What is a site survey

RF Installation

Wireless security

With wireless systems, it is very difficult to predict the propagation of radio waves and detect the presence of interfering signals without the use of test equipment. Walls, doors, lift shafts, people, and other obstacles offer varying degrees of attenuation, which cause the Radio Frequency (RF) radiation pattern to be irregular and unpredictable. 

As a result, it is normal to perform an RF site survey to fully understand the behaviour of radio waves within a facility, before installing wireless network access points.

What is an RF Site Survey?

An RF site survey is a process by which test data is collected and used to determine the number and placement of access points, so that there is adequate coverage throughout the facility. In most implementations, "adequate coverage" means support of a minimum data rate to the required areas. An RF site survey can also detect and identify the presence of interference coming from other sources, which could degrade the performance of the wireless LAN.

The requirement for and complexity of a Wireless LAN site survey, will vary depending on the facility. For example, a small three room office may not require a full site survey.  We visit your business and undertake a process of collecting information about your needs and current situation to source the best data collection solution.  We identify user areas, measure signal strength between prospective access points and also examine your equipment placement, power considerations, and wiring requirements.

Without a survey users will probably end up with inadequate coverage and suffer from low performance in some areas. We use the latest professional wireless site survey software packages, such as AirMagnet, to sample the RF propagation under normal operational conditions. From this, we can determine the optimum position and settings of every wireless access point to suit your specific requirements. Sampled parameters include signal strength, signal quality, bandwidth and signal to noise ratio.

A comprehensive, written Wireless Site Survey report offers:

• The recommended optimal position of every wireless access-point.
• The recommended optimal configuration of every wireless access-point
• Maximum RF coverage for the minimum number of access-points.
• A comprehensive risk assessment report.
• Installation requirements, including photographs.

RF Installation

Having submitted a site survey report our customers will generally use their own on site electrical engineers to put in the necessary cable runs for power and for network connection. Our engineers can they return to site and install the RF Access Points in the correct locations and configure the network. If cabling is required this can also be undertaken. When the access points are up and running further tests are performed to ensure the coverage is as set out in the site survey. The hand held terminals can then be configured and set up on the network.

Wireless Security
Many of our customers have asked us about how secure wareless networks are. Can they be hacked? Is your date safe? The truth is hackers have never had it so easy. Businesses are migrating to wireless networks, but like most innovative technologies, wireless LANs bring both opportunities and risks. What are the six threats to WLAN security that you face? The following paper by Air Defence provides an overall undersanding of the risks associated with wireless LANSs concluding with a list of articles on real-life breaches illustrating the need for proactive measures to mitigate wireless risks.
Click here to download the PDF