User's Manual

Conducting a site survey for your wireless LAN is the most crucial step in the process of setting up a wireless
network. It greatly reduces the amount of troubleshooting you will have to do once you have the wireless LAN
set up and ready for connection testing. To conduct a site survey, you will need the following tools:
● An access point (or laptop computer) that is set up to be the transmitter. It should be mounted near and
at the same height as the designated location of your wireless LAN.
● A laptop that will act as the mobile receiver. It must contain your site survey software.
● An area or building map, which will be used to plot the strength of your signals.
Once you have the tools you need, you are ready to survey the inside of the building. Launch the site survey
software on the mobile receiver laptop and carry it around in the intended wireless LAN area to test the signal
strength. Be sure to also check the signal strength of each intended access point location. If you encounter
problems while surveying the site, make sure your transmitter laptop is not located on a wall containing metal,
such as an air-conditioning duct, which will interfere with the range of your signal. Simply move the transmitter
and test the signal strength again. For users to have seamless coverage when moving from access point to
access point, the signal levels at each point must overlap. There is software available that will seamlessly hand
off changing signal levels from one access point to another.
Your building's infrastructure can sometimes interfere with the microwave signal, but finding the location and
cause of the interference will allow you to figure out the best place to mount your access points for optimal area
coverage. Microwave signals travel in all directions, which means you can have one access point for a multi-
floor building. However, the range is highly dependent on the material used to construct the flooring, especially
metal materials. Once your signal strength is strong inside the building, you are ready to check the strength
outside the building. To do so, simply carry the mobile receiver laptop as far down the street or around the
building as you can go without losing significant signal strength.
If possible, you should be aware of the types of networks being used by the companies on the floors above and
below you, so that you can work together in harmony. With wireless networks, security is very important and if
you communicate with those around you, you are better prepared to select the right channels, as well as the
best location for access points.
Factors Affecting Range
Although access points can transmit signals up to 60 feet away in an area with many walled barriers or as
much as 500 feet away in a large open area, the range is affected by the following factors:
● Building materials, such as steel and drywall, can shorten the range of the radio signals.
● Physical layout of the area can interfere with the signals and cause them to be dropped.
● Electronic noise from cell phones, microwave ovens, or other devices on the same frequency can
interfere with the transmission of the signals.
● Range is inversely proportional to data rate, so the faster that the signals are sent, the less distance
they will travel.
Taking these factors into consideration when you survey the site for your WLAN is key to providing all of your
users with undisturbed mobile connectivity. Using multiple access points will, of course, reduce the impact of
these factors if your area has dividing walls throughout.