after all seven APs are live.

11. Settings reference

Setting Value
Office SSIDs PALLETIZED-OFFICE, PALLETIZED-HOTSPOT
Warehouse SSIDs PALLETIZED-WH, PALLETIZED-HUB
PALLETIZED-OFFICE speed Full
PALLETIZED-HOTSPOT speed 25 Mbps per device
PALLETIZED-WH speed Full
PALLETIZED-HUB speed 25 Mbps per device (or lower)
Streaming on WH and HUB Blocked
PALLETIZED-WH access Approved devices only
Meshing Disabled
Transmit power 2.4 GHz Low; 5 GHz and 6 GHz Medium
Minimum RSSI −67 dBm (fallback −70 dBm)
WH minimum data rate 2.4 GHz 12 Mbps; 5 and 6 GHz 24 Mbps
Channel assignment Under evaluation

References