Wireless Surveys
Unit: 12
Lesson: 2
i need a map that dictates where all the ______ people are
Range, interference, and signal strength all need to be considered when designing a wireless network. Network admins also need to consider device density, device movement, and special traffic requirements (e.g. audio/video services and QoS).
Wireless surveys are used to gather and store this required information in order to better plan out and organize wireless networks.
Terminology
- Basic Service Area (BSA): the area served by a single AP
- Extended Service Area (ESA): The are where stations can roam between access points to stay connected to the same ESSID
Conduction of a Wireless Survey
First, examine the blueprints or the floor plans of the premises to understand the layout and identify things that could produce RFI. Make sure you have network ports and power jacks available, and if you can, try using PoE.
Next, create a new plan where you will mark out the BSAs and their associated APs and booster antennae. Make sure to place APs in a way that avoids dead zones from forming, i.e. areas where signal strength and connection speed are below a tolerable level, but far enough apart so that one APs don't interfere with each other.
You can do this using a heat map, or a graphical diagram showing the various levels of signal strength and connection speed displayed over the blueprints or floor plans of the premises. That can help you decide where best to place the next AP. Consider limiting the transmit power of each AP to best serve signal to it's designated BSA.
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