Sensors and deployment packages

Two sensor types do two jobs. ModelB tests the service path from the office; ModelA measures Wi-Fi at the desks where people sit. Every deployment package combines both.

Four steps from desk count to floor plan

  1. Step 1

    Count desks

    Per floor, and per room where walls separate teams.

  2. Step 2

    Read the topology

    Enclosed rooms with thick walls, or open plan with long desk rows.

  3. Step 3

    Choose packages

    One package per room cluster or desk row.

  4. Step 4

    Mark the floor plan

    Place each sensor on a desk and record its position.

Sensor types

ModelB: the service-path sensor

The ModelB sensor: a small rectangular enclosure fitted with an L-shaped mounting bracket and a cable clip.
ModelB in its CNA enclosure, with an L bracket and cable clip.

Wired Ethernet plus onboard Wi-Fi.1 ModelB runs the active tests that show how applications perform from the office.

  • Application response times
  • DNS resolution
  • Network hops (traceroute)
  • Speed tests
  • Wireless, limited: link and signal; no noise or SNR
Density
1 per 10–12 desks in enclosed spaces; open-plan packages stretch this to one per desk row.
Mounting
Under a desk with a live wired port on the user network, using the two L brackets supplied. The brackets also fit a wall or panel.
Power
USB-C, from the supplied power supply (5.1 V, 3 A, 15.3 W). An R-type cable clip secures the power cable to the sensor.
In the box
Sensor, power supply, two L brackets, one R-type cable clip, two 4 mm wood screws, a 4 mm and an 8 mm bracket screw, a 2 mm hex key, and a small piece of self-amalgamating tape for extra grip on the power cable.
A ModelB sensor fixed to the underside of a desk with its L brackets, power cable held by the cable clip.
ModelB mounted under a desk.

ModelC: ModelB for Wi-Fi 7 sites

As ModelB, plus an external Wi-Fi 7 adapter.1 ModelB and ModelC differ only in Wi-Fi hardware. Choose ModelC where the site runs Wi-Fi 7 access points. Density, mounting and tests are the same as ModelB.

ModelA: the Wi-Fi probe at the desk

Dual-band Wi-Fi 6, 2.4 and 5 GHz.1 Wireless only: no wired port and no active service tests. Small and low-power, sized to sit on or under a desk.

  • Signal strength (RSSI)
  • Noise and SNR, which ModelB does not report
  • Link rates and retries
  • Band, channel and width in use
  • Nearby access points (periodic scan)
Density
1 per 2 desks: every other desk, at desk height, staggered across back-to-back rows.

Comparison

ModelB answers whether the applications and the network path are performing. ModelA answers whether Wi-Fi is good at each desk. Neither replaces the other, which is why every package contains both.

MeasurementModelAModelBModelC
Application responseNoYesYes
DNS resolutionNoYesYes
Network hops (traceroute)NoYesYes
Speed testNoYesYes
Wired EthernetNoYesYes
Wi-Fi signal and link ratesYesYesYes
Wi-Fi noise and SNRYesNoNo
Wi-Fi hardwareWi-Fi 6, dual-bandOnboard Wi-FiWi-Fi 7 adapter
Wi-Fi standards802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax802.11a/b/g/n/ac802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be
Placement density1 per 2 desks1 per 10–12 desks1 per 10–12 desks

Sensors are priced individually: see Pricing.

Deployment packages

Four CNA IoT Deployment Packages (CIDP), each one ModelB plus 4, 6, 8 or 12 ModelA, sized to cover one room cluster or one desk row.

PackageSensorsCoversModelB ratioBest for
CIDP1b4a1 ModelB + 4 ModelAOne enclosed room of up to 8 desks1 per 8 desks: denser than baseline, because walls make each room its own Wi-Fi cellMicro offices up to 8 desks; enclosed team rooms with thick walls; satellite rooms off a larger floor
CIDP1b6a1 ModelB + 6 ModelAA room or cluster of up to 12 desks1 per 12 desks: exactly the baseline ratioSmall offices and compartmentalised floors; rooms of 9–12 desks; pairs with CIDP1b4a to cover up to 20 desks
CIDP1b8a1 ModelB + 8 ModelAOne open-plan double row of 16 desks (2 × 4+4 back to back)1 per 16 desks: one per row, as the row shares one network pathOpen-plan floors with long desk rows; medium and large offices
CIDP1b12a1 ModelB + 12 ModelAOne long open-plan row of 24 desks (3 × 4+4 back to back)1 per 24 desks: the fewest ModelB per floorLarge open-plan floors; floors where wired ports are scarce

In every package, ModelA goes on every other desk, staggered, and ModelB on a free desk with a wired port.

Topology decides the package

Two offices with the same desk count can need different packages. Walls split Wi-Fi into separate cells and usually separate network drops; in open plan, a whole desk row shares one path.

Enclosed or compartmentalisedOpen plan
PackagesCIDP1b4a, CIDP1b6aCIDP1b8a, CIDP1b12a
Typical spaceSmall offices, or thick walls enclosing rooms of under 20 desksLong desk rows sharing access points and switching
ModelAEach room is its own Wi-Fi cell: probe every room2–4 ModelA per side of a desk row, every other desk
ModelBOne per room or room clusterOne per row: fewer ModelB per floor

Package selection by office type

OfficeDesksTypical topologyRecommended packagesExample bill of sensors
MicroUp to 8, one floorOne room or small open area1 × CIDP1b4a8 desks: 1 ModelB + 4 ModelA
SmallUp to 20Enclosed rooms, thick wallsCIDP1b4a and CIDP1b6a, one per room cluster20 desks: 2 ModelB + 10 ModelA
MediumUp to 100Open plan, some enclosed roomsCIDP1b8a or CIDP1b12a per desk row; CIDP1b4a or CIDP1b6a for rooms96 desks: 6 ModelB + 48 ModelA
LargeMore than 100, several floorsMixed, varies by floorSize each floor as a small or medium floor, then add up196 desks: 12 ModelB + 98 ModelA

Placement principles

The aim is for the sensors to experience the network the way staff do: at their desks, spread across the floor, including the worst spots, not only the best.

  1. ModelB on a wired desk. Choose a desk with a live port on the user network, mid-row or mid-room. Mount under the desk with the L brackets.
  2. ModelA where people sit. Desk height, every other desk, staggered across back-to-back rows. Not inside metal pedestals or cabinets.
  3. Cover the edges, not just the centre. Include row ends, room corners and desks furthest from access points: the worst seats define the experience.
  4. Don't cluster under access points. A probe directly beneath an access point reports best-case Wi-Fi. Spread probes across each cell.
  5. Record every position. Mark each sensor and its desk on the floor plan at install time; the floor-plan dashboards rely on it.
  6. One package per zone. Keep each package within one room cluster or desk row, so results map cleanly to a place.

Worked examples

Micro office: 8 desks, one CIDP1b4a

Micro office floor plan with one CIDP1b4a One open office of eight desks in two pods of four, with a meeting room and kitchen on the left, the comms cupboard in the top right corner and the entrance at the bottom. Four ModelA sensors sit on alternate desks, staggered across the two pods. The ModelB sits on the free desk nearest the comms cupboard, on a wired port. Meeting room Kitchen Comms Entrance Open office A A A A B B ModelB A ModelA Desk
ModelB on the desk nearest the comms cupboard, on a wired port; ModelA on alternate desks, staggered across the pods.

Small office: 20 desks in two rooms

Small office floor plan with CIDP1b4a and CIDP1b6a Two thick-walled team rooms off a corridor. Room A has 8 desks in two pods of four and is covered by a CIDP1b4a: four ModelA on alternate desks and one ModelB. Room B has 12 desks in two double rows of six and is covered by a CIDP1b6a: six ModelA on alternate desks and one ModelB. Two meeting rooms, the comms room and reception are off the corridor and have no sensors in this example. Total: 2 ModelB and 10 ModelA. Room A · 8 desks CIDP1b4a Room B · 12 desks CIDP1b6a Meeting room Corridor Meeting room Comms Reception AAAA AAA AAA B B B ModelB A ModelA Desk Thick wall
One ModelB per room, because the walls separate the Wi-Fi cells. Meeting rooms can take optional extra ModelA, not counted here.

Medium office: 96 open-plan desks, 6 × CIDP1b8a

The reference open-plan floor: six double rows of 16 desks, each built from two back-to-back pods of 4+4, around a core with lifts, stairs, comms, meeting rooms and a kitchen.

ZoneDesksPackageModelBModelA
Rows 1–6, each a double row6 × 166 × CIDP1b8a648
Total96648

Eight ModelA per row, four per side, on every other desk. One ModelB per row, on a wired desk mid-row. The result is complete Wi-Fi coverage and full digital experience monitoring with only six ModelB on the floor.

Large office: 196 desks over three floors

Size each floor on its own, as in the small and medium examples, then add up.

FloorLayoutPackagesModelBModelA
Level 2 · 88 desks3 open-plan rows of 24 desks, plus 2 enclosed project rooms of 83 × CIDP1b12a, 2 × CIDP1b4a544
Level 1 · 96 desks6 open-plan double rows of 16 desks6 × CIDP1b8a648
Ground · 12 desksOne enclosed team room of 12, plus reception and a meeting suite1 × CIDP1b6a16
Building196 desks, mixed topology12 packages1298

Exactly one ModelA per two desks across the building, with ModelB thinned out where the plan is open.

Sizing quick reference

SensorRuleApplies to
ModelADesks ÷ 2Every office, every topology
ModelBDesks ÷ 10–12Enclosed rooms and small offices
ModelB1 per desk rowOpen plan, with CIDP1b8a or CIDP1b12a

Before you propose

  • Get floor plans showing desks, wired ports and access-point positions.
  • Mark rooms and desk rows, then pick one package per room cluster or row.
  • Record each sensor's desk on the plan at install time.

For what the sensors need from your network, see Network requirements. For prices, see Pricing.

  1. Hardware platforms: ModelB and ModelC are based on Raspberry Pi 4B or 5; ModelC adds an external Wi-Fi 7 adapter. ModelA is based on the ESP32-C5.

Prove it on your own network

Six weeks, your most-complained-about office, the apps your people can't work without, and success criteria you agree up front.

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