Survey
Getting started

The easiest way to start a site survey is to pick one area of the facility that needs coverage. Choose a corner and place the AP there . Survey the coverage of that AP and make a note of where the farthest point of coverage is from the AP. Then move the AP to that point. If the AP was placed in the corner, as much as 75 percent of the coverage cell might be wasted on covering an area outside of the building, which does not require coverage.

After the AP has been moved, survey the coverage of the AP. It may be necessary to move the AP several times in order to find the best placement. After determining the best location for the AP, move to a different corner of the facility and repeat the process. In a simple warehouse like the one shown in the figures, the process would be repeated four times. The survey of the RF coverage would then be complete.

In a more advanced survey, repeating the process four times might only provide coverage around the perimeter of the facility. Any holes must then be filled. This process requires experience and judgment. Some SEs might choose to survey the perimeter and then fill in the center. Remember that if seamless coverage is required, the coverage cells must overlap .

For a standard survey, 15 percent overlap is usually sufficient to provide smooth, transparent handoffs. If intending to use repeaters, then the repeaters will need to have a 50 percent overlap with a wired AP.

Another approach is to survey the first two APs and determine their coverage areas . Then place an AP at the edge of the first AP cell, and survey the coverage. Then move the AP out further to utilize the entire cell. This allows for a rough judgment of the size of the cell. Survey the new location to determine feasibility and adjust if necessary. After the AP location has been decided, the SE continues this process until the entire facility is covered.


Interactive Media Activity

Interactive Activity: Site Survey

This activity explores the thought process in doing a site survey and deciding antenna placement.