Welcome to our fourth WiFi Ninjas Podcast episode!

Today we’re going to discuss second survey type of our hot ‘4 Ps’ – Pre-Deployment Wireless Survey.

Just to recap, there 4 main types of wireless surveysL

• Predictive (Software Simulation)
• Pre-Deployment (Simulation Validation)
• Post Deployment (Deployment Validation)
• Periodic (Healthcheck)

Structure of today’s episode:

• What is a Pre-Deployment Survey?
  • Predictive Survey Validation, checking if the Predictive Survey is accurate in real-world conditions
  • Simulating new WLAN deployment using AP-on-a-stick

• What are the benefits and use cases for Pre-Deployment Survey?
  • Targeting greenfield sites that are too difficult or impractical to simulate in Ekahau
  • Prove the RF concept – example: will cross floor leakage between floors through atrium affect RTLS?
  • Ensures all the RF requirements (overlapping, coverage, etc.) are met before the WLAN is even deployed

• Pre-Deployment Survey Tools
  • AP-on-a-stick
  • Ekahau
  • Predictive Survey Report

• AP-on-a-stick configuration
  • Sturdy tripod, at least 3m high (but higher is better), can be on wheels
  • Different brackets for different types of APs
  • AP that will be used during the deployment or at least with very similar propagation pattern
  • PoE battery, ideally at least providing 30W 802.3at PoE for newer APs
  • Patch lead to connect the PoE battery to the AP

• Pre-Reqs:
  • Complete Predictive Survey – see previous episode
  • Plan your day on site – ensure access to relevant areas and that the business knows how your work would look like
  • Sometimes multiple AP-on-a-sticks are required
  • Charge that PoE battery 🙂
  • Take PoE injector with you

• How do you perform Pre-Deployment Survey?
  • Prepare Ekahau survey – normally an empty project with just a scaled map and building layout
  • Place AP-on-a-stick in a proposed (in a Predictive Survey) new AP location
  • Do a ‘mini’ survey around it ensuring you go as far as the reach of the AP
  • Freeze the AP
  • Repeat for all the relevant APs in an area being subject to Pre-Deployment Survey
  • Create a report showing real heatmaps of a soon-to-be-completed wireless solution

• Challenges
  • Clunky, heavy and expensive equipment
  • Very time consuming
  • More often than not doesn’t bring too much value to the project but extremely valuable for specific use-cases
  • In most cases a thing of a past, but still notoriously used as a main wifi planning tool by tons of vendor partners and integrators

• Links & More Info
  • PoE battery with 802.3at PoE support: https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/products/1486885/?grossPrice=Y&cm_mmc=UK-PLA-DS3A-_-google-_-CSS_UK_EN_Safety_And_Security_And_ESD_Control_And_Clean_Room-_-Cctv_And_Security_Surveillance%7CCctv_Transmission_And_Receiving_Accessories-_-PRODUCT_GROUP&matchtype=&pla-392759519960&gclid=Cj0KCQiAvqDiBRDAARIsADWh5TeLwDFbAfkMjpThLUtkawUUrky6Ie9nqAMElmeMQLeFLM38vz9HqXYaAvbyEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
  • Tripod with T-bar: https://wifigear.co.uk/wireless-survey-tripod#.XEl0l1z7QuV
  • We also used Manfrotto tripods and carry cases that are on an expensive side, but are extremely light and robust 

Thanks for listening and please don’t hesitate to leave a comment, feedback, subscribe or follow us on social media. Cheers!