There are several types of surveys on wireless sites and it is important
to know which type you are looking for before purchasing the wrong type of
service. Some wireless surveys can be performed remotely using floor plans and
thermal mapping software, while other on-site surveys require an on-site
presence and several hours to complete. There are studies on the site that will
produce a bill of materials only for a Wi-Fi distribution, while more advanced
site studies will provide a series of cabling and installation works, as well
as a level of commitment for ongoing management and maintenance.
Let's compare two of the most common types of surveys on wireless sites:
predictive and active.
Predictive surveys on wireless sites
In a predictive survey on the site, a company will collect floor plans
of your space. They should also ask you questions about how you plan to use
your Wi-Fi and what your general needs are. Using the information provided, the
wireless site survey company will suggest an access point model. This model
will be used to create a heat map of your location. The heat map will include
the recommended placement of equipment and a visual representation of how the
wireless signal will spread in your environment.
A predictive Site Survey Cost is generally provided for free. It really is more of a
sales tool than anything else. Many network equipment distributors will offer a
free predictive survey to help you reach an agreement. It can help transform a
simple transaction into a more personalized customer experience. Since a survey
on the predictive site is generally free, some sacrifices are made in terms of
quality and accuracy. In most cases, when deploying more than 3 wireless access
points, predictive site detection is not enough. Elements such as positioning
of the access point, coverage of the wireless signal and network performance
are generally estimated and may require slight, even drastic changes, to better
align with the environment and needs.
Surveys active on the wireless site
If accuracy is the goal, then an active survey on the site is the way to
go. An active survey on the wireless site will require a visit to the site.
Usually, it can take a few hours to a few days, depending on the size of the
place. An active site survey can be performed in a new environment without
wireless equipment installed. An investigation can also be carried out in a
place where a Wi-Fi system already exists but must be repaired or configured
correctly. The final report will offer an extremely accurate plan for equipment
placement, wireless signal coverage, network performance, cabling, and
installation.
As in a predictive survey on the site, a floor plan must be shared and the
general needs of Wi-Fi must be discussed. Here the similarities end. A wireless
engineer downloads the floor plans into his site survey software and places a
single access point in space. The engineer then begins to traverse the space
and measures the signal strength of the access point. The site detection
software will also measure external Wi-Fi interference from nearby wireless
networks to allow the wireless technician to provide recommendations for
channel selection and other configurations.
The man-hours participating in an active survey on the site is not
limited to the time spent on the site. Engineers spend several hours after the
words draw the walls of other structures on the floor plans provided to provide
an even more accurate representation of the propagation of the wireless signal
in space. Stairs, elevator shafts, windows, and walls will all have a negative
impact on the wireless signal. Wall building materials will also have its
effect. For example, the drywall will not be as bad for wireless radio signals
as concrete.
How much does a survey on the wireless site cost?
The value you get from a survey on a Wi-Fi site is clear enough, but
when it comes to presenting the need to your company's CFO, the technical
requirements must translate into some sort of figure. A predictive survey on
the site should always be offered for free. Since it is more of a sales tool
than a personalized report, the wireless site survey company should provide it
for free. If you are asked to pay for such a relationship, this should be a big
red flag for the company you work with and you should start exploring other
options.
How Much does a
survey Cost is a little more difficult
to determine. There are so many different variables that could affect prices. A
good range of costs for a survey on a wireless site is between $ 2,000 and $
10,000 per survey. However, here are some factors that will influence the cost
of the survey on the wireless site:
- Square
feet area of the study area
- Support
requirements for specific Wi-Fi applications
- Ceiling
height and lift requirements
- Plan
creation requirements
- The
physical location of the detection environment
- Wi-Fi
hardware requirements
- The
time needed to participate in the survey on the site
- Report
turnaround requirements
- Customer-specific
requirements, such as the need to conduct the survey outside of business
hours or to complete it quickly
No comments:
Post a Comment