Wireless LAN Surveys

 

Conducting wireless LAN surveys are the building blocks of a successful wireless solution. Whether it is used for planning new AP locations or determining if existing coverage is adequate, a survey will show you if the level of coverage meets your specific requirements. At ConsultX, we use industry leading survey and spectrum analysis software to plan and measure your network.

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Types of Wireless LAN Surveys

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• Pre-Installation Survey: We measure the coverage throughout the areas in order to determine the location of where new wireless access points should be installed. This is the most accurate method used to design a Wireless LAN. We complete this survey by setting up a test wireless access point, choosing a location, and measuring the coverage around its location. Once we have data that shows the coverage within the cell from the first access point, the next location is chosen. Pre-Installation surveys are ideal for:
   

  • Buildings with no existing wireless coverage

  • New construction or renovation

  • Refreshing an existing, outdated wireless design
     

• Predictive Wireless Survey: Using floor plans of your facility, we use specialized software and our experience to determine the best location for the access points. The software then creates heat maps of coverage based on the assumptions of signal loss through the walls. While this is not as accurate as a pre-installation survey, it is very helpful for new construction and is budget friendly.
   

• Validation Survey: An onsite, passive survey to confirm the RF coverage meets the minimum signal strengths desired. The minimum signal strengths are determined by your chosen coverage model. Where deficient coverage is shown, access points can be added to those areas to provide more coverage. It is important to perform a validation survey following new wireless LAN deployments or as a task of wireless LAN network assessments.
   

• Remediation Survey: Using the results from a validation survey to recommend moving, adding, or eliminating access points to the network in order to improve wireless performance. This can also be used to augment your network to a coverage model that requires more access points instead of conducting a completely new survey.
   

Conducting a wireless survey of your facility helps us understand how wireless signal degrades as it passes through walls. WiFi in older buildings typically has a smaller coverage area, so if a survey is not performed, there may be more coverage holes than you realize. Our engineers conduct a wireless LAN survey to gain crucial data on how far the RF frequencies reach to determine the best placement for your wireless access points.

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