- Identify where you plan to locate your access points. In general, there should be an AP for every area that needs internet access, with router, power and network cable installation needed for each AP. Your APs should be installed high, close to the ceiling, as this means less chance of obstruction. However, be mindful that ceilings can disrupt the signal, so they shouldn’t be above them.
- Using the tools mentioned above, you should now be able to test coverage. For most basic site survey software tools, this means walking around the site with your laptop in hand and it should feed you back information on signal strength as you go. Switched wireless tools can help you map out all your APs in real time, seeing if any APs are underperforming, and identifying blackspots where they simply cannot reach for now.
- With the coverage test complete, you should have an idea of where AP signal strength is failing. In most cases, the solution is to relocate your APs, install new hardware, and test again. This step takes a lot of tweaking, but you should continue until you’re able to get full signal strength indicators for every device. Save your test data, so that you can compare it with future tests.
- As the business grows, as hardware fails, and as things move around, signal strength is going to change. As such, it's essential to remember that wireless site surveys are not a one-time solution, but something to be repeated at least twice a year, and any other time there are major changes in the building. Schedule future testing and remember to compare current test results against past results you have saved.
No comments:
Post a Comment