PredICTIVE
SITE SURVEY
A predictive Wi-Fi network design is an assumption of how many access points (APs) are needed and where they should be placed to meet the Wi-Fi requirements of a network. Predictive designs give you an excellent idea of how a network will perform in the environment, but they’re only as good as the information provided—as the saying goes: junk in, junk out.
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In order to improve the accuracy of our surveys we are in general having a hybrid approach of a predictive survey with a simple onsite spot check
PassIVE WIFI SIte Survey
Performed to get an understanding of the RF characteristics on-site. By RF characteristics I mean Wi-Fi signal strengths, noise levels, SNR (signal-to-noise ratio), and the like. The reason the site surveys are called “passive” is that your Wi-Fi network adapter is pretty much just listening to packets when performing passive site surveys. OK, the NIC might send some probes out, but that’s about it.
Active WIFI SITE SURVEY
Provide more insight on the network connectivity and/or performance. Things like packet loss, packet delay, and access points you’ve associated with, can be measured during active site surveys. As the name suggests, with active surveys the Wi-Fi adapter is receiving AND sending packets to figure out what’s truly going on with the network.
AP oN a Stick
SURVEY
An AP on a Stick (APoS) survey is a method of temporarily staging APs at deployment height utilizing a tripod or other mounting options in order to validate your predictive design before a full site deployment. APoS surveys identify the RF signal propagation characteristics of the environment while providing additional confidence your proposed design will work as planned, reducing the need for costly AP location changes, and validating you have the correct number of APs in your design