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Wireless & Mobility · Foundational

Site Survey

Assessment of the RF environment to design, deploy, or validate a WLAN for coverage and capacity.

Definition

Survey types include predictive (modeled), passive (listening to beacons), active (associated and measuring throughput, retries, and roaming), AP-on-a-stick (temporary AP placement), spectrum, and post-deployment validation surveys. Requirements such as -67 dBm primary coverage, 25 dB SNR, and secondary coverage for roaming drive the design. Common tools include Ekahau AI Pro, Hamina, and NetAlly AirMagnet Survey PRO.

Example

After installation, an engineer performs a validation survey walking every area with a survey adapter.

Exam tip

Passive surveys measure coverage; active surveys measure the client experience such as throughput and roaming.

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