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Office Wi-Fi planning: how many access points and where
Last updated: October 9, 2026.
Offices mix open desks, meeting rooms and partitions. Plan coverage first, then check that the AP count also carries your headcount and video calls.
What matters in an office
- Meeting rooms need strong signal for video, so target -65 dBm.
- Glass and drywall add a few dB; concrete cores and lift shafts add far more.
- Ceiling-mounted APs in open space usually beat closets and corridors.
Settings to try in the planner
- Environment: Typical office, or Dense partitions for lots of rooms.
- Band: 5 GHz primary.
- Minimum RSSI: -65 dBm.
- Concurrent clients: staff x about 2 devices, plus meeting-room guests.
Worked example with the planner's numbers
Take a ceiling access point at 20 dBm EIRP on 5 GHz, the planner's 8 dB link margin, a path-loss exponent of 2.25 and a target of -65 dBm. In open space the signal stays above the target for about 21.3 m. Walls then cut that reach (the planner scales wall loss by 1.2 at 5 GHz):
| Path | Reach at -65 dBm | Share of open-space reach |
|---|---|---|
| Open space | 21.3 m | 100% |
| Through a drywall partition (3 dB) | 14.8 m | 69% |
| Through a concrete core wall (10 dB) | 6.2 m | 29% |
In an open office one ceiling access point therefore covers a wide area, but every extra concrete or lift-core wall removes a large share of it. These are model values for planning; confirm them with an on-site survey.
Upload your floor plan and try it free: Open the Wi-Fi heatmap planner
Forecasts are planning estimates. Validate with an on-site survey before buying or installing equipment. See also the AP placement guide, the RSSI guide and planner pages by brand.
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