A
site survey is a physical survey of the customer's
premises to identify the best possible locations to
install access points to ensure 100% wireless
coverage, along with maximum performance, within the
desired area.
When
considering the use of wireless equipment, it is
extremely difficult to predict the propagation of
radio waves and detect the presence of interfering
signals without the use of specialized test
equipment. Even if you are using omni-directional
antennas, radio waves do not travel the same
distance in all directions. Walls, doors, elevator
shafts, people, and other obstacles offer varying
degrees of attenuation, which cause the radio
frequency (RF) radiation pattern to be irregular and
unpredictable. As a result, one should have an RF
site survey performed to understand fully the
behavior of radio waves within a facility before
installing any wireless devices.
The
goal of an RF site survey is to gather enough
information and data to determine the number and
placement of access points that will provide the
coverage required. Coverage required usually means
the support of a minimum data rate in a given area.
An RF site Survey will also detect the presence of
radio interference coming from other sources that
could degrade the performance of the wireless LAN.
The
need and complexity of an RF site survey will vary
depending on the size of the facility and the work
that is to be accomplished. A site survey is a good
idea for the use of any wireless device because
without a survey, users could end up with inadequate
coverage and suffer from low performance in some
areas. The purchase of wireless equipment is no
small expenditure, so it is best not to leave any
portion of the project up to chance.
To
ensure the accuracy of the final site survey report
that ICCorp delivers, only the latest and most
sophisticated equipment is used. Handheld Spectrum
Analyzers are used as a guiding tool to begin the
survey. Afterwards, actual equipment is tested and
retested, and then finally the report is generated
with the consulting of the facility manager for
current or future plans.
|