Why Carry Out A Wireless Site Survey?

With clients who want to implement WiFi over a wide area, it’s important to have a wireless site survey done. Without it, there’s a high likelihood that, whether it’s an education WiFi setup, enterprise WiFi or any other implementation, users won’t get the best coverage and reception.

A wireless site survey can also be useful with existing installations if there are signal quality issues in certain locations. Redway Networks’ professional standards mean that we want to achieve the best service for our clients and a wireless site survey goes a long way to ensuring success.

What types of wireless site surveys are there?

Redway Networks go around the whole area that’s to be covered and assess the issues that a wireless network might face. The survey can be active – connecting to existing equipment and measuring packets – or passive – monitoring existing radio frequency (RF) signals without connecting.

There are also predictive surveys where sophisticated planning tools are used rather than measuring in the field. Detailed plans and blueprints are required and this form of survey is usually used at the planning stage of buildings where a wireless network is to be installed.

What does a wireless site survey look for?

There are a number of considerations:

  1. Equipment placement – where to place access points, aerials and other equipment to achieve the most economical and efficient wireless signal spread.
  2. Potential signal blockers in buildings – thick stone walls, old lead-based paint etc.
  3. Channel conflicts and interference from other WiFi installations that need to be worked around.
  4. Interference from other sources that use radio waves like cordless phones, microwave ovens, wireless security systems etc.

There are, of course, overlaps in most of these areas – for example, access point placement may be governed by potential conflicts with sources of interference just as much as the nature and layout of the buildings involved.

An education WiFi or enterprise WiFi setup is likely to have many sources of interference in the vicinity, as well as potential conflicts with neighbouring WiFi setups to take into account.

Get the best from your Wireless installation.

A wireless site survey carried out by professionals is well worth doing, whether it’s for a building that hasn’t yet been built, a new wireless installation in an existing building, or to find out why an existing installation isn’t performing as it should.

Contact us or request a wireless site survey online today.