It is fairly frequent for some businesses to have to cope with signal-related issues. It is critical to understand the site survey and how it can be used to align these obstacles that are so inconvenient and cause considerable losses in the day-to-day operations of any organization.

Clarity and range are important components in the realm of telecommunications for businesses. Whether through Wi-Fi, telephony, or radio communication, for everything to work well. Check out the whole article below to get a better understanding of this and other alternative remedies.

What is a site survey?

A site survey is an activity that assesses and analyzes a specific area to determine the conditions and requirements for the installation of a certain infrastructure. This method is common in a variety of settings. Including wireless communication networks, security system installations, and computer network deployment, among others.

This model involves a visit to the location where the network will be installed in a situation requiring the implementation or optimization of a Wi-Fi network. During this visit, information on the physical surroundings, geography, the existence of impediments, interference from other wireless networks, and user distribution, among other things.

Its main objectives are focused on:

• Signal coverage: evaluation of Wi-Fi signal strength in various locations to ensure acceptable coverage in all targeted locations.
• Network capacity: the network’s capacity to accommodate the predicted number of users and devices is verified.
• Interference identification: sources of interference that can degrade network performance must be identified.
• Channel planning: channel selection should be done correctly to avoid conflicts and interference between neighboring Wi-Fi networks.
• Security: validation of security mechanisms such as encryption to ensure proper network security.

What is its use?

A site survey is required in numerous scenarios to ensure the successful and optimal deployment of a particular infrastructure. Here are some of the most common applications for a site survey:

• Network Coverage Optimization: The site survey assists in determining the best location for access points (APs) to ensure uniform and sufficient coverage throughout the intended region. This avoids places with poor or no signal coverage.
• Improving Network Performance: The system helps to improve network performance by finding and mitigating interference. This reduces the likelihood of channel conflicts and external interference.
• Capacity Planning: Surveying the projected number of users and devices in a certain area aids in network capacity planning, ensuring that it is adequately sized to meet anticipated demand.
• Identifying Topology Problems: The site assessment exposes information on the physical topology of the place, indicating barriers such as walls, furniture, and other structural items that can interfere with signal propagation.
• Proper Channel Selection: the electromagnetic spectrum analysis assists in selecting the least congested channels, decreasing interference, and optimizing wireless network performance.
• Security Planning: the site survey identifies potential network security flaws, allowing suitable security solutions such as encryption and authentication to be implemented.

What types of site surveys exist?

There are various types of site surveys, each adapted to distinct aims and implementation requirements. The key ones are listed below.

Predictive website survey

Predictive site surveying is a method of planning and building a network before it is physically implemented. In contrast to other forms of site surveys that collect data on-site. The predictive site survey employs software tools to simulate and anticipate network performance based on theoretical data and mathematical models.

It creates a virtual model of the room using information from the floor plan, layout, and building materials. Furthermore, it simulates how the Wi-Fi signal will spread in the area by taking into consideration factors such as walls, barriers, furniture, and other components.

Although the predictive site survey gives vital information, traditional on-site site surveys are still needed to check that real environmental conditions match theoretical forecasts.

Passive

The passive site survey approach to network surveying entails studying and monitoring the radio frequency (RF) spectrum without producing active network traffic. In contrast to the active site survey, which generates test packages to evaluate network performance, the passive site survey focuses on detecting RF signals in the environment.

During the planning and optimization phases of a wireless network, a passive site assessment is essential. It gives vital information about the current RF environment to aid in network architecture, channel selection, interference mitigation, and coverage decisions.

Active

An active site survey is a sort of survey that is used to examine and analyze the real-time functioning of a wireless network. Active site survey, as opposed to passive site survey, which focuses on passively listening to RF (radio frequency) communication, involves the deliberate production of test traffic to assess connection quality and network performance.

The active site survey is particularly valuable for checking assumptions made during the original network planning process. It provides actionable insights into real-time performance and can assist in identifying difficulties that were not foreseen during the design stage. This is critical in wireless network setups to ensure a constant, high-quality user experience.

Technological support with Tracenet

Any new technology application, such as a site survey, necessitates the assistance of a business that specializes in this type of solution. As a result, Tracenet is the best option in instances like this.  Tracenet, in collaboration with the greatest professionals on the market, provides guidance on technological solutions as well as total security for your company’s systems. As a result, please contact us via our website or email.

The sort of site survey used is determined by the unique implementation objectives, environmental conditions, and infrastructure needs. A mix of different types of site surveys can be undertaken in many circumstances to acquire a comprehensive view and assure successful implementation.