FIGURE 14: Close-up view of an HCP with cabling
and connectivity components.
May/June 2019 I 61
TIA/TSB-162-A also recommends maintenance and
security of the APs using an enclosure in areas where
physical security is a concern. The enclosure should
have the following features:
• Lockable metal or non-metallic housing
• Hinged door for easy removal during upgrades
• Low visual profile for aesthetics
• Knockouts for cable installation
• Suitable brackets for wall or ceiling
ANSI/BICSI 007-2017 Information Communications
Technology Design and Implementation Practices
for Intelligent Buildings and Premises
Section 6.1 Zone Cabling states that zone cabling
supports a wide range of sensors, control panels,
detectors for lighting, security, and other building
communications, such as wireless access points for
WLANs. A zone cabling design consists of horizontal
cables that run from the telecommunications room
(TR) to a horizontal connection point (HCP) that is
typically housed in an enclosure located in the ceiling
space, on the wall or below an access floor. From the
connection point, cabling is run to service outlets (SOs)
for connections to devices. The use of zone cabling
provides a flexible infrastructure to accommodate
current and future data, voice, and building devices,
as well as Wi-Fi APs (Figures 12, 13 and 14).
FIGURE 12: Example of an
HCP zone enclosure in hard
surface, housing Wi-Fi AP
and cabling components.
FIGURE 15: Example
of a 2 x 2 ceiling mount
offering quick and easy
access to the AP and
cabling components, while
also providing physical
security and aesthetics.
FIGURE 16: Example
of a horizontal mounting
option offering quick
and easy access to the AP
and cabling components.
This option also provides
physical security
and aesthetics.2
FIGURE 13: Close-up view
of an HCP zone enclosure
for a hard surface that
houses cabling components
and Wi-Fi AP.
ANSI/BICSI 008-2018 Wireless LAN Systems
Design and Implementation Best Practices
This BICSI document states that “the wireless access
point infrastructure physical design should consider
consistency, compatibility, and ease of operational
support while lowering overall cost. Design costs
should consider both initial installation costs as well
as operational costs.” Ease of operational support
and consistency are achieved when adequate
serviceability is designed into the Wi-Fi AP installation.
Providing rapid access to the AP and the cabling
components reduces time and labor costs, and it
additionally accommodates a simple migration path
to newer APs in the future (Figures 15 and 16).