We have no budget to do site survey each time. I though predictive wireless site survey tool would help me a lot. Looking at Ekahau, but cost may be to high. Do you know other options on the market worth checking?
An Ekahau WiFi site survey is an effective and simple way of collecting data to understand the radio frequency behaviour in the area where the wireless network is or is going to be installed. It will reveal any dead zones or areas of interference which is vital to be able to build a solid network.
The main outcome of a Wi-Fi site survey is to determine the feasibility of implementing a wireless network in a specific area and finding the best spots for access points and other equipment like cables and antennas. With the help of an Ekahau site survey, your client will be able to decide what equipment to get and where to install it.
Many of our partners rely on us as a single point of contact for booking a certified Ekahau or AirMagnet Wi-Fi engineer. Finding a qualified WiFi engineer with access to the software required can be challenging and that is why Orion 247 has built a network of trusted and reliable Ekahau and AirMagnet site survey specialists around the world.
We add value by acting as a white label solutions partner and an extension to their existing team by assisting with the global reach of their wireless site surveys. Our partners can contact us instead of going out to multiple in-country suppliers for quotes for international WiFi site surveys, thus saving valuable time and money.
Ekahau has released Mobile Survey 2.0, a new version of the company's site survey app for enterprise WiFi networks. With this release, users can now conduct site surveys on their Android tablet or smartphone and then export the data to their laptop for further review and analysis.
Note: By default, flex radios on 6E APs will default to broadcast in the 5 Ghz band. To utilize the 6 GHz band for site surveys on a Cisco Meraki AP (MR). The flex radio must be provisioned to operate in the 6 GHz band via RF profiles in the Meraki dashboard.
Ekahau offers its many Wi-Fi solutions through Ekahau Connect, a single, all-in-one suite of Wi-Fi performance software. Using Ekahau Connect, businesses will have all the wireless site survey tools they need to customize a strong, solid network connection that meets all the wireless needs of the company and handle any analyzing and troubleshooting once the systems are in place. This is done using six tools that handle diagnostics, optimization, analysis and surveying and a convenient cloud feature for remote collaboration.
To take the Sidekick on the go, Ekahau Survey is a mobile app designed to help gather the necessary information as you move during the site survey. Optimized for iOS, this app allows you to pair the Sidekick with your iPhone or iPad and simply walk your device through the site being surveyed. The mobile device will recognize access points and plot them on the site map, generating your analysis and showing the results using easy-to-read heatmaps. The data you collect is auto-saved on your mobile device and synced to the Cloud to make it readily available to share with relevant parties.
Maintaining a reliable WiFi connection is essential for any business. Poor signal quality and dropped connections can affect sales, customer satisfaction, and your bottom line.
Fortunately, there are wireless site survey tools that can help you identify any issues with your network before they become costly problems. The following guide will provide detailed information about the importance of performing wireless site surveys and the tools you can use to help you do so.
A site survey is a method of analyzing the layout, signal strength, and environment of your wireless network. It involves collecting information about the surrounding area and current and potential interference sources. You can then use this data to optimize the performance of your network.
Essentially, a site survey helps ensure you get the most out of your network, which is why the importance of wireless site surveys can't be overstated. With that in mind, the following are some of the critical benefits of performing a wireless site survey:
Wireless network design is essential to any business or organization's IT infrastructure. A well-designed wireless network can provide reliable, high-speed internet access to your customers, employees, and guests. However, achieving this requires careful planning and forethought. This is where wireless site surveys come in.
Wireless site surveys are invaluable when designing a reliable and efficient wireless network. They allow you to map out the layout of your premises and identify areas with weak or no signal strength. This data can then be used to optimize the performance of your network, ensuring it can handle the desired level of service without dropping connections.
The following are some of the essential data that can be collected during a site survey:
Before conducting a wireless site survey, there are several steps that businesses should take to make sure the data they collect is helpful when it comes to improving their network. This includes doing the following:
Ekahau is known for its suite of WiFi site survey tools. The Ekahau HeatMapper is a free tool that offers invaluable insight into the performance of your wireless network. It can create heat maps of signal strength, identify areas where interference may occur, and make adjustments as needed.
You can also generate real-time network coverage heatmaps from WiFi site surveys done on any of their other site survey tools on Android and iOS.
Although there are a few tools available for free that can be quite useful, investing in a paid site survey tool can provide you with access to more features and give you more control over the collected data. The following are a couple of paid site survey tools worth considering:
Ekahau is a site survey tool that is particularly effective for predictive site surveys. Essentially, you can input a variety of data concerning your network plan, such as your building plan and even wall materials. Ekahau will then provide you with a detailed report of the expected coverage and performance for that plan.
This helps ensure that your wireless network meets your performance expectations before setting it up. In addition to being useful for predictive site surveys, Ekahau can also measure signal coverage for active surveys.
Acrylic is a powerful site survey tool that you can use at every stage of a WiFi infrastructure analysis, meaning you can use it to design and plan your WiFi network from the ground up or to assess and improve your existing network.
Acrylic lets you analyze your network, measure its performance in real-time, identify clients, troubleshoot network issues, detect APs and devices, and more, all using a user-friendly interface. In fact, you can create customizable reports to get a better visualization of your network performance. Acrylic is available for both Windows and Mac devices.
Additionally, Acrylic provides WiFi 6E support, meaning that it can be used to detect and analyze networks that operate in the 6 GHz band as well as 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
VisiWave is an excellent site survey tool for visualizing your wireless network. The tool lets you create coverage heatmaps, view channel usage and overlap, identify coverage voids, map signal leakage, identify rogue APs, and much more.
The tool gives you control over how you collect your data as well. For instance, you can gather data one point at a time, through continuous walks through your survey area, or via GPS positioning to perform outdoor surveys.
Additionally, you can create custom reports, reuse report templates, or even view your data using Google Earth. Lastly, a pro version is available, allowing you to do predictive site surveys.
Wireless site surveys aren't your only option for improving your current network or planning your future network. Channel optimization is another option. Channel optimization is the process of finding the ideal channel for each of your access points, so that they are all operating at their best. The following are a few apps that can help you with this task:
As you can see, there are lots of different WiFi survey tools that you can use, whether you're doing predictive surveys, active surveys, or channel optimization. But when it comes to choosing the right one for you and your network, there are certain factors that you need to consider.
The following are the primary features that you should look for when selecting a WiFi survey tool. The WiFi survey tool should:
Although there are many wireless site survey tools available that you can use yourself, there are times when it's best to seek the help of a professional. Whether you're conducting predictive surveys, active surveys, or channel optimization, working with a professional can help you get the most out of your wireless network.
Professionals are experienced in conducting surveys and interpreting the results. They understand what needs to be done to improve your network and can help you create an action plan to make the most of the available resources. They can also advise on the latest technologies, trends, and best practices in wireless networking.
Overall, working with a professional is the best way to ensure that your wireless network performs optimally and meets your organization's needs. It can also save you time and money in the long run, as they can quickly identify problems and provide solutions that can help your network reach its full potential.
At Hummingbird Networks, not only do we have extensive experience in conducting wireless site surveys, but we also use the best tools available to do so.
We understand that every organization has different needs and goals when it comes to their wireless network, so we make sure to use the best tools and techniques to determine the best way to optimize your wireless network. As a result, we can help your business save both time and money in the long run.