What is a WiFi site survey?

Many of us consider being connected to the digital world a bare necessity. That is why the availability of WiFi is no longer a luxury, but a basic need. Offering quality WiFi to your employees and guests is therefore important. To make sure your WiFi is on par, do a pre-deployment, post-deployment and/or predictive site survey.

The primary goal of a WiFi site survey is to understand the needs and use cases for the WiFi network. The aim is to provide detailed and accurate documentation about the current state of the WiFi and what services it will or should support. Or a design and deployment document highlighting aspects like coverage areas, predicted client numbers, device types, access point (AP) mounting location, orientation and end service level agreement (SLA) that needs to be delivered over the WiFi.

Types of site surveys

WiFi site surveys are essential processes for ensuring the optimal performance and coverage of wireless networks in various environments. Surveys assist network engineers and IT professionals in creating, installing, and managing WiFi infrastructure.

They analyse signal strength, interference, and coverage areas. This information is crucial for ensuring the intended and designed SLA over the WiFi is met. By conducting surveys, professionals can identify potential issues and make necessary adjustments to improve the overall WiFi experience.

For this, specialist tools are used such as the Ekahau Sidekick 2.0. This portable device combines multiple Wi-Fi radios and a spectrum analyser to capture detailed measurements of signal strength, noise, and interference. It provides highly accurate and reliable data, which is essential for building a true picture of network performance during pre-deployment, post-deployment, or predictive surveys.

Three primary types of WiFi site surveys exist. Each type serves a distinct purpose in the lifecycle of a wireless network, from initial planning to ongoing maintenance. Let's explore each type in more detail.

1. Pre-deployment survey

Conducted before installing WiFi infrastructure, this survey is interactive and is where the engineers gather information about the intended use of the WiFi. It includes factors like WiFi coverage areas, client device type and quantity within the coverage area. It also includes the intended SLA of the required networks and evaluates physical factors such as building layout, materials, and potential sources of interference to plan the placement of APs.

2. Post-deployment survey

Done after a new AP installation or anytime during the deployment's lifecycle. The objective is to verify that the intended network SLA is being achieved and complies with the coverage requirements set out when the network was designed and installed. This survey will assess aspects as related coverage criteria, identify potential dead zones, and detect any issues that may affect network performance.

3. Predictive Survey:

Utilises data-driven software simulations to forecast WiFi coverage and supported SLAs based on factors like building layout, materials, AP specifications, client device types and amounts. While not as accurate as on-site surveys, predictive surveys provide valuable insights during the planning phase and can produce accurate performance and placement data up to ± 85% confidence level.

Measuring Wi-Fi with Ekahau Sidekick 2.0

No device has the same Wi-Fi performance, unless they are the same make and model of course. That is why Ekahau created the Sidekick 2.0, a dedicated AI-driven survey capture device with a host of features.

One of the most special is a triband radio that is consistent in performance and allows precise device performance profiling. This ensures that, for example, a Wi-Fi network designed primarily for mobile clients can be surveyed as if it were a mobile device. This is because smaller devices typically receive a weaker signal than larger devices, and thus their performance on the network can also differ.

The Sidekick allows for granular design optimisation of the client type and application. The Ekahau Sidekick also has a built-in spectrum analyser allowing for raw layer 1 data and performance to be measured, and this design provisions are made accordingly. All-day battery life and a consistently evolving features and support base make it the top vendor's choice for survey tools and technology.

How a Wi-Fi site survey works

A Wi-Fi site survey usually involves walking through the building with professional equipment such as the Ekahau Sidekick 2.0, collecting measurements of signal strength, interference, and noise. The results are analysed in specialised software to create heatmaps and coverage reports. These insights allow engineers to recommend the best access point placement, configuration, and hardware to achieve the required performance.