Air Monitors (AMs) are Aruba access points (APs) that are configured to operate in a dedicated mode for scanning the RF spectrum and detecting rogue APs, clients, and intrusion attacks. AMs do not serve any wireless clients and can scan all channels in both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. AMs provide better visibility and coverage of the RF environment than APs that serve clients, as they can scan more frequently and thoroughly. However, AMs also consume more power and network resources than APs, and require additional hardware and licensing costs. Therefore, the optimal number of AMs per floor depends on several factors, such as the size and shape of the floor, the density and distribution of APs and clients, the security and compliance requirements, and the budget and availability of the organization.

According to the Aruba Wireless Intrusion Protection (WIP) Technology Guide1, a general rule of thumb is to deploy one AM for every four to six APs. This ratio can provide adequate coverage and detection for most environments, while balancing the trade-offs between performance and cost. However, this ratio is not fixed and can vary depending on the specific needs and characteristics of each deployment. For example, if the floor has a high density of APs and clients, or a high risk of rogue or malicious activity, more AMs may be needed to provide better security and visibility. Conversely, if the floor has a low density of APs and clients, or a low risk of rogue or malicious activity, fewer AMs may be sufficient to provide adequate security and visibility.

In this case, the floor has 20 APs, which implies a moderate to high density of APs and clients. Assuming that the floor has a rectangular shape and a uniform distribution of APs and clients, a reasonable estimate of the number of AMs per floor would be about 3 to 5, based on the general rule of thumb. This would provide enough coverage and detection for most scenarios, while minimizing the additional costs and resources. However, this estimate may need to be adjusted if the floor has a different shape or a non-uniform distribution of APs and clients, or if the organization has specific security and compliance requirements that demand more or less AMs per floor. References:

• Wireless Intrusion Protection (WIP) Technology Guide
• Installing Air Monitors | Wireless Access - Airheads Community
• Aruba Certified Design Professional Official Certification Study Guide (HPE6-A47)

The maximum bandwidth possible between the aggregation and core layers using 8 strands of OM4 Multi-Mode fiber can be up to 200 Gbps1. This is because each strand of OM4 fiber can support up to 25 Gbps of bandwidth, and with 8 strands, the total bandwidth can reach up to 200 Gbps1. However, the actual bandwidth can be influenced by various factors such as the quality of the fiber, the type of transceivers used, and the distance between the aggregation and core layers1.

References:

• What is IP and Ethernet aggregation? - Ciena
• Aruba 5400R zl2 Switch Series Data Sheet
• Aruba 5400R zl2 Switch Series Installation and Getting Started Guide
• ArubaOS-Switch and ArubaOS-CX Transceiver Guide

The guideline for defining another VLAN for wireless devices should be based on the employee roles, with a different VLAN for each role or department. This approach allows for better control and management of network resources. It also enhances security by segregating network traffic based on roles or departments. This is particularly useful in large organizations where different departments may have different network requirements and security levels12.

References:

• Configuring VLANs - Aruba
• TECH BRIEF SINGLE VLAN DESIGN FOR WIRELESS LAN - Aruba