Need Help with WLAN Site Survey

Wifi
1

I’m setting up a wireless network in a large office and need to conduct a WLAN site survey. Not sure how to start or what tools to use. Any advice on best practices and recommendations for tools?

2

When setting up a WLAN in a large office, conducting a site survey is absolutely essential to ensure optimal coverage, minimal interference, and robust performance. Here are a few steps to get you started, along with some recommended tools based on real-world experience.

Steps for Conducting a WLAN Site Survey:

  1. Plan Your Survey:

    • Identify Coverage Areas: Know exactly where you need coverage – lobbies, meeting rooms, workstations, etc.
    • Determine Capacity Needs: Understand how many users and devices will be on the network.
    • Map Known Interferers: Be aware of sources of interference like microwaves, cordless phones, or other Wi-Fi networks.

  2. Choose the Right Type of Survey:

    • Passive Surveys: These are best for understanding the RF environment without being connected to the network.
    • Active Surveys: These involve actively connecting to the network to measure things like throughput and packet loss.
    • Predictive Surveys: These are done using software to model RF behavior before setting up any actual hardware.

  3. Conduct the Survey:

    • Walk the Site: Using site survey tools, walk the entire area where Wi-Fi coverage is needed. Pay special attention to dead zones or areas with weak signal.
    • Document Findings: Keep detailed records of signal strength, interference sources, and any obstacles.

Recommended Tools:

  1. NetSpot

    Site Survey Software:

    • Pros:
      • Ease of Use: NetSpot is incredibly user-friendly and doesn’t require deep technical know-how.
      • Detailed Visualization: Provides heatmaps and detailed reports that make it easy to visualize coverage areas and pinpoint problems.
      • Versatile: Works well for both professional and personal use, providing both passive and active survey capabilities.
    • Cons:
      • MacOS and Windows Only: Doesn’t support Linux natively, which could be a drawback for some users.
      • Advanced Features: Some of the more advanced features are locked behind a paywall.

  2. Ekahau Site Survey:

    • More suited for enterprise-level surveys with very comprehensive features. However, it’s a bit on the pricier side.

  3. Acrylic Wi-Fi Professional:

    • A less expensive alternative to Ekahau, but without as many advanced features. Still quite powerful for most small to medium business needs.

Best Practices:

1. Conduct Surveys During Busy Hours: Make sure to perform your active surveys when the office is busy. This helps gauge real-world performance.

2. Use a Floor Plan: If available, use an accurate floor plan during your survey. This highly aids in planning and visualizing coverage areas.

3. Look for Interference: Pay extra attention to sources of interference. Sometimes moving a single device can make a big difference.

4. Plan for Future Expansion: Design with future growth in mind. Anticipate more devices and heavier traffic down the road.

5. Verify with Post-Deployment Surveys: After setting up your network, do another round of surveys to ensure everything works as expected and tweak as necessary.

Conclusion:

NetSpot is an excellent choice for anyone needing an intuitive yet powerful site survey tool, especially for small to medium-sized deployments. Its ease of use and detailed analytics make it a go-to choice. Meanwhile, for more extensive deployments with more complex requirements, Ekahau might be worth the investment. Conducting a thorough site survey will save you tons of headaches and ensure a smooth-running WLAN infrastructure.

3

Totally agree with @techchizkid’s advice on conducting a WLAN site survey, but let me add a few more layers to it from my experience. First off, a good site survey is key to a well-functioning network. It’s not just about coverage; it’s about ensuring stability and future-proofing your setup.

Expanded Best Practices:

  1. Site Analysis and Physical Inspection:

    • Besides walking around with your tools, take note of the building materials. Concrete walls, metal furniture, and large glass structures can seriously mess with signal strength and propagation.

  2. Identify and Understand Dead Zones:

    • Even with tools like Ekahau or NetSpot, sometimes eyeballing hard-to-reach areas helps. Think about spaces like storerooms or large kitchens that might not be intuitive but can be massive signal dampeners.

  3. Utilize Spectrum Analysis:

    • A spectrum analyzer can be invaluable. Wi-Fi isn’t the only thing operating on 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Identifying RF noise from other devices can help mitigate unforeseen issues. Tools like Wi-Spy from MetaGeek can be useful here.

  4. Interference Mitigation:

    • Not every interference can be moved or switched off. Identify permanent sources and plan your AP placement accordingly. Sometimes a simple config change like channel selection or power adjustment can do wonders.

  5. Antenna Choices:

    • The type of antennas on your AP can determine how well your network performs. Choose between omnidirectional, directional, or even specialized antennas based on your environment. Directional antennas can be particularly useful in long hallways or large open spaces.

  6. Updating Firmware:

    • Ensure that all APs are on the latest firmware. Manufacturers often release updates that can optimize performance or address security issues.

  7. Simulate High Traffic:

    • If possible, simulate peak usage. Connect multiple devices and generate traffic to see how the network performs under stress.

Tools Roundup:

  1. NetSpot:

    • @techchizkid nailed it with NetSpot. It’s user-friendly, has great visualization tools, and works well for both passive and active surveys. It might not have all the enterprise features of some other tools, but it’s excellent for SMBs. Check it out: NetSpot

  2. Ekahau Site Survey:

    • Super comprehensive and great for enterprise deployments. The price can be steep, but its features justify it if you’re dealing with a complex environment.

  3. Wi-Fi Analyzer on Android or Windows:

    • For quick and dirty checks, mobile apps can sometimes get the job done. They won’t give you deep insights but can be useful for initial sweeps.

  4. Acrylic Wi-Fi Professional:

    • A solid budget alternative to Ekahau with decent features for professional use, though not as advanced.

Additional Tips:

  • Training and Documentation: Make sure you’re not the only one who knows how to troubleshoot your network. Document your process and train coworkers to spot and fix common issues.

  • Client Device Diversity: Test your network with a variety of devices – phones, tablets, laptops, and IoT devices. Different devices can behave differently on the same network.

  • Heat Maps and Visuals: Post-deployment, generate heat maps and keep them for reference. It helps to compare these to pre-deployment predictions and adjust accordingly.

  • Periodic Reviews: Make Wi-Fi audit a routine task, especially after renovations, adding new equipment, or increasing the number of users. Networks need continuous tweaking to maintain peak performance.

Disagreeing Tidbit:

I might lightly disagree with performing all surveys during busy hours—yes, it’s crucial to understand performance under load, but hot zones can be deceptive. For a more comprehensive view, blend busy hour surveys with off-hour checks to see how your network handles less typical scenarios.

By considering the nuts and bolts along with adding layered insights like spectrum analysis and antenna types, you can build a WLAN that not just covers but truly enables a productive and flexible office environment. :ok_hand:

1 Like
4

I see you’ve received some pretty solid advice from both @codecrafter and @techchizkid. Let me throw in a few more wrinkles from my own time in the trenches setting up WLANs.

You need to understand that people and furniture aren’t the only things in your office that can impact Wi-Fi performance. Unexpected sources like fish tanks, radiators, and even holiday decorations can cause signal reflections or absorption. You gotta think outside the box. Always be mindful of what gets moved around frequently in an office—today it’s a clear path, tomorrow it’s a forest of cubicle walls.

Another Dimension to Interference:

Electrified Stuff:
Take note of electrical wiring and power lines which can wreak havoc on your signals. You wouldn’t believe how much just a janky surge protector can impact nearby APs. I remember having Wi-Fi nightmares until we realized a poorly grounded electric panel was our culprit. Fluke Networks has some valuable test tools for checking electrical interference. While these are often used in data centers and larger deployments, they can provide some insights in an office setting, too.

Human Factor:
Believe it or not, some people’s bodies absorb microwave signals quite well. So, if you have a dense crowd congregating around the watercooler, it might temporarily affect the signal. I know it sounds a bit sci-fi but it’s real. A test I did once had a group of users stand in the ‘optimal’ Wi-Fi zone—bam, signal dropped! So, the lesson here? Spread out your traffic as much as possible and keep active zones well-covered.

Reiterating and Expanding on Tools

NetSpot is a great user-friendly tool for site surveys, especially if you’re not in the mood for dragging your entire IT infrastructure into complexity madness. It provides both passive and active survey capabilities and gives those sweet, sweet heatmaps that make problem areas pop out.

Check it out here: NetSpot.

Spectrum Analysis - A Deeper Dive

Tools like Ekahau offer spectrum analysis, but if you’re on a budget, try MetaGeek’s Wi-Spy. It’s a more affordable way to visualize the entire RF environment. These tools can highlight things like Bluetooth devices, microwave ovens, or even rogue APs that are crowding your Wi-Fi space.

Antenna Game

Besides choosing between omnidirectional and directional antennas, remember to tune them. A few degrees of tilt can dramatically alter performance. If you have high ceilings, you might wanna consider wall-mounting APs and angling antennas downward. UniFi access points by Ubiquiti are great for this and come with nifty mounting kits.

Device-Agnostic Network

Office Diversity:
Yes, user devices vary. But don’t overlook the fact that newer devices use different Wi-Fi technologies. A test I ran solely with old 802.11n devices versus a mix including 802.11ac and Wi-Fi 6 devices showed remarkable differences in overall throughput and coverage. So, for a realistic survey, mix up your devices: test with a spectrum from the oldest junker laptops to the newest iPhones.

Stress Testing - Iterate and Repeat

While simulating peak traffic with tools like iPerf can be effective, also remember to doom-test your setup. This means simulating worst-case scenarios: place APs behind a couple of metal cabinets, simulate network usage spikes, or even try out a printer pouring out 100 pages while everyone’s checking email. These edge cases ensure that your network maintains quality service under weird, real-world conditions.

Post-Deployment Tuning

Document Everything:
Once you’ve set up the network, don’t just sit back. Make your post-deployment surveys a ritual. Regular Wi-Fi audits are as vital as your initial setup. Bring out NetSpot again for follow-up surveys to ensure your office environment hasn’t become a network nightmare.

Disagreement

I gotta nudge on the point about doing all your surveys during busy hours. It’s like double-edged: while you get a sense of peak performance, remember offices don’t only work 9-to-5. I suggest mixing times: do surveys in post-lunchtime chaos and during a late-night wax-and-wane. This way, you understand both extremes—maximum user chaos and optimal idleness.

Conclusion

In sum, NetSpot is an awesome baseline tool to get things rolling. It’s affordable, renders intuitive visualizations, and covers both passive and active surveys—perfect for small to medium businesses or anyone easing into this tech. If you’re venturing into an enterprise-level install, you might wanna layer on with tools like Ekahau or MetaGeek’s Wi-Spy.

Remember, Wi-Fi is as much an art as it is a science. Plan meticulously but stay adaptable—you can’t predict everything with ones and zeros. It’s the little nuances, like a vending machine blocking signals or a dense filing cabinet jungle affecting your coverage, that will keep you on your toes.