WLAN site survey Quesionnaire

 

A wireless site survey is a process by which the surveyor measures and records the radio frequency(RF) propagation throughout a facility.  The site survey data includes RF coverage and signal strength, and may also include interference and channel loading.

 

The RF propagation data and client requirements is used to properly model and create a wireless local area network(WLAN) design that meets the Customers business goals.  The design specifies access point location/mounting specifics, access point part numbers at a minimum, and may include power and channel plans, WLAN configuration recommendations, and other items needed for a successful deployment.

 

There are three main survey project types:  New installations, validations and remediations.  A validation survey is a survey that is done after a new WLAN is commissioned to ensure the WLAN was installed and configured the way it was designed.  The remediation survey usually involves a validation survey and is followed up with upgrading and redesigning an existing WLAN that is not meeting the Customer's requirements. 

 

Project type: (select all that apply)

             

              New installation

 

              Validation

 

              Remediation

 

 

Building access:

 

              A WLAN Surveyor typically needs access to all rooms that will require WLAN coverage. 

 

              Will the surveyor have access to all rooms of the facility requiring WiFi? 

 

              Are there any areas that are off-limits?

 

              Will the surveyor need to be escorted?

 

              What is needed for the Surveyor to be issued a badge, if required.

 

 

New WLANs:

 

Do you have accurate floor plans of the facility?  AutoCAD(.DWG) or Black and white JPEG/PDFsare preferred.

 

Is outdoor Wi-Fi required?  Examples include courtyards, driveways, parking lots and garages, drop off areas and loading docks.

 

What types of facilities will be in the design?  Examples include hospitals, medical/office buildings, schools/classrooms, manufacturing, multifloor buildings.

 

Do you have a preferred vendor for WLAN equipment?

 

Is there a requirement to support legacy WLAN clients, such as native 802.11, 802.11b and 802.11g?   It is generally recommended to deploy 802.11a/n/ac 5GHz WLANs when possible.

 

What type and how many client devices will the WLAN deployment support? Examples include laptops, tablets, smartphones, barcode scanners, wireless printers, etc.

 

What is the maximum number of Wi-Fi users today, and in a year from now?

 

What are the peak hours of WLAN usage?

 

How many WLANs/SSIDs are required?  Examples are: Ticketing/Employees/Inventory/BYOD/Guest.

 

What applications are required for the WLAN?  Examples include Voice over Wi-Fi, video, high speed data, real time location services(RTLS).

 

Vehicular access - will clients be inside cars, on forklifts, golf carts, scooters or in parking lots, driveways or garages?

 

It is generally recommended to use gigabit Power over Ethernet for access points.  Are there enough gigabit Poe/PoE+/uPoE port available for the WLAN equipment?

 

If a WLAN controller(s) is being deployed, are there enough switch ports, rack space and power outlets to support the new hardware?

 

Can access points be installed in plain view?  Examples include on the ceiling grid, suspended from a high ceiling on a pole, or with an L bracket on the wall approximately 10 feet from the floor?

 

How many cables do you want run to each access point?  (some installations require a cable to be patched to an access point's console port)

 

 

 

Existing WLANs (Validations, Remediation, troubleshooting):

 

Are there any existing WLAN design files available that can be used to better assess this project?  Files may include original WLAN designs, spectrum analysis or protcol analysis information.

 

Do you have accurate floor plans of the facility?  AutoCAD or Black and white JPEG/PDFs are preferred

 

On a separate floor plan, please indicate existing access point locations, any areas of dense user concentration and any known "dead spots".

 

Is there an existing access point naming convention?  If so, please indicate below.  Examples include campus-building-floor-closet-AP#.

 

What is the current WLAN equipement and technology deployed?  Examples include 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11a, 802.11n, 802.11ac, mesh, point to point links, 2.4GHz and 5Ghz.  Manufacturer part numbers.

 

Do you have a preferred vendor for WLAN equipment?

 

How many access points are currently deployed?

 

How many client devices are on the existing WLAN deployment?

 

What is the maximum number of Wi-Fi users today, and in a year from now?

 

What types of devices do the Wi-Fi users have?  Including Laptops, tablets, smart phones,  barcode scanners, etc.

 

What are the expected peak hours of WLAN usage, if known?

 

How many WLANs/SSIDs are currently deployed, and in what frequency, if known?  Examples are: Ticketing/Employees/Inventory/BYOD/Guest.

 

What are the most common complaints from the users of the Wi-Fi network?  Examples include: slowness, disconnects, multiple logins needed, choppy voice calls.

 

Has any troubleshooting been performed that has indicated a source of either non-WLAN or Wi-Fi based interference?