Planning to conduct a wireless site survey but not sure where to start? Whether you’re troubleshooting Wi-Fi issues or deploying a new network, performing a proper site survey is crucial for success.

While it might seem as simple as walking around with a laptop, a professional wireless site survey requires careful planning, the right tools, and proper methodology. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the essentials of conducting a wireless site survey, from gathering the necessary tools to analyzing your results.

Wireless Site Survey Step-by-Step Guide

The wireless site survey process is crucial when setting up WiFi. It helps you understand your space and ensures that your network will work well. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to conduct a basic wireless site survey.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Get a Floor Plan: Obtain a detailed floor plan of your building. These can usually be JPEG, PNG, BMP, AutoCAD, or PDF files. They need to be as accurate as possible.
2. Choose Your Survey Tool: Select a tool for collecting data. Professional tools like Ekahau, AirMagnet, or Hamina are good examples.
3. Load the Floor Plan: Input the floor plan into your survey tool and scale it accurately. A laser measurer is a great tool. Google Maps can be useful for large buildings or open areas. If neither is an option, then a standard US doorframe is 36 inches, but don’t always count on that when scaling the floor plan.
4. Draw Obstacles: Mark walls, doors, and other obstacles on the floor plan. Different materials will impact the Wi-Fi signal differently, which is more critical when performing a predictive survey.
5. Set Up the Tool: Configure your survey tool to collect the necessary data points in a manner that is best for how you will walk the area.
6. Walk the Space: Walk through your space, following a grid pattern, and let the tool collect data. Make sure to cover all areas, including all corners of all rooms.
7. Collect Data: Walk at a steady pace in every area where you need to ensure Wi-Fi service.
8. Analyze the Data: Use the survey tool to analyze the data and generate heat maps and reports. This data can include not just the signal strength but also signal-to-noise, co-channel interference, data rates, secondary signal strength to verify redundancy, and several other factors.

Tools Needed to Conduct a WiFi Site Survey

To conduct an effective wireless site survey, you’ll need more than just a laptop and a signal strength meter. Professional surveys require specialized equipment that can accurately measure various RF parameters and create detailed documentation of your wireless environment.

Here’s a comprehensive list of the tools you’ll need:

• Survey Software: Ekahau, Hamina, AirMagnet, or other professional tools.
• Laptop or Tablet: To run the survey software. This can also be performed with a smart phone as well in some cases.
• Wi-Fi Adapter: A compatible adapter for accurate data collection. Some site survey products include adapters programmed for this purpose (e.g. Ekahau Sidekick and Hamina Nomad)
• Wireless Hardware: Access Points, Antennas, and proper brackets if performing an AP on a Stick survey. The same models that will be deployed in production.
• Floor Plan: A detailed map of your building. These need to be accurate and in a file format that’s supported by your site survey tool.
• Miscellaneous: Laser Measuring Tool, PPE gear, camera to document points of interest, battery packs, long CAT6 cables, and comfortable walking shoes.

Best Practices for Conducting Wifi Site Surveys

Even with the right tools, conducting an accurate wireless site survey requires attention to detail and proper methodology. These best practices have been developed through years of professional experience and can help you avoid common pitfalls that could compromise your survey results:

• Walk Slowly: Move at a steady pace to ensure accurate data collection. When performing a passive survey, the data collection tool will have the radio dwell on each 802.11 channel for a certain amount of time while it waits and listens for beacons. Walking too quickly will cause data to not be collected accurately. In this case, slow and steady wins the Wi-Fi race.
• Cover All Areas: Make sure to survey every part of your building. If users may need Wi-Fi in an area, then is should be surveyed. Even areas beyond that should be surveyed if possible to determine how far a signal will travel.
• Use Real-World Conditions: It’s important to make sure data is collected in a similar manner to real-world conditions. For instance, if doors are typically closed to rooms, then a survey of that room needs to be performed with those doors closed as well.
• Repeat if Necessary: If you notice any issues or gaps in your data, consider repeating the survey to get a complete picture.
• Consider the Client Device: Adapters that are used to survey may “hear” and interact with the Wi-Fi network differently than other types of client devices. For instance a high-end laptop will have better performance than a smart phone or an IoT sensor. Keep this in mind when reviewing the data.
• Check for Interference: Be aware of potential interference sources like microwaves and Bluetooth devices.

When to Consider Professional Help

While this guide outlines the basic process of conducting a wireless site survey, the reality is that proper wireless surveys require significant expertise to execute correctly. Common pitfalls include misinterpreting RF data, overlooking interference sources, and failing to account for dynamic environmental factors.

Consider that professional wireless engineers spend years developing their expertise, using specialized equipment daily, and staying current with the latest wireless technologies and best practices. They’ve seen how different building materials, device types, and usage patterns affect wireless performance across various environments.

This experience allows them to spot potential issues that might not be apparent to someone conducting their first few surveys.

Ensure Your Wireless Survey Gets Done Right

Don’t risk your network’s performance on an incomplete survey. TPK Advanced Wireless brings nearly two decades of wireless survey expertise to every project, ensuring your wireless network is designed and optimized for reliable, high-performance operation.

Contact TPK Advanced Wireless today to discuss your wireless survey needs and ensure your network is built on a solid foundation. Visit our website or call us to learn how our professional survey services can save you time, money, and frustration in the long run.