What is a Suite Spot Predictive Site Survey?

The Suite Spot Predictive Site Survey Is a Report Document Based On a Computer Model of Your Site

• It's a muti-page, in-depth report that uses your floor plans or outdoor area maps as the basis for the creation of a computer model of your space.
• Using advanced RF design software, the engineers at Connect802 perform CAD simulation of your wireless network. Access points, antennas, mesh routers, and other equipment can be moved around in your virtual building and the best location while the signal propagation boundaries, noise levels, and interference are observed in real-time. The result is a report showing exactly where each piece of equipment should be installed, and the RF signal coverage provided from each antenna. The Suite Spot Predictive Site Survey is included as part of each Connect EZ Solution Suite and RF modeling and design services are available on a contract basis - at a surprisingly low price! Design is available not only for Wi-Fi networks but for CDMA, AMPS, GRS, WMTS, and other radio systems as well.

The Report provides an installation Plan Used to Locate Antennas During the Build-Out of the Equipment

• The report provides a description and graphic analysis and assessment of RF signal coverage, interference, and RF security
• Two versions are available:
  • The Brief Installation Version showing AP locations and coverage
  • The Full Presentation Version with detailed explanations of placement justification and technology

Why Use Computer Modeling to Predict RF Coverage?

• Perform A Virtual Site Survey Based On Construction Plans
  • The only way to know where to install your radio antennas is to perform a site survey
  • RF signal characteristics are calculated in the computer model of the building or outdoor area
  • A legacy site survey, performed through experimental on-site measurements, can be costly and time consuming
• Avoid Installation Mistakes
  • A legacy site survey involves two people walking around making a "best guess" effort at find the right installation locations
  • With people walking around it's impossible to measure 100% of a location and test 100% of all possible antenna locations
  • Also, you can't perform a site survey when a building has not yet been built!
• Provide a Complete Design Solution
  • Computer modeling of your building or outdoor area takes all parts of your site into consideration
  • Coverage "holes" and weak coverage areas are identified in the predictive model
  • Predictive modeling works for any type of radio equipment and any vendor's Wi-Fi access point, mesh router, or security monitoring probe.

Your Building Needs a Professionally Designed and Installed Wi-Fi Network

The business proposition for commercial Wi-Fi, the expectations of the users, and the need to have the network work properly the first time all demand a professionally designed and installed system.

The picture shows an ocean-front condominium complex.
The homeowner's association wanted to provide Wi-Fi for the tenants.

You Send Your Floorplans to Our RF Engineering Team

Answer the questions in our Submission Guidelines document then send in your architectural plans (AutoCAD DWG files), scanned fire escape or real estate plans, outdoor maps, and even aerial photographs! Often a set of digital photos of the space is helpful in determining the exact construction characteristics and special considerations. While a current set of AutoCAD drawing files is the preferred format for file submission, Connect802 can accept a number of alternative types of drawings to complete a project.

Our RF engineers will work closely with you to confirm the characteristics of your installation site.

We Format the Plans to Assign RF Characteristics to the Partitions and Obstructions

Our modeling and simulation software contains a library of over 100 construction materials and even differentiates between outdoor obstructions like coniferous trees and deciduous trees (evergreen versus leafy trees!) Your building may have drywall on wooden studs or on aluminum studs. Your floors may be build with wood underlayment or poured concrete. Our engineers understand how to exactly model your building or outdoor area.

The picture shows an isometric view of a single floor of the condominium building.
Each unit has a glass porch door (to the right) and the three elevators appear in orange.

A 3-Dimensional Model of Your Space Is Created

The Suite Spot Predictive Site Survey treats the model space as a 3-dimensional simulation. Signal penetration between floors, as well as potential interference from transmission sources on other building floors is taken into consideration.

The picture shows the complete, 3-dimensional model of the building.
Compare this with the initial photograph of the site shown above.

Access Points Are Placed Into the Model and Coverage Areas Are Predicted

The specific radio type and antenna characteristics (dipole, directional, high-gain) are specified in the model. We can work not only with the Wi-Fi 2.4 and 5.8 GHz bands, but with 600 MHz WMTS, and other air interface standards. Access points are placed into the model and the propagation coverage (shown on the left as the red, green, and blue contour areas) is predicted. Our RF engineer moves antennas in the simulation to obtain the best positioning and coverage.

The picture shows 3 access points (small circles) with their signal coverage zones depicted as colored contour shapes.

Interference Is Analyzed and Signal Coverage Is Assured

Coverage modeling includes assessment of signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), bit rate, co-channel interference, and environmental noise. We can model a noise source (like a microwave oven) and confirm that the design takes potential interference into consideration.

The picture shows a coverage grid in which yellow and green are high signal strength areas and purple is low strength.
In this same way we can measure SNR and other RF characteristics in the model.

A discussion of RF Modeling and Simulation

In the early days of 802.11 wireless networking (2001) it was typical for a company to hire a consultant to come in and perform a wireless site survey. In order to assure proper signal coverage, and to determine the number of, and correct location for wireless access points, the consultant would experimentally place access points here and there and then walk around with some kind of hand-held tool to measure the RF characteristics of the building. In today's largest, most sophisticated 802.11 installations this is still true, and Connect802 can provide that kind of on-site consulting as well. However, the wireless industry has evolved since its early days and the RF characteristics of building materials and interior obstructions and furnishings are now well documented.

This has given rise to the creation of sophisticated modeling and simulation software tools that use a floor plan of a building, along with specifications of the type of construction, to create site survey maps. These maps show very accurately where access points should be placed for optimal coverage. In addition, the number of users in a space, and the bandwidth and throughput required for their network activities, is integrated into the mathematical simulation to assure that the network will provide the required level of service.

• The first step is to send a building floor plan to Connect802. This is, ideally, an AutoCAD drawing file but it can be a JPEG or BMP image as well. You can even scan and send a copy of a fire exit plan or cubicle layout plan; anything that presents a properly scaled representation of the site.
• We import the floor plan into our LANPlanner™ software and assign RF attenuation values to the obstacles in the space. We then place RF radiators (antennas) into the plan and specify the capacity requirements of each area. Capacity and throughput considerations are critical to assuring proper coverage density to support the required end-user applications (like Voice over IP)
• The LANPlanner software models the RF coverage patterns for the antennas and our engineer is able to place the right number of antennas in the right places to assure that coverage is complete. We can try using a different 802.11 antenna in one or more locations to see if high-gain or directional antennas will be effective in your space.
• Coverage predictions take into consideration the 3-dimensional nature of RF propagation, assuring that no interference or unwanted bleed-over will appear from the floor above, or the floor below.

Sometimes people make the assumption that placing an access point (with its omnidirectional antenna) in the middle of a space will guarantee reasonable coverage. Our computer simulation may reveal that spots remain where the signal strength is going to be so low that users are going to have poor performance. Coverage predictions take into consideration the 3-dimensional nature of RF propagation, assuring that no interference or unwanted bleed-over will appear from the floor above, or the floor below.

The Suite Spot Predictive Site Survey fully models your building (or outdoor RF environment) with accuracy to within +/- 2 dB (a very high level of accuracy!) and you know exactly what equipment you need to deploy a cost-effective, properly designed wireless LAN. Plus, knowing that your signal coverage will be appropriately limited to your space gives you the assurance that your next-door neighbor or someone out in the street isn't going to conflict with your network.