I’m going to buy a single wAP ac as an upgrade to my existing RB2011 router. I’m living in a ~150 m^2 flat (4 rooms total); there will be at most two walls between the desired AP placement and the clients. I could not find any antenna pattern plots for this device, except that vague “Antenna beam width: 360°” statement in the brochure, so I’m going to ask a few questions here.
Is it adequate for my intended coverage surface (5GHz range is important)? Using multiple devices is not an option, I’d like to get away with a single AP.
How should I mount it (on the ceiling or on a wall, and on which wall) in order to avoid wasting coverage?
E. g. if it radiates on its back, then I probably should not mount it on the ceiling or on a side wall, because then I’ll waste half of the energy radiating towards a neighboring flat.
Rephrasing the last question: should I place the AP vertically (on a pole) or horizontally (lying flat) to have a horizontally omnidirectional radiation pattern?
The “coverage” is a myth. You are not spreading anything, you are trying to estimate an area where your clients will be able to clearly distinguish the signal of the AP from the noise and from where they can clearly transmit to the AP back. Multiple clients simultaneusly with different radios and antennas, without any conceptual regulation and alignment in the conditions of obstacles and other unwanted transmitters around. So how anyone can talk about the coverage of AP not taking into account local conditions and the clients?