Demand and performance expectations for WiFi are pretty simple: it has to work, it has to be fast, and it has to be reliable.
Sometimes that’s easier said than done. You may not realize how much is going on behind the curtain to ensure smooth, uniform WiFi connectivity across an office location or warehouse space.
At CORE, we conduct a thorough wireless site survey for your location. These are specific to customer needs based on user base, bandwidth management, capacity, network device connectivity, and site specific criteriums. These are key information inputs our customers provide to help determine the following key components of specific survey reporting outputs.
- How many Access Points to install?
- Where they need to be located?
- What site specific factors may cause attenuation (the reduction in signal strength and quality as radio waves travel from the router to a device, often caused by distance or physical obstacles)?
- Is there a specific Access Point that is better for certain environments?
- Is there network interference due to rogue APs, or other factors that aren’t visible to day to day users?
What is the answer to help us navigate you to a successful network outcome?
The industry standard Ekahau Sidekick 2. The fastest and most advanced WiFi testing device that allows us to provide very detailed, professional, and accurate survey and reporting data.
How is the Ekahau Sidekick 2 used?
The Ekahau Sidekick 2 is a hardware device that is used to perform site surveys for network data collection that will provide guidance to recommend answers to the bullet points noted previously. It is a portable device that can be carried around a facility to measure the coverage, interference, and performance of a wireless network. It also enables users to take relevant photographs with comments that may be associated with the survey findings and locate them on floor plans within the software tool.
The Sidekick 2 is equipped with a high-gain antenna and a range of other features that allow it to accurately measure the strength and quality of the wireless signal at various locations throughout a facility.
One of the key features of the Ekahau SideKick 2 is its ability to display real-time information about the wireless network, including signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio, and data rates. This feature can be used to identify areas of poor coverage or interference, and to determine the best location for access points or other wireless devices.
The Ekahau Sidekick 2 hardware also is the industry standard to conduct site surveys, which are used to plan and design wireless networks. Site surveys include walking around a building or area while the device scans for wireless signals and records information about them. This data can be used to identify critical items noted below:
- Optimal location for access points, if existing in “health check” survey
- Locations for access points for a net new network build
- Potential inhibitors of signal propagation that will impact wireless performance
- Noise related challenges that may be avoided by positioning, programming, or configuration of eventual network hardware
- What access points may be best for use within specific environments
- Detect and locate wireless devices and access points, which can be useful for troubleshooting connectivity issues or identifying rogue devices on the network.
Can’t You Add An Extender to Improve Signal Strength?
Sometimes people try to troubleshoot a WiFi coverage issue by adding extenders and dongles. However, people don’t realize that adding these rogue devices adds layers of variance that can impede the performance of your network. Basically, if you’re not well-informed about the characteristics of your network, you may be causing more problems.
It’s important to partner with and experienced company that uses a professional tool like the Sidekick 2 to ensure you get an accurate reading of performance and uniformity across the entire space.
How Does the Ekahau Sidekick 2 Work?
To use the device, wireless technicians typically connect it to a laptop or tablet and use the accompanying software to control and display the data. The software allows wireless technicians to view the data in various forms, such as real-time graphs and heat maps, and to analyze the data to identify and solve problems with the wireless network.
Customarily, CORE will conduct a Pre-Deployment Survey as well as a Post-Deployment Survey of your space to ensure we have accounted for all the possible variables.
The Ekahau Sidekick 2 enables predictive modelling that is essentially the ability to create a scaled design using high quality floor plans that will accurately depict network performance with other variables inputted to ensure positive outcomes.
The Ekahau Sidekick 2 assists with a Pre-Deployment Survey because it allows wireless technicians to assess the network from a mobile device (AP on a stick). In other words, the wireless technician can gather real-time information about network performance as they move about the physical space.
The Ekahau Sidekick 2 can also assist with Post-Deployment Surveys by allowing wireless technicians to validate the models they create in the Pre-Deployment Survey phase. With its visualization functionality, technicians are able to conduct a thorough assessment of their models and validate their proposed solutions.
For those who wish to learn more about the technicalities of the device, check out this great post on the Ekahau website. Is your office space or warehouse in need of a proper Wireless Site Survey? CORE is ready to help you.
Contact us today to get started!
