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By Walter Jeske,
Senior Consultant,
Advocate Networks, LLC
Wireless LAN (WLAN) site surveys are traditionally used during the pre-deployment phase of a WLAN implementation, but these assessments are an important part of your routine IT operations. WLAN site surveys supply information to accurately locate, install and configure the radio frequency (RF) parameters of access points (APs) and antennas. This helps to ensure the required coverage and performance defined during the WLAN requirements-and-design phase are met. Site surveys, at a minimum, provide coverage and performance maps along with some minimum throughput value in all defined-user locations. As an equally important task, a site survey could include a report detailing other RF signals, including other WLANs, as well as any competing RF signals and interference.
A post-implementation survey is another valuable way to perform a WLAN survey. This post-implementation audit helps to ensure the anticipated coverage and performance requirements of the WLAN implementation have been successfully met. This is especially important when the site includes multiple APs, unique coverage areas or large numbers of users. It is also key to ensure the WLAN signal utilizes the required security protocols, doesn't extend well beyond the desired coverage area, and meets any additional requirements such as roaming.
Regularly occurring WLAN surveys should also be conducted to identify the introduction of any rogue APs (that is, APs that employees have brought in and put into the network without the consent of IT staff). In addition to causing interference with the sectioned WLAN, these APs can cause several other issues, with the number one being security. This is because rogue APs typically do not conform to IT security requirements.
Changing applications that will be supported on the WLAN, such as Voice over Wireless IP (VoWIP), should also be preceded by a WLAN assessment to ensure the new application performance requirements can be met.
For more information about Wireless LAN site surveys, please contact Walter Jeske at (678) 772-0902 or walter.jeske@advocatenetworks.com.