Context
After a Wi-Fi 7 infrastructure had been deployed across several office floors, users reported widespread but intermittent disconnections. The 5 GHz plan used few channels, 6 GHz was not actually in service, and the symptoms could originate from radio conditions, authentication, topology or client devices.
Correlated evidence, not an intuitive diagnosis
For this post-deployment Wi-Fi audit, TWN Consulting combined Ekahau Sidekick 2 measurements, targeted spectrum analysis, two continuous-monitoring sensors and controller-log review. Historical DFS events were correlated with channels, times and the distribution of access points across all three floors.
The 6 GHz band was included in the review without being presented as active: the observed configuration did not use it in production, and the available power did not support the full AP feature set without revisiting the PoE budget.
What the evidence established
- Intermittent RF activity was measurable on several DFS channels, but no signature formally identified a radar.
- Historical DFS events affected almost every access point across three floors, which did not fit a single localised internal source.
- The neighbouring Wi-Fi environment was dense, with no single localised critical event able to explain all incidents.
- Repeated
MAC_CONFLICTalerts in the logs required a topology investigation separate from the radio diagnosis. - Full 6 GHz operation required configuration checks and suitable 802.3bt power, rather than assuming that capable hardware was sufficient.
An actionable outcome
The deliverable separated facts, hypotheses and remaining validation work: continue time correlation, revise the 5 GHz plan for the applicable regulatory domain, address topology alerts, size PoE for 6 GHz and verify the changes with on-site measurements.
The value of the diagnosis was to avoid blaming every disconnection on the radio network: each line of investigation was tied to evidence, a limitation and a validation action.