Part 3 — Hardware Recommendations and Installation Best Practices for Wi-Fi Geolocation

In Part 2 of this series, we focused on where to place access points (APs) on a floor plan to create a clean, location-ready mesh. Part 3 is about the other half of the equation: choosing the right hardware and installing it the right way so the geolocation data stays stable once you move from “a nice drawing” to a real store.

If you remember only one idea from this article, make it this one: for Wi-Fi geolocation, we’re not chasing raw Wi-Fi coverage—we’re chasing consistent signal overlap. That overlap depends heavily on antenna behavior, mounting height, and how accurately the APs are placed on the floor plan.

Hardware recommendations

1) Antenna type

Wi-Fi geolocation (RSSI-based positioning) works best when the signal behaves predictably. So the goal with the installation is to get a uniform signal behavior in all directions.

That’s why, in most retail environments, ceiling-mounted APs with integrated omnidirectional antennas are the simplest and most reliable choice. Meraki’s own guidance notes their best location results were obtained using omnidirectional antennas.

Directional antennas can absolutely be useful in specific scenarios, but they create more “shaped” coverage. That can be great for connectivity in certain layouts, yet it can also make location behavior less uniform unless the design is engineered carefully.

2) Choosing the right access point

Eye-In Technologies recommends selecting APs that are not only strong performers today, but also flexible enough to fit different network roadmaps. The Cisco Wireless 9172/9176 family is a good example because they feature the latest Wi-Fi 7, and the platform supports different management modes (cloud-managed in the Meraki dashboard, or on-premises controller-based deployments). 

Medium-density deployments (great balance for most retail sites)

For stores that want solid geolocation and strong Wi-Fi performance without overspending, the Cisco Wireless CW9172I is a strong fit. It’s a Wi-Fi 7 AP aimed at retail and similar environments, and it uses internal antennas that are omnidirectional in azimuth, perfect for a stable even behavior.

High-performance / high-density deployments (busy stores, big venues, heavier loads)

For larger or more demanding environments, the Cisco Wireless CW9176I is a strong reference model. It’s positioned for high-density use cases and, importantly, the 9176 series includes an omnidirectional antenna model (CW9176I) and a directional model (CW9176D1). For geolocation in most retail spaces, the CW9176I is typically the better match because its intent is broad, uniform coverage behavior.

If you’re unsure which model fits best for your store size, ceiling height, density target, and future roadmap, Eye-In Technologies can help you pick the right hardware and align it with the mesh you designed in Part 2.

Installation best practices

1) Ceiling height: keep APs consistent

Ceiling height has a direct impact on how Wi-Fi spreads. For location accuracy, consistency matters even more than people expect.

Meraki’s location deployment guidance highlights three practical rules:

1. Mount APs at approximately the same height throughout the building
   

2. Aim for a mounting height in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 meters (8 to 12 feet) when feasible
   

3. Don’t hide APs inside ceiling tiles or behind solid objects
   
   

In a retail store, there’s one more very practical rule: try to mount APs above the shelving line, because dense products and metal shelving can block and scatter signals.  If shelving is tall, it’s often worth going a bit higher so the AP “sees” over the aisles instead of fighting through them. We would recommend to leave at least 1-3m (3-10ft) above the top of shelving.

For very high ceilings (big-box retail, warehouses, industrial spaces), it can be better to drop-mount / pendant-mount APs lower (within reason) rather than leaving them far overhead where the signal geometry becomes less helpful for location.

2) Line of sight

To ensure that the system performs with the maximum accuracy possible, when deploying the Access Points, make sure that you have a direct line of sight to multiple access points at any given time. If it’s not the case (ex: shelves in a retail store), the usual fixes are simple: move the AP slightly, mount a bit higher, or adjust the mesh locally.

3) Floor plan import and AP positioning

For Wi-Fi geolocation, the floor plan in the Meraki dashboard is not just for visuals—it’s part of how the location engine makes calculations. Meraki explicitly notes that AP placement on the floor plan should be as accurate as possible because AP location is used in the client location calculation.

That’s why we strongly recommend importing the floor plan before deployment, not after. When your installation team is on site, they can place APs on the map exactly where they’re mounted. That one step alone often saves hours of troubleshooting later.

A practical habit that helps: once APs are installed, take quick notes (or photos) of where each AP is mounted so you can match “real-world placement” with “dashboard placement” without guessing.

Conclusion

Great Wi-Fi geolocation isn’t only about adding more APs. It’s about making the signal behavior consistent enough that the system can confidently place devices where they actually are.

This 3rd part of our series to implement Wi-Fi Geolocation for Retail is all about ensuring data accuracy and quality. Choose omnidirectional coverage behavior, keep AP heights consistent, avoid hiding hardware, preserve line-of-sight as much as a retail space allows, and be meticulous with floor plan accuracy in the dashboard. Those are the habits that turn location data into something retailers can trust.