??

Many people think that there is a science behind

installing a Wireless LAN (WLAN). While there is
certainly a lot of science behind the technology,
performing a site survey may be thought of more as
an art. Scientists are traditionally thought of as
stringent and unable to operate "outside the box."
Artists are bold and creative.

?? As a WLAN site survey engineer, you will have to be

knowledgeable on both the wireless equipment you
are installing, as well as the wired equipment with
which you may be interfacing. You will often have to
be creative in the design and implementation of the
WLAN equipment. A good site survey engineer will be
able to think "outside the box," allowing him to
overcome limitations presented by the facility as well
as the equipment.
• A site survey will help the customer determine how
many access points (APs) will be needed throughout the
facility to provide the desired coverage. It will also
determine the placement of those APs as well as detail
the necessary information for installation.

• A site survey will also determine the feasibility of the

desired coverage in the face of obstacles such as wired
connectivity limitations, radio hazards, and application
requirements. This will allow the customer to properly
install the WLAN and have consistent, reliable wireless
access.

• In this class we will provide you with all of the

necessary tools and knowledge needed to perform a site
survey. While this is certainly the place to start, it must
be combined with experience. The more experienced and
knowledgeable the site survey engineer, the better the
survey.

• In this class we will educate you on the processes of

performing a site survey. We will show the tools and how
to configure and use them. We will give you an idea of the
many different industries where you may be required to
perform site surveys.

• You will be given a list of recommended equipment for a

site survey kit that should get you through almost any
site survey.

• We will discuss techniques for performing a site survey.

And we will try and make you aware of many of the
"gotcha's," pointing out some of the concerns that you
may not even think to consider when performing a site
survey.

• In short, we will try to share our many years' of

experience in the field performing site surveys and
installations.

• The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference

model provides a useful structure for defining and
describing the various processes in open systems
networking. The OSI model may be thought of as a
blueprint for developers to use when designing protocol
implementations.

• There are seven layers to the OSI model, each dealing

with a portion of the communication processes. Although
we will explain the function of each level, our primary
concern will be the lower two levels of the model. Cisco's
Aironet APs operate at these levels. An AP is referred to
as a "Layer 2 Device".

• The seven layers of the OSI model are:

Application, Presentation, Session, Transport, Network,
Data Link, and Physical

• The Physical layer deals with issues concerning

transmitting and receiving data across a network,
regardless of the media type used. This layer is
specifically concerned with the physical structure of the
network (or topology), bit transmission and timing, and
specifications for interfacing with the media.
• The Data Link layer is actually divided into two sub-
layers, the Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and the
Logical Link Control (LLC) layer. The primary focus of the
Data Link layer is the conversion of bits into packets (or
packets into bits).

• The MAC sub-layer provides addressing information for

network device communication as well as information
allowing multiple devices to share the same media.

• The LLC sub-layer is responsible for establishing

and maintaining links between network devices.
• The MAC layer is particularly important because
wireless devices require their own MAC layer. They are
not communicating via cables and, therefore, cannot use
the MAC layer developed for cabled media. Cisco's Aironet
products were first to market with the MAC layer for the
high speed products, and first with an 802.11 b
compliant MAC layer.

• The Network layer deals with network addresses,

addressing and delivering packets, and communication
between devices on different logical networks.

• The Transport layer interacts with the network

layer to provide quality control and some
connection services.
• The Session layer is responsible for communication
dialogs (simplex, half duplex, full duplex) between two
devices. This includes the establishment, management,
and termination of the dialogs.

• The Presentation layer handles data encryption, data

compression, and converting system data to a machine
independent common format.
• The Application layer provides services on the network.
Some of these are file, print, e-mail, and database
services. This layer provides the interface to the network
for applications. However, this layer is not the actual
application.
• The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE) is one of the largest and most influential bodies in
the world for setting global standards. The IEEE is made
of committees. We will only be concerned with the 802
committee, which develops standards that govern lower-
layer protocols and interactions with transmission
medias.

• we will specifically be concerned with the 802.11

standards. Many of you may be familiar with the 802.3
standard or the 802.5 standard. Just as these standards
define characteristics related to Ethernet or Token-Ring
networks, 802.11 defines characteristics of WLANs.
• 802.11 is a standard that ensures interoperability
between WLAN equipment from different manufacturers.
The standard specifies three different methods for
transmission -Infrared (IR), Frequency Hopping Spread
Spectrum (FHSS) or Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
(DSSS). Cisco's Aironet 340 series equipment uses DSSS.

• Two of the subsets of the 802.11 standard are 802.11 a

and 802.11b. 802.11a covers equipment in the 5GHz
range, while 802.11 b covers higher speeds (currently up
to 11 Mbps) in the 2.4GHz range. Cisco's Aironet 340
series of products adhere to the 802.11 b standard.
• Under the 802.11 standard you should be able to use
any 802.11 wireless client with any 802.11 wireless
backbone. This is possible because 802.11 covers the
transmission between the client and the AP, association
processes, and modulation schemes. However the 802.11
standard does not cover communication between APs
across the wired backbone, roaming, wireless links over 1
mile, load balancing, wireless repeaters, etc. Further
cooperation from the WLAN vendors will be required
before many of these features can be implemented into
the standard.
• You need to be aware of these standards, as well as the
limitations of 802.11 while designing a WLAN. Because
the standard does not cover communication between APs
across the wired backbone, it is recommended that the
WLAN backbone consist of a single manufacturer's
product. Cisco's Aironet products offer superior roaming,
load balancing, wireless repeaters, throughput and 11
Mbps (among other functionality above and beyond
802.11). This makes the 340 series an ideal choice for the
WLAN backbone.

• If the customer desires to use a specific client card

adapter, or a data collection terminal (some of which are
not equipped with Cisco 340 series radios), it is possible
to install an all-Cisco WLAN backbone that will
communicate with a number of non-Cisco products.

• This will allow the customer a robust, reliable WLAN

connection while still remaining 802.11 compliant.
• Just as with wired networks, the topology of your WLAN
may take many forms. But in reference to a WLAN, the
term "topology" does not refer to architectures such as
bus or ring. Instead it refers to the BSA (Basic Service
Area) which is comprised of "microcells”.

• Each AP has an area of coverage referred to as a

"microcell”, or "cell." In an installation comprised of a
single AP this is a very simple concept. When multiple
APs are installed, the cells must overlap so that the
wireless connection is never interrupted while roaming
from AP-to-AP.

• This is the main purpose of a site survey - to place APs

and survey the cells to allow for proper overlap. Too
much or too little overlap can cause disruption of the
wireless connection to the client.
• Sometimes the topology of the WLAN will be dictated by
the layout of the wired LAN to which the WLAN will be
connected. If wired connectivity is only available along
one side of a 100,000 sq. ft. warehouse, for example, the
distance limitations of a Cat 5 cable run (328') may not
be sufficient to reach the recommended location of the
AP.

• This is where the site survey engineer will have to be

creative. There are many possible solutions - a wireless
hop using a repeater talking back to a wired AP, a
repeater or a hub to extend the Cat 5 cable run, or
installing a fiber link to provide connectivity on the other
side of the warehouse.

• As a site survey engineer you are responsible for not

only finding the best locations for the APs, but also
finding ways to connect the APs to the wired network.

• It is therefore crucial that the engineer have an

understanding of wired networks. This understanding
should cover wired LAN topologies, standards, and
components.

• The understanding of components must include

functionality of repeaters, hubs, switches, and routers.
Attaching an AP to a hub has very different implications
than attaching an AP to a switch, for example.

• By understanding the components, you will be able to

design a WLAN that meets all specifications for the
existing wired LAN topology. You must also be aware of
the media being installed and be sure that the WLAN you
design will meet all requirements for that media type as
well as state and local building codes.
• As wireless technology continues to evolve, data rates
and interference immunity are improving. These
improvements make wireless a viable technology for use
in most applications. As the acceptance of wireless
technologies continues to grow, the advantages of a
mobile workforce and a flexible network become more
and more clear to network managers.
• As a site survey engineer you need to be aware of
specific issues that surround many of the various
industries you may come into contact with.

• Often IT mangers, upper management, or board

members may want to discuss the implementation of
wireless equipment in their facility.

• All site survey engineers expect that these issues

have been worked through with a salesman or SE prior
to his arrival. But this is not always the case.

• You need to be aware of the many issues so that you

can appear intelligent and informed while meeting with
these individuals. If you appear incompetent or
misinformed they may cancel the site survey or the
implementation altogether.

• The customer wants to know that the WLAN

installation will provide a reliable link to the network for
the wireless clients.

• Early adopters of wireless technology were in vertical

markets.

• These users were more concerned with mobility than ^

standards or throughput.

• Users today are moving into more horizontal markets

where mobility may be less of a concern than
interoperability and throughput.

• With the Cisco Aironet 340 series of products, we do I

have to sacrifice mobility and roaming to gain through
and interoperability.

• One of the early adopters of wireless technology was the

retail industry.

• Data collection devices are extremely valuable tools for

checking stock, receiving, and point of sale.

• Wireless data collection devices offer the retail industry

real time updates to their databases and the ability to
place registers and printers throughout the store for
special events (such as a sidewalk or tent sale) without
having to worry about cabling.

• Retail implementations often involve a large number of

users sending data very frequently. Stores are likely to do
their inventorying at night. This can mean that there will
be a limited number of users during the normal store
hours, which does not tax the WLAN.

• But when the inventory crew comes in at night, the

customer expects that the WLAN will be able to handle
the demand. You need to work with the store manager to
determine how often they do inventory, how many data
collection devices will be used, and what the
requirements are for their particular application.

• Also ask if they will require coverage on the loading

docks or inside the trucks at the loading docks.
Depending on the WLAN design there may be enough RF
coverage bleeding through to the outside of the buildings
to accommodate this, but you should not depend upon
this unless you have factored it into your design.

• Other concerns within the retail industry include the

close proximity of the store to other RF devices. Some
stores may stock and demo RF devices in their store.

• These may include satellite systems, baby monitors, or

cordless phones. Many of these may be 900MHz, but
some ^ may also be2.4GHz. In any case, it is not
recommended that you install Aps next to this type of
equipment.
• Typically these devices have a higher output than the
Aps. Also be aware that many stores use internal cordless
phone systems. Encourage them to use a system that
operates on a different frequency (900MHz). It is far less
expensive to replace a few cordless phones than to try
and design a WLAN around an existing phone system
that interferes.

• Retail stores may also be located in malls or strip malls

where there may be other users operating 2.4GHz
equipment. Examine this possibility before starting the
site survey. Talk with surrounding store managers about
their systems. If there are other systems in the area you
will have to try and separate the stores by channel,
ESSID, etc.

• Warehouse implementations present many of the same

problems as we discussed in the retail market. There may
be a limited number of users during the day, but when a
shipment comes in, or if multiple shipments come in at
the same time, many or all users may be operating at the
same time.
• Stock levels in warehouses can vary on a monthly,
weekly, or daily business.

• Talk with the warehouse manager about when stock

levels are at their highest and try to perform your site
survey during this period.

• If this is not possible, do your best to compensate for

the potential increase in stock or put a statement into
your documentation that indemnifies you if the physical
layout of the site changes, to include stock levels.

• Always try to talk with the people who work in the

warehouse. A forklift driver may actually have a more
accurate opinion of current stock levels and when stock
levels may be at their high or low points, as well as when
stock levels will be at their highest. Do not assume that
just because people do not work directly with the network
that they do not have information that may be relevant to
your survey.

• Talking to a single individual may lead you down the

wrong path. Making inquiries of numerous people will
hopefully give you more accurate detail. Talk with as
many people as you can throughout the warehouse and
inquire about stock levels and periods of high usage.

• Warehouses or distribution centers are typically dirty

and have maximum exposure to the elements. Here are a
few questions to keep in mind while performing the
survey:
-Will the APs need to mounted in sealed boxes?
 -Are there freezer areas (which are difficult to cover
and hard on electrical equipment)?
-Do you need heated enclosures? Is there extreme
humidity?
-How much clearance do you have above the
shelving? Will it be sufficient to mount an antenna?
Or will the antenna be crushed by a forklift or the
inventory that the forklift is loading onto the top
shelf? .

• Healthcare site surveys are some of the most restricting,

time consuming, and difficult site surveys you will ever
perform.
• The primary reason for this is that almost every hospital
is a multi-story building with numerous small rooms.

• Beyond this there are a number of devices that may

interfere with your AP, or vice-versa.
• Hospitals are also prime candidates for wanting to "grill"
the engineer before he can start surveying.

• The hospital staff will have many questions regarding

the equipment, the frequencies used, the potential
interference, and whether testing that has been done
with the products.

• Never forget - hospitals are full of people whose lives

depend upon the machines that are helping them
survive.

• Cisco's equipment has been tested with numerous

pieces of hospital equipment. Contact your Cisco
representative to obtain a list of the equipment.

• In the event that it has not been tested against a

specific piece of equipment, offer to test the AP with the
equipment.

• DO NOT TEST THE EQUIPMENT WHILE IT IS

SERVICING A PATIENT!

• Hospitals will expect to see a competent individual who

is appropriately dressed in their facility. They are not very
accepting of an individual in jeans and workboots. To
help ease these concerns, many engineers even go so far
as to wear a shirt and tie while surveying a hospital.

• Remember, you may be required to enter many of the

patient's rooms. There are large numbers of elderly
people in hospitals who are concerned or even scared of
your equipment.

• The engineer will need to have excellent customer

service skills, patience, and even kindness in order to put
these people at ease. Some of these patients may have
been restricted to their beds for a number of weeks or
even months. They will be eager to talk to anyone who
enters the room. And often the engineer in a tie is
mistaken for a doctor.

• Hospital surveys also require engineers with a certain

amount of mettle. It is not unheard of to have to survey
the Intensive Care Units, Infant Intensive Care Units,
Birthing Units, Surgery Units, Burn Victim Units,
Morgues, Emergency Room and Trauma Units. The sight
of patients in this condition sometimes has a very
profound effect on individuals. The engineer needs to be
able to handle all of this with grace. More than one
engineer has been caught in the Trauma Unit when a
critically injured patient is being wheeled in.

• Most hospitals can not afford to have an individual

escort the engineer all day while he surveys. Most
engineers are given a visitor badge and a "25 cent" tour,
where they are shown specific areas where they will not
be allowed without an escort, if at all. In the surgery area
of hospital the engineer may be required to gown up to
survey the area. And almost no engineers are allowed in
the psychiatric ward or the criminal ward without a
security escort.

• Because of the multi-floor configuration of hospitals,

the survey must be thought of as a three dimensional
survey. While marking site maps (which are two
dimensional) many engineers start to think of the survey
as two dimensional. But the RF signal needs to be
thought of as three dimensional, covering not only the
floor the AP is mounted on but the floors above and below
as well.

• A hospital is a good example of a 3-D site survey, but 3-

D site surveys are not specific to hospitals.

• Every multi-floor survey needs to be thought of as three

dimensional, but this is especially the case in hospitals
as they typically require a large number of APs. Because
there are only three non-overlapping channels, special
care needs to be taken when locating APs so you
eliminate interference from other APs as much as
possible. Take advantage of the non-overlapping channels
when you can.

• Watch out for trauma and x-ray areas where the walls
may be lead-lined. Locate elevator shafts, which are
usually co-located in hospitals and may be detrimental to
your RF signal.
• Hospitals are also very concerned with aesthetics. Large
antennae hanging from the ceiling tiles generally are not
a good idea.

• Patch antennae are a good choice for hospitals. They

are strong antennae with good coverage patterns,
allowing for fewer APs. They can be inconspicuously
mounted and can even be painted (DO NOT USE A LEAD
BASED PAINT!) to make them even less obvious.

• Ground plane antennae are also an excellent choice.

APs are usually mounted above the ceiling tiles.
• Watch out for the many devices in hospitals that can be
detrimental to your signal.

• Some hospitals use Spectral-ink phone systems. Most

of these are 900MHz but that technology is changing.
They may also have existing WLAN equipment.

• Telemetry equipment is often an excellent source of

interference. (Should you have to survey near telemetry
equipment, consider leaving the wallet behind. Credit
cards seem to be adversely affected by the equipment).

• There are many, many sources of interference in

hospitals. Learn to locate and work around them.
• Hotels are much like hospitals in their building
construction and configuration (multi-floor with many
rooms).

• Hotels have started using the WLANs to support data

collection devices for taking inventory of things such as
mini-bars. But with the popularity of the Internet and the
demand for Internet connectivity, WLANs are being
installed into more and more hotels to provide Internet
connectivity to hotel guests.

• Beyond requiring the engineer to look at the survey

three dimensionally, datarates/throughput, and security
are some of the issues presented by a hotel
implementation.
• Hotels want to offer their guests fast, reliable internet
access . This means fewer users per AP .
• Most business travelers will want to know that the data
they are sending is secure and the hotel will want to
know that not just anyone with an 802.11 card can
access their network.

• One possible solution is WEP encryption.

The overhead WEP adds is minimal.

• Depending on the age of the hotel, building

construction may become a factor. Newer hotels will have
drop tile ceilings. Older hotels will often have "hard cap"
ceilings. These are ceilings that are poured concrete.
There is no real, effective way to run cable across a hard
cap ceiling. Keep this in mind when you are deciding
where to mount APs. Older hotels may also have walls of
poured concrete instead of sheetrock. This presents the
same problems as hard cap ceilings.

• Hotels will also have many of the same concerns as

hospitals do regarding aesthetics.
• The primary concern when implementing a WLAN in an
educational facility is the persons that are being
educated.

• More and more WLANs are being installed in grade

schools, middle schools, and high schools. Students at
this age have a tendency to be curious and sometimes
destructive.

• An antenna mounted to the ceiling in a hallway will

likely not stay mounted for long.

• APs have flashing lights that seem to draw in

curious children.

• Educational facilities, more so than any other

implementation, MUST have the equipment installed in
the most inconspicuous manner possible. This is the only
way to insure that the equipment will be safe.
• Another problem facing the education market is
that numerous schools still utilize Apple computers.

• Cisco does not have a driver for the Macintosh at this

point in time.

• Schools with Macintosh computers may require creative

solutions like the Workgroup Bridge (WGB), which allows
Macs to access the network via a hub connected to the
WGB.

• The challenge with these solutions is that the

associated cabling and/or the Workgroup Bridge may still
be exposed.
• The Wireless Office presents a tremendous opportunity
today.
t
• On the average, large offices change configurations at
least twice a year. This may involve new additions or
expansions, or it may involve relocating individuals or
entire departments. In either case, a WLAN makes these
types of moves much easier. Whether the employee is
using a desktop or a laptop, all that needs to be done is
to move the PC and ensure that it is within a WLAN
coverage area.

• This ease of use means countless hours saved for the IT

department, and dollars saved on cabling or re-cabling
expenses.
• Rail yards can be difficult to survey and install for many
reasons. The cars themselves are very large and may be
constructed of wood or metal.

• Cars may be filled with a variety of materials which can

limit your signal. These may include livestock, wood,
metals, or perishable materials in wooden or cardboard
boxes.

• Inside the yard the tall cars on parallel tracks forms

narrow pathways for the signal. Yagi antennae mounted
on poles above the cars at either end of the yard often are
the best solution, allowing you to shoot down the narrow
pathways.
• Airports tend be very large single story structures. This
makes the survey simpler for the engineer because the
survey becomes two-dimensional. The long, open
pathways also make for easy coverage.

• One difficulty in covering airports is when coverage is

needed outside the facility; in the baggage areas, for
example. Much like warehouse installations, these APs
may be subjected to extreme weather conditions and may
require weatherproof enclosures.
• Another difficulty in surveying airports is the high
traffic and security in airports.

• While people are certainly used to seeing work crews

roaming throughout an airport, it does not mean that
they will be cautious around you while you are surveying.
Take care not to leave materials lying about that may be
stolen or may injure people running from gate to gate. A
misplaced cable that a traveler trips over could result in a
crippling lawsuit.

• Airports are also very security conscious. Aps and

battery packs, with their flashing lights and wires
wrapped around them, can easily be mistaken for a
bomb. This is certainly not a situation that any engineer
wants to find himself in.
• Like airports, government facilities are secure facilities.
Being in the wrong place at the wrong time with
something that may be mistaken for a bomb could result
in a spread eagle position, nose to the asphalt with an M-
16 pointed at the back of your head.

• You may be required to obtain security clearances or

may require escorts. Your vehicle may be subject to
search as you enter and/or leave the facility. You may be
required to submit an equipment list and have your
equipment checked on a daily basis.

• Beyond the security issues you will find facilities of

every type at government locations, particularly military
facilities. Many military bases may have one of every
facility we have discussed here and you may be required
to survey them.
• The single fastest growing market is the ISP market.
ISPs are finding new and more effective ways to
implement WLAN technology and are helping to drive
some of the technology developments. Unfortunately,
ISPs have unique needs that cannot always be met by the
equipment.

• The difficulty with ISPs is that they are trying to use

equipment that is intended to be used in a LAN in a
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) environment, and
sometimes even a WAN environment. They see this
technology as a cheap replacement for Telco service or
microwave technology.

• Far too often a misinformed ISP thinks that installing a

single AP on a mountaintop with a powerful omni
antenna is sufficient to provide coverage for the entire
city located in the valley below.
• ISPs tend to be in a hurry to install the equipment and
start providing service without doing the proper research.
They try to link clients and APs at distances over a mile
(this requires a bridge, not an AP). They are not aware of
the implications of installing an 802.11 compliant AP.
They do not understand that certain parameters need to
be changed to avoid having anyone with an 802.11 client
attach to their AP and access their service.

• You may be required to give the ISP a "dose of reality"

and make recommendations on which equipment to use,
how to implement the technology, and the limitations of
the technology. It may not be what they want to hear, but
better they know upfront than after they have promised
service that they can not deliver.
• What we have presented here are some of the concerns
you may face while surveying certain types of facilities.
We have tried to make you aware of some of the pitfalls
associated with each of these. We hope that challenges
that we have listed will help to prepare you for others
that you may encounter.
• One of the factors affecting your WLAN design should
be the particular type of client that the customer will be
using.

• Some may choose to use PC cards in laptops to provide

mobility to their internal staff and easy connectivity for
remote users when they are in the facility.

• Some may want to use PCI cards, giving users the

freedom to occasionally move desktop PCs without having
to worry about installing cable.

• Some may use a repeater or a workgroup bridge to

provide connectivity to remote users without using
standard leased lines or having to worry about
attempting to run fiber. Others may want to use data
collection terminals.

• And some may use a combination of these options.

• In an environment where the PCs will remain stationary
most of the time, providing wireless connectivity is a
fairly easy task. For installations of this type, users
typically need "pools" of 11 Mbps coverage and will not be
overly concerned with their link speed while moving.

• Many customers do not fully understand the equipment

that will be installed or what to expect. Some people
believe that it will be a full 11 Mbps link for every user.
Some question the reliability of the RF link and intend to
use the wireless link on a limited basis. The truth is that
most users will fall somewhere between these two.
• Remember, 11 Mbps of throughput does not mean
an 11 Mbps data rate.

• There are many factors that limit the link speed.

Overhead, operating system, and number of users are
examples.

• There is more overhead associated with the RF link

than there is on the wired link. Realistically, the
maximum link speed will be around 7Mbps.

• The Operating System will be part of this limitation as

well. File transfer soeeds for a Microsoft ooeratina system
are about 5.5 Mbps. Linux speeds are closer to 7 Mbps.
The 11Mbps wireless link can be thought of as a 10 Mbps
wired Ethernet segment when deciding how many users
it can handle.
• Let's consider a typical wireless office. Most users will have
an office, desk, or cube where they spend most of their day.
They may have to occasionally attend a meeting,
conference, or class.

• For this type of application, APs need to be placed to

provide 11 Mbps coverage at the desks or in the conference
room. Link speeds as low as 2Mb may be sufficient
everywhere else.

• It is not uncommon for the user to tell you he wants 11

Mbps coverage everywhere. But after he has seen how many
APs this will require, he may change his mind, at which
time you may need to redo your survey. Avoid this by
talking with your customer up front and addressing the
issues. Find out where he thinks he needs 11 Mbps
coverage and why.

• Chances are that the user needs coverage at his desk, or

in a conference room, but will not likely be trying to surf the
web or check e-mail while he is walking between the two.
• You will need to ask the customer exactly where he needs
the 11 Mbps coverage.

• In the example above, the customer may think he needs

APs in the corners of the office. If you do this, a large
percentage of the coverage cells will be covering outside the
building.

• He may have a single user who he feels needs to have 11

Mbps coverage (maybe a V.P. or director). But if he has a
large number of users on a lOOMbps backbone with a T-1
connection, the V.P. or director never sees 11 Mb via the
wired connection anyway. So he is not gaining anything by
your providing him with an 11 Mbps wireless connection. A
better focus for the 11 Mbps coverage would be an area
with a larger number of wireless users.

•A better solution might be to move the two APs to the

center of the building. This provides 11 Mbps coverage for
high usage areas like the conference room and the users in
"cubicle land," and provides for load balancing. Users
around the perimeter get 5.5 Mbps coverage.
• Be aware of the applications that users may by utilizing.
Someone who performs the occasional file transfer and
checks e-mail has very different needs from someone using
a CAD application across the network.

•Most offices today use a client/server model with

frequently used applications loaded on each terminal.

• Some companies are moving to thin clients and may have

much greater bandwidth requirements. This type of setup
requires a very reliable connection to the network, as an
interruption of network service renders the user helpless.
• There will be "pools" of coverage at each data rate.

• If the customer wants to provide certain area with coverage at

a specific data rate, you may have to perform multiple site
surveys.

• You may have to survey at each data rate and find out where
the coverage pool is for each data rate. The Cisco Site Survey
Utility surveys at a given rate and does not rate shift.

• You will need to map out the higher data rate cells so they can
be shifted to the proper areas. You will need to map out the
lower data rate coverage cells with an eye on the overlap of
these cells and on frequency selection. This can be time
consuming but may well be necessary, depending on your
customer's needs.

• Finding out ahead of time how much throughput the users

will require should be something you do before you start
surveying. This will be one of the factors that will help you
determine where you need to place the APs.
• Copper installations can still provide higher data rates,
but price is no longer a factor. A WLAN can be installed for
roughly the same price as a copper-based network, and
provides many benefits over a wired network.

• As prices continue to come down on wireless products

and throughput speeds continue to increase, wireless will
continue to increase in popularity.

• This may also be a factor in your design. If the customer

wants to start by using a few wireless clients, and then
increase the number once he is sure of the reliability, you
will need to design his WLAN to accommodate this future
expansion.
 • If the customer intends to use data collection devices
exclusively, this will change the way you perform your
survey.

• Most data collection devices today operate at 2Mbps

Most data collection devices do not require 11 Mbps.

• If the customer is using a 2Mbps data collection device

with no intention of adding other wireless clients that may
operate at 11 Mpbs, then perform the site survey at
2Mbps.

• Make sure that all areas where the data collection

devices will be used have a 2Mbps link.
• Some data collection devices have the ability to rate shift
Discuss the devices that your customer will be using, what
abilities these devices have, and how your customer
intends to use them.
• As we discussed earlier, retail or warehousing sites may
have areas where large numbers of very busy users will be
located. A receiving area may be one such area. As
equipment is unloaded off trailers, it is unboxed and bar
codes are scanned in rapid succession. The bandwidth
needs are again going to be determined by the application.
A screen scraping emulation sends large packets containing
a lot of data, for example. If there are 20-30 users scanning
barcodes and entering keystrokes in rapid succession, a
single AP may not be enough.

• If, for example, all of the data collection devices are

talking at 2Mbps, realistically the AP is only operating at
2Mbps. This is not to say that the AP is limited to 2Mbps,
but all clients are communicating at with the AP at 2Mbps.
While the 11 Mbps connection might be sufficient to handle
the 20-30 users, the 2Mbps may not. You will have to
examine the packet size of the application and the number
of users to determine if you will need extra AP's in this area.
• Data collection users are also highly mobile users. That is
the advantage of the wireless data collection device. It
enables the end user to freely roam throughout the facility
and scan items instead of having to carry the item to a
scanner which is attached to a fixed terminal.

•Coverage must not have holes and must have enough

overlap between APs to offer truly transparent roaming.
• Some data collection devices are mounted to forklifts,
which can move throughout the facility very quickly.

• A driver may scan a barcode and then enter the quantity

as he is driving away. Take into consideration that the
forklift driver does not understand the technology, and
usually doesn't want to. He simply wants a system that
works. It is your job to provide him with this system.

• Part of this will be the application's ability to handle a

mobile user and the occasionally dropped packets that go
along with that mobile user. But by providing the most
seamless coverage possible, you will ensure that the
application will have fewer problems and work successfully.
• What we have presented are two of the most common
implementations of WLAN's, the Wireless office and Data
Collection. The principles involved center around whether
the user will be stationary most of the time and occasionally
mobile, or a highly mobile user who is constantly on the go.

• Understanding how the customer intends to use the

WLAN is very important to understanding how you will need
to survey.

• Some of this information can be obtained through the pre-

site survey form. But a good site survey engineer realizes
that the best way to understand what the customer needs
is to interface with the customer.
• A survey kit should contain at least one of each type of
PCMCIA card.

• Survey with the card that the client intends on using. If

the client is planning on mounting a terminal inside of a
crane and attaching it via an LM card with a 5.2 dBi
omni, you do not want to survey using the attached end
cap antenna on the PC Card.

• Make sure that your kit includes the adapters for the
LM card (MMCX – RP-TNC). This way you will be able to
attach a variety of antennae to the LM card and emulate
your client’s desired installation.
• It is always a good idea to carry more than one AP.

• Many are the engineers who have had a mishap with

their only AP (AP's do not usually perform very well after
being dropped form a lift or ladder).

• An extra AP allows the survey to continue without

having to wait for a spare to be shipped.
• AP's require power to operate. There will not always be
power available nearby while performing a site survey. A
good battery pack will last for at least 8 hours, allowing
the engineer to survey all day without having to recharge.

• Also recommended is a fast charger for the site survey

tool. If a laptop is used, spare battery packs that can be
charged separate from the laptop are always
recommended. Wireless PC Cards require a constant
source of power while surveying and may reduce battery
life to less than two hours. Li-on batteries power the unit
longer, charge more efficiently, and are lightweight.
• There is no single antenna that is perfect for all
applications. A variety of antennae are offered because
they are needed. Antenna choice and placement is, in
many cases, dictated by the customer. A customer may
not want the antenna to be visible, or it may be located in
a high traffic area. By carrying a variety of antennae you
will be prepared for any situation. The minimum
collection of antennae should include (but is not limited
to):

2.2 dBi "Rubber Duckies" 5.2 dBi Ceiling Mount

5.2 dBi Mast Mount 5.2 dBi Ground Plane
6.0 dBi Patch 8.5 dBi Patch
13.5 dBi Yagi 5.2 dBi Diversity Pillar Mount

• If you will be performing site surveys where you are

aware that you will be using an antenna that is not in
you kit, carry that antenna as well. Always survey with
the antenna you intend to use. Do not use a different
antenna and attempt to "guesstimate" the coverage.

You are performing the site survey to take the guesswork

out of the installation.
• You should always carry an AP mounting bracket (when
available). The kit should also contain various mounting
solutions for the bracket (beam clamps, C-clamps) as well
as mounting brackets for each antenna (when available).
Beyond this you must again be creative. Zip ties, duct
tape, bailing wire, electrical tape, two sided tape, velcro
and paper clips are common components in a good
engineer's kit.

• During a survey there is no bad mounting solution

except the solution that does not properly secure the AP,
battery pack, and antenna. Not only might you damage
your equipment, but you risk injuring yourself or others
when the equipment comes crashing down. (This also
fails to instill any measure of confidence in the customer
as he watches the "trained professional's" expensive
equipment shatter to pieces on his warehouse floor).
• Once the AP placement is determined, it will be
necessary to mark the location.

• Location markers should be very bright and resistant to

dust, grease, and water.

• Surveyor's tape works very well and comes in a variety

of bright colors.

• Brightly colored signs allow you to not only mark the

location of an AP, but give some detail as to how the AP is
to be configured and mounted, and can give a point of
reference to anyone reading the site survey report.

• Markers should be sturdy but temporary.

• In order to provide the customer with the details needed
to bid for the installation, you will have to provide many
measurements in the site survey report. And these
measurements need to be as accurate as possible.

• If you guess the Cat 5 run to be 300' and it turns out to

be 380', the customer will be very unsatisfied.

• Your kit should include a measuring wheel (for

measuring cable distances). Many people include more
advanced equipment, such as laser measuring devices
and range finders. These are all viable options, but a
measuring wheel will get you what you need. For
measuring vertical distances, a rope marked in 10'
increments will allow you to accurately judge distances
floor to ceiling.

• Counting floor tiles and/or ceiling tiles is not a good

measurement of distance!
• Surveys should always be performed using the
equipment that will eventually be installed.

• This can sometimes be difficult with splitters, lightning

arresters, and extension cables.

• Instead of carrying one of every length of cable,

lightning arresters, splitters, and other accessories, some
engineers outfit the site survey kit with an antenna
attenuator. The antenna attenuator allows you to inject
varying amounts of loss without needing the actual
accessories.
• The most important part of a site survey is the site
survey kit. No matter how talented the engineer may be,
it is impossible to perform a site survey without the
proper tools.

• It is recommended that a site survey kit be a portable

unit. For ease of use, a hard plastic case that rolls and
can be checked as luggage is the best and most common
package.

• Often site surveys are requested on very short notice,

and the ability to carry the carry the case in the trunk or
backseat of a car, or check it as luggage allows the
engineer to travel with his equipment and solves the
problem of the kit being lost or detained when shipped. It
also allows for quick deployment of an engineer.
• Today's IT professionals are generally already
overworked, and do not want any project that may
increase their workload.

• They want a site survey that provides in detail where

the AP's are to be located, how they will be mounted, how
they will be connected to the network, and where any
cabling or power may need to be installed.

• By providing the customer with a detailed site survey

report, the IT manager can turn the necessary portions
over to a local contractor who can install the cabling that
may be needed to provide the WLAN connectivity to the
network. At the same time, preparations can be made on
the customer's network for the upcoming installation.

• The IT manager's part is limited to turning over the

work to a trusted local contractor. You have saved him a
lot of work. He will remember this in the future when he
needs another site survey.
• In order to generate a detailed site survey report, you will
need to get to know your customer's wired network. We will
list some of the areas of the network you should investigate.
The customer wants to be confident that the SE is capable
and knowledgeable.

LAN Infrastructure

• You will need to work with someone in the customer's IT

department to discover the layout of the customer's network.
Generally, it is a good idea to start with a discovery of the
LAN topology. It will be helpful if they can provide you with
logical drawings of the network.

• Know your topologies - There are many different

topologies but most companies today use some sort of star
topology for their network. It may be a clustered or
distributed star. Understand where the components of the
network are located. Have the IT representative show you
where the servers are located, where the connectivity points
are (cabling closets with hubs, switches, routers, etc.), and
where the cabling is run throughout the building.
• Look into the media types that make up the network.
The customer will most likely use some type of copper
UTP cabling for most of the runs. Copper can be run to a
maximum distance of 328 feet without a repeater or hub.
Fiber can be run for miles if necessary.

• Some facilities use fiber cabling. Most of these sites use

a combination of fiber and copper, with the fiber acting
as the main backbone of the network and copper runs to
the desktop.

• In the event that the facility uses fiber cabling

throughout, make sure to advise the customer that the
AP's only provide RJ-45 connections and that a media
transceiver will be needed for each of the AP's. This can
be a significant cost.
• Ask the IT representative about the operating systems
for the clients and servers and ask which protocols are
being used on the network.

• Ask specifically which protocols will be sent over the

WLAN. You may need to filter out all protocols that will
not be used on the WLAN to cut down on unnecessary
wireless traffic.

• Make sure that the customer is aware that not all

operating systems are supported (drivers are not
available from Cisco for Linux or Macintosh systems yet).
• Once you understand the topology and the media, look
into the network components.

• Hubs may be 10Mbps, lOOMbps, or 10/100 hubs. The

Cisco AironetAP's have 10/100 auto-sensing ports, and
will work on either port, but whenever possible you
should try and connect via a lOOMbps capable port.
• If the customer uses switches you will need to find out
how these switches are set up.

• Switches have the ability for each port to represent a

"virtual LAN" (VLAN). Ports may be grouped together to
form VLANs.

• Many people today are not aware of these abilities and

try and use switches just as they would hubs. They think
that all devices plugged into the switch will be able to
communicate.

• This may or may not be the case depending on the

default settings of the switch.

• Switches can stop broadcast packets.

• Switches are designed for wired networks with
stationary users. Switches are not set up to handle
mobile users.

• If the switch sees each port as a VLAN and there are AP's on
each port, the switch is not set up to handle users moving from
one VLAN to another.

• Cisco Aironet AP's are set up to get around the shortcomings of

a switch. When a client roams from AP1 to AP2, AP2 sends a
directed packet to AP1 letting it know that the client is now
registered to AP2. AP1 can then forward any packets that it has
for the client to AP2.

• You may also want to consider the need for a design using a
single VLAN spanning multiple switches as your roaming area
with multiple APs. This allows the best continuum of
uninterrupted connectivity to allow almost all applications to
work seamlessly. This requires that you be careful about the
overall amount of ambient broadcast/multicast traffic in the
same area, and the effect this may have on all nodes.

• Another solution is to use MobilelP. This allows the VLAN sizes

to be smaller as Mobile IP will take care of maintaining
connectivity as the node(s) cross IP subnet boundaries.
• The customer's application may not be set up to handle
anon-contiguous broadcast domain, i.e. one separated by
IP routers.
• One potential solution to this problem is to group the
ports with AP's connected to them and the port the host
is using into a single VLAN. This may or may not work for
your customer, depending on many factors such as
topology and application needs.
• Another potential solution is to network all of the AP's
to the same hub that the host uses. Cable distance
limitations may make this difficult.

• Still another solution may be to network all of the AP's

together via hubs and have them connect to same hub
the host uses. This is not a viable option if the host is
remote.

Note: This solution may present problems for some

people. Under the 802.3 standard, when using a
switch, you should not extend beyond two hops.
(Remember, the wireless link between client and AP
is not considered a hop.) This would be three hops.
You may be required to remind (or explain) to your
customer how his switch works and inquire if this
will present a problem for his WLAN.

• These problems are seen most frequently in

installation using data collection terminals, where a
user may scan a bar code while standing in one cell and
then wander into another cell while keying in the
quantity and pressing Enter.
• Sometimes problems arise with switches because of the
tables they build.

• Some switches drop addresses from their tables after a

period of inactivity. When the client tries to connect, the AP is
no longer in the switch tables and can not pass traffic to the
network.

• Typically, this is not a concern. AP's are generally not

installed and used infrequently enough for this problem to
appear. But in some installations, an AP may be installed in
a back corner of a warehouse or retail store and only used
during certain times of the year. In this case, it may be
necessary to lengthen the timeout values on the switch or
add a static entry.

• If the customer decides to use DHCP the switch will have be

set to handle the DHCP requests. DHCP requests are a type
of broadcast packet and can be stopped by the switch. If the
switch is not configured properly, the clients will be unable to
obtain an IP address.
• Routers present internetworking considerations similar
to switches. Like switches, routers do not pass broadcast
packets. Again, this may present a problem for the
application or for clients trying to use DHCP.

• A router may also indicate that they intend to use a

remote host. If this is the case, it may be necessary to
enter a static route in the router.
• Bridges can also present challenges because of their
tables. Most bridges used today build dynamic tables.

• Some facilities may need to build their tables manually,

sometimes by choice or sometimes because they are
using older bridges.

• Most IT personnel are not eager to have to work with

these tables. It may be necessary in order for the WLAN
application to work properly, especially if they will be
accessing a remote host.

• Most modern day bridges support dynamic learning

with support for static filtering. If the customer is still
using equipment that requires the manual building of
tables, it may be time for him to consider upgrading the
equipment.
• Remember that there is the possibility of running out of
DHCP addresses in mobile VLANs. To accommodate this,
keep lease times low to prevent address depletion.

• Make sure to take into account the least common

denominator that the application (s) may demand in
terms on network bandwidth. This will allow you to
provision the infrastructure and the AP cell sizes and
datarates.

• For example: If you have an application that is sending

out a multicast stream at 1.5 Mbps, a 1Mbps WLAN
connection would be insufficient. The minimum datarate
for such an application would have to be 2Mbps. This
would ultimately mean surveying at 2Mbps and smaller
cell sizes.
• Try to identify potential problems up front and discuss
how these issues will be handled. This will potentially
save the customer a lot of time and trouble during the
installation.

• If the customer is aware of these issues, they can be

handled before the installation. These are not issues the
customer wants to find during the installation, or during
the "go live" period.

• By addressing potential problems and being proactive

instead of reactive, you and your survey appear as the
strong, reliable source during installation, instead of the
weak link.

• Your firm's reputation for site surveys is one of your

strongest assets and should always be protected. One
bad site survey can hurt your business for months or
years to come.
• As you are surveying a facility and deciding on location
for the APs, you should also be looking for ways to
connect the APs to the network.

• By now you should be aware of the network layout and

components and have a good idea of where and how you
can interface with the network.

• Most SEs are not experts on cabling. Your job is to

perform the survey and make recommendations. These
recommendations need to cover the cable associated with
the APs.

• Because of this, you will have to have some knowledge

of cabling. Here we will address some of the issues
surrounding cabling and make you aware of the items
you should be concerned with during the survey.
• The most frequently used cable for today's networks is
Category 5 (Cat 5) unshielded twisted pair (UTP).

• Cat 5 cable consists of eight strands of copper, grouped

in pairs. Each pair is twisted to help avoid cross-talk. The
four pairs of wires are housed in a PVC sheath.

• Most networks use two of the four pair of wires. All four
pairs are punched down onto the connector, but only two
are actually used.

• UTP means that there is no additional shielding for the

pair of wires inside the PVC sheath. Cat 5 UTP cable can
be run a maximum distance of 328 feet or 100 meters.
• Cat 5 is also available in Shielded Twisted Pair (STP).

• This cable has an extra layer of shielding inside the

sheath, The reason that Cat 5 UTP cable cannot be run
over 328' is because of attenuation (signal on the wire
becomes weak or distorted). Part of the reason for the
distortion is interference. By using a shielded cable, there
is less interference and less attenuation, allowing you to
run longer distances.

• STP is generally not as widely used as the UTP. Instead,

Cat 5 UTP cable is run to its maximum distance and then
plugged into a repeater, hub, or switch, where the signal
is then rebroadcast down the next length of Cat 5 UTP.

• Another option is to use Fiber Optic cabling for

distances that exceed 328'.
• Cat 5 cable is available in plenum and non-plenum. Building
construction, as well as local and state building codes, will
determine which type of cabling must be used.

• The plenum is the space between the drop tile ceiling and the
true ceiling.

• In a plenum environment, this space is used for air return. In

the event of a fire, the PVC sheath can melt and give off toxic
fumes.

• Since network cables are traditionally run in the plenum, toxic

fumes will then be circulated throughout the building. Therefore,
plenum cable must be used in these facilities. All other
equipment installed (APs) must also be plenum rated. Currently
Cisco's 340 series APs are not plenum rated.

• Plenum cables have a different sheath that will not melt as

easily and will not give off toxic fumes. Plenum cable is easily
identified.

• The sheath of plenum cable is much stiffer and harder to work

with than standard Cat 5 cable. The cable will also be marked
with a code (CMP, for example, indicates a plenum rated,
unshielded cable).
• Some easy ways to identify a plenum environment are
"egg crate" ceiling tiles, a lack of insulation above the
ceiling tiles, and firewalls. Some local and state building
codes require plenum cable regardless of the
environment.

• A non-plenum environment is one where the air return

is ducted. When the air return is ducted there is very
little chance that the toxic fumes could spread in the
event of a fire.

• In this type of environment it may be suitable to use

a general purpose (PVC) type cabling.

• Some indications of a non-plenum environment are an

abundance of duct work above the ceiling tiles, a lack of
firewalls, and insulation above the ceiling tiles.

• These cables will also have identifying codes (CM,

for example, indicates a non-plenum unshielded
cable).
• Firewalls are usually easily identified.

• They will be concrete, cinderblock, or brick structures

that extend the full width of a room or passageway, and
extend from floor to ceiling.

• There are no breaks in firewalls. Firewalls are designed

to contain a fire to a specific area by acting as a barrier.

• It may sometimes be necessary to go through a firewall.

In this event there are procedures for penetrating the
wall. These procedures must be compliant with the
National Electrical Code. You can obtain a copy of the
NEC from local electrical suppliers.

• For this reason you should make a note in your survey

report of any area where your design will have to
penetrate a firewall.
• Another reason to make note of firewalls is that they
will affect your RF signal.

• Many facilities have firewalls with doorways. The doors

are specially constructed and sealed to withstand a fire.
Other than their heavy construction, these doors are not
easily identified.

• If you think that a set of doors may be part of a firewall,

check and make sure. If they are, survey with the doors
closed.

• Closing the doors will have an effect on your coverage.

Just because the doors are open when you are in the
facility, do not assume they will always be left open.
• Risers are often referred to as "wiring closets".

• Risers are areas of the building where cabling, conduits,

and plumbing may be run from floor-to-floor.

• Most often, risers are stacked on top of one another,

making it easy to run the height of the building.

• All four walls of a riser act as firewalls, as well as the

floor and ceiling. And like firewalls, there are standards
for penetration.

• Make a note of risers for the same reasons that you

would firewalls. It will require penetrations that meet
NEC standards and will require plenum-rated equipment.
• Always design and measure cable runs in straight
paths.

• If a cable running north-south needs to be run in a

different d^recjion, make a 90 degree turn. Do not run
the cable at an

• Never measure the distance from the point of

network connectivity to the AP as "the crow flies".

• If you do and the customer gives your report to a local

contractor for an estimate, the estimate could be wrong.

• Also, the cable run may be too long and require a

different type of cabling.
• Always calculate for a "service loop" on either end of the
cable run. Service loops are usually 10 feet.

• This gives the contractor some "play" in the cable in

case the cable has to run around some unforeseen object,
or in case the cable has to be terminated numerous
times.

• Runs that are measured at anything over 300 feet

should be carefully examined. From the floor, it is
difficult to judge the exact distance.

• Also calculate a "fudge factor." Different SEs have a

different percentage that they use here. Adding 15% is
usually enough to insure that there will be enough cable
to get around unforeseen objects.

• Make a note of your estimated "fudge factor" percentage

in your report. Otherwise, the contractor may add his
own and decide the run will be out of specification.
• The number one rule when designing the cable portion
of your WLAN is to avoid fire hazards and to avoid
creating a fire hazard.

• Design your cable runs properly. If the customer

chooses to ignore your recommendations, that is his
prerogative. This is why accurate documentation is
necessary. In the future you may have to prove that the
installed cabling is not what you recommended. Without
proper documentation, this will be very hard to do.

• But if you design a faulty system and he installs

according to your recommendations, you could find
yourself in a lot of hot water.

• We have given you a very brief idea of some of the

questions and concerns you should have in your mind
while performing a site survey. By keeping these things in
mind while you survey, you will be able to design a WLAN
that will not only be reliable, but also easy to install as
well. A few extra minutes as you are doing your survey
can save your customer hours of work.
• When you have decided where the APs will be mounted,
you will then have to decide how the APs will be
mounted.

• Much like mounting the AP for a site survey, there are

an infinite number of ways to hang the AP using a
variety of resources.

• Here we will look at some of the most common methods

for mounting Aps and some of the general concerns
associated with mounting an AP and the antenna.
• Cisco 340 series APs do not ship with a mounting
bracket.

• The APs have two slide-mount holes for mounting.

These holes can be used for any surface where it is
possible to mount two mounting screws.

• Screws drilled into concrete will be fairly stable and

should provide a secure mount for the AP if done
properly. Drywall or wood may be less secure.

• It is recommended that all APs be mounted with extra

measures to ensure the safety and continued operation of
the AP.

• A proper mount for the AP means less chance of down

time. Loss of connectivity means lost time to the workers.
• Mounting brackets are available from third parties.

• A simpler, but less secure solution, is to fashion some

sort of mount. This can be done using many of the same
items you carry in your site survey kit. Here are some
ideas:

• When mounted on a pole or column, the AP can be zip

tied to the pole or column. Use heavy-duty zip ties.
Heavy-duty zip ties can be as wide as half an inch. If
using these zip-ties, make sure not to cover up the
indicator lights on the AP.

• In the diagram above, the AP is mounted in what

appears to be an upside-down position. This position
allows the indicator lights for the Ethernet port to be seen
from the floor.

• Whenever possible, Aps should be labeled with the

Name, IP address, Channel and SSID. The letters need to
be easily readable from the floor in the event that the AP
requires troubleshooting.
• If the column is too large for zip-ties, another option is to
mount a piece of a 2x4 to the column.

• This can be done by using screws or bolt to attach the wood

to the column. Another option is to use a silicone or glue to
mount the board to the column, like Liquid Nails. DO NOT
USE THE LIQUID NAILS TO MOUNT THE AP DIRECTLY TO
THE COLUMNI In the event that the AP needs to be removed
or replaced, it will typically be destroyed.

• The AP is then mounted to the wood using screws and

secured using zip-ties. If the piece of wood extends beyond
the width of the column, the zip ties can be wrapped around
the ends of the wood and across the face of the AP.

• Otherwise it may be necessary to attach a mounting base

for the zip tie on the board. If you use the mounting bases, be
sure to secure them to the board using a screw. Do not
depend on the sticky tape on the bottom of the mount. The
AP will probably outlast the sticky tape.

• The use of a piece of 2x4 is also good for concrete ceilings

and walls.
• When mounting to a rafter or beam, the AP may be zip tied
to the rafter or beam.

• In some cases, it is not possible to wrap a zip tie around the

rafter or beam. If this is the case, you may use the piece of
2x4, secured to the beam with beam clamps.

• You may also use a beam clamp to secure a mounting plate

to the beam and then attach the AP to the mounting plate.

• Always make sure that the 2x4 is securely mounted to the

structure before mounting the AP.

• If surveying with the "rubber ducky" antennae, make sure to

survey with them in the position they will be mounted. In the
examples shown on this page and the prior two pages, the
antennae would be pointing straight down. There are different
coverage patterns above and below the antenna. If you survey
with the antenna in one position and mount it in another
position, your coverage may be different than what you
expect.
• Every AP will have an antenna attached to it.

• Most antennae are either shipped with a mounting

bracket or a mounting bracket is available as an option.
The challenge is that most antennae are designed to be
mounted in a certain way.

• A 5.2 dBi mast mount antenna is designed to mounted to a

mast and is shipped with the hardware to mount the antenna to a
mast.

• In order to mount the antenna to an I-beam, you may need

some ingenuity. Standoff brackets are available, but these are not
designed to be mounted to an I -beam, either. Some installers use
zip ties, beam clamps, or bolts to attach the standoff brackets to
I-beams and then mount the antenna to the bracket.

• If you intend to use a mast mount antenna indoors, make sure

it is mounted as shown above. The antenna is intended for
outdoor use and designed to be mounted with the metal sleeve on
the bottom. For indoor use, invert the antenna.

• Be creative. Modified brackets can be used for a variety of

antennae.
• Just as with the APs, always make sure that your
antenna has a secure, solid mount.

• Make sure that the antenna will hang properly when

mounted to the base. If you surveyed with the antenna in
a vertical orientation and it is mounted to an insecure
base, it may hang at a 45° angle, changing the coverage
pattern.

• Do not hang antennae by their cables. The cable is not

designed for this and may eventually break or suffer
internal damage that cannot be seen.

• Another reason not to hang antennae by cables is that

this would change the coverage cell. Also, the antennae
may sway when the air conditioning comes on, providing
a moving coverage cell.
• Sometimes antennae may be used or mounted in an
unusual way.

• In some circumstances, a Yagi or Patch antenna

mounted very high and pointed straight down at the floor
is the best solution.

• If you intend for the antenna to be mounted in an

unusual way, make a note of it in your report. The
installer may not understand your intent and mount the
antenna per its specifications, changing the coverage
pattern.
• All APs require power to operate. You should provide
details in your report about how and where the APs will
tap into the electrical system.

• APs should be powered from a 24 hour, input power

source breaker. This may be shared, but a dedicated
source is preferred.
• Familiarize yourself with various types and brands of
electrical equipment. You do not need to be an expert on
these, but should be able to identify them. This will allow
you to be very specific in your report when detailing
where the AP will get it's power from. For example, you
report may state that "AP #4 will receive power from the
Square D box on the North wall of the Shipping Area.
Distance from the Square D box to the AP was estimated
at 145 feet."

• By defining the location and brand of the breaker box,

the electrician will be able to easily identify the box and
install the associated wiring.

• Also be familiar enough with the breaker panels to

identify if there are available breakers or if the breaker is
full. If you specify a specific box to be used and there are
no available breakers, this could present a problem,
especially if your report is used to generate a quote for
the electrical work.
• Electrical workboxes should be mounted face up such
that the weight of the AP transformer can rest on the
faceplate. The transformer should then be secured to the
faceplate or workbox using zip ties.

• Do not mount equipment to electrical conduit,

plumbing, or ceiling supports. This is usually a code
violation.

• There could also be a leak in the plumbing, or

extreme temperatures in the pipe.

• Conduit could become electrified in the event of an

electrical short, and the electrical wiring in the conduit is
a good source of EMF.

• Mount the equipment as far away from these as

possible.
• Sometimes APs may be located in areas where they are subject to extreme
moisture, temperatures, dust and particles. These APs may need to be
mounted inside a sealed enclosure. These enclosure are generally referred to
as "NEMA enclosures". NEMA stands for National Electronics Manufacturers
Association. NEMA has a rating system for these enclosures. The ratings are
as follows:

• Type 1 - Intended for

indoor use primarily to
provide a degree of
protection against (hand)
contact with enclosed
equipment. Usually, a
low cost enclosure but
suitable for clean and dry
environments.
• Type 2 - Intended for
indoor use primarily to
provide a degree of
protection against limited
amounts of falling dirt
and water.
• Type 3 - Intended for
outdoor use primarily to
provide a degree of
protection against
windblown dust, rain,
and sleet; undamaged by
ice which forms on the
enclosure.
• Type 3R - Intended for
outdoor use primarily to
provide a degree of
protection against falling
rain and sleet;
undamaged by ice which
forms on the enclosure.
• Type 4 - Intended for
indoor use primarily to
provide a degree of
protection against
windblown dust and rain,
splashing water, and
hose directed water;
undamaged by ice
which forms on the
enclosure.
• Type 4X - Intended for
indoor or outdoor use
primarily to provide a
degree of protection
against corrosion,
windblown dust and rain,
splashing water, and
hose directed water;
undamaged by ice which
forms on the enclosure.
• Type 6 - Intended for indoor or outdoors which occasional
temporary submersion is enclosed.
• Type 6P - Intended for indoor or outdoors which
occasional prolonged submersion is encountered.
Corrosion protection.
• Type 12 - Intended for indoor use to provide a degree of
protection against dust, falling dirt, and dripping non-corrosive
liquids.
• Type 13 - Intended for indoor use primarily to provide a degree
of protection dust, spraying of water, oil, and non-corrosive
coolant.

• The NEMA enclosures most often used for wireless

networking products are Type 2, 4, and 4X. Some specific
requirements might require Type 12 or 13.

• These types of enclosures can be purchased through

local hardware and electrical supply stores.
Unfortunately, when purchased through these type of
supply stores, the NEMA enclosure is little more than a
sealed box. There are no external antenna connectors, no
internal mounting standoffs, and no internal power
supply.
• Almost no NEMA enclosure is available off the shelf
with an internal power supply.
• Mounting for the AP inside the enclosure can be
fashioned just as you would when mounting an AP
without an enclosure.
• Power will have to run to the enclosure and an electrical
workbox (plug) installed inside the enclosure.
• In order to attach an external antenna (an antenna
mounted inside the box is not very effective), a bulkhead
extender will need to be installed. This is a simple
connector that connects to the AP inside the enclosure
and provides an antenna connector on the outside of the
enclosure.
• Make sure that any holes drilled into the box are sealed.
If even one hole is left unsealed then the integrity of the
enclosure has been compromised. Antenna connectors
should be mounted to the bottom of the enclosure to
provide as much protection from dripping condensation
as possible. It is also a good idea to seal the antenna
connection with a product like Coax Seal.
• Pre-fabricated NEMA enclosures with antenna
connectors, standoff brackets, and surge protectors are
available from third parties. They are more expensive
than a standard NEMA enclosure, but provide better
protection for the AP and can save either you, your
customer, or the installer a great deal of time and
trouble.

• Special NEMA enclosures are also available that are

temperature controlled and make use of solar panels to
power the equipment.
• Make sure that if you use a NEMA enclosure it is
securely mounted. A NEMA enclosure that measures two
cubic feet can weigh as much as thirty pounds. If the
enclosure is not properly secured it could fall, injuring
someone, damaging equipment, or destroying the
connected conduit for the power. Exposing the wiring
creates a potential fire hazard.
• In this section we have made you aware of some of the
issues surrounding mounting and powering the APs.

• You are not expected to be an electrician or to know all

of the local, state, or federal codes. You do need to be
aware of the ones that apply to you and can affect your
survey.

• Keep all of these issues in mind as you survey. It will

save both you and the customer time in the long run. You
will make better decisions when surveying the first time,
instead of having to re-survey because you were not
paying attention to potential mounting or power
problems.
• Sometimes you may not be able to mount an antenna to
the AP using the existing connecting cable.

• Use of these extension cables will result in signal loss.

You suffer a loss of about .5dB for every connection.

• For example, an antenna extension cable will have to be

connected to the AP (.5dB loss) and to the antenna (.5dB
loss). This results in 1dB of loss without even considering
the cable itself.

• Current extension cables available from Cisco have

approximately 4.7dB of loss per 100 feet.

• These cables are 9913 style, and the total loss for a 100
foot extension cable is estimated at 6.7dB, including
cable loss and connector loss.
• Keep this loss in mind if you are considering using
an extension cable.

• It is not recommended that you use the 100 foot

extension cable with the 340 series products. The reason
is that there are virtually no antennae that would be used
indoors that could suffer this amount of loss and still be
effective. Any antennae with less than 7dB of gain would
be completely ineffective if used with the 100 foot cable.

• A better idea is to run the Cat 5 cable to the antenna

location and mount the AP as close to the antenna as
possible. In the event that you must use an antenna
extension cable, use only as much extension cable as you
need.

• The cables are available in 25, 50, 75, and 100 foot
lengths. These cables fit most needs.
• If you need a specific size cable you can order
custom made cables from cable manufacturers.

• For very long distances (in excess of 75 feet), you may

want to consider a different type of cable with a lower
loss. One such cable would be LMR600. This has a much
lower loss than the 9913 (4.2 dB vs. 6.7dB) and can still
use the 9913 style connectors available through Cisco.

• Cisco does not offer an LMR600 extension cable (yet).

• Cisco offers the RPTNC connectors for 9913 and RG-58
cables. Do not attempt to use RG-58 cable for an
extension cable. The amount of loss in this type of cables
renders it useless as an extension cable.

• The RG-58 connectors are available in case the original

connector on an antenna is damaged and needs to be
replaced. Most Cisco antenna connection cables are RG-
58.

• Some installers try to substitute extension cables with

an N-style connector. These are widely available. An RG-
58 "jumper" is used to connect to the AP and antenna.

• Although the extension cables with the N-style

connectors are more widely available, and possibly less
expensive, this solution would not be worthwhile in the
long run.

• The jumper cables will have an RPTNC connector on

one end and an N-style connector on the other. One
jumper is needed for connection to the AP, and another
for the antenna. This results in a loss of as much as
3.5dB or more.
• Earlier we discussed the use of a splitter for certain
applications.

• Splitters certainly have their place and can be very useful if

installed properly. But you need to understand the
ramifications of installing a splitter.
• Most splitters use N-style connectors. This is because very
few splitters are designed for WLAN equipment.

• Most splitters available today are for use with broadband

equipment, much of which uses N-style connectors.

• N-style splitters are implemented with WLAN equipment by

making use of jumper cables. These jumper cables are
9913,notRG-58.

• Three jumpers are used with the splitter. A three foot

jumper connects the AP to the splitter. Then two longer
jumpers (usually 15-20 foot) are used to connect the
antennae to the splitter.
• The splitter will add about 4db of loss.

• If you manufacture your own cables and they are longer

than the supplied cables, then the loss will increase
(depending on what type of cable you use).

• We mention 4dB loss as a general guideline when

deciding if the use of a splitter will be appropriate. See
the technical specifications of your specific splitter for
exact measurements.

• Each antenna connected to the splitter suffers the 4dB

loss. This means that while the use of a splitter and a
second antenna may allow you to cover more area, it will
not double your coverage area.
• Here we have discussed some of the accessories that
are available for use with the Cisco 340 series products.

• These accessories are designed to be used for special

applications and are not meant for general use. Again, in
an in-building LAN, installing another AP is often the best
solution.

• Know how these accessories are intended to be used,

and understand their limitations. This will allow you to
decide, when, if, and where you may want to use them.
• Once the customer has decided to have a site survey
done, you will need to have him fill out a pre-site survey
form.

• The pre-site survey form will help you determine what

type of survey you will be conducting, how many days it
will take, what equipment you will need to bring, and
what questions you will need to ask during your
walkthrough.

• A pre-site survey form is your introduction to the

customer's facility, so make sure that you gather all of
the information you need in the form. This is a general
information gathering form.

• We have provided you with a sample form. You will have

to create a form unique to your company that fits your
needs.
• The product that you will be producing is the site
survey report.

• All of the work that you have put into surveying is

meaningless without the site survey report. This is what
the customer is truly paying for.

• The report is what the customer needs to move forward

in installing his WLAN. He is depending on you to provide
him with all of the information he needs to be able to
gather the materials and make the necessary
adjustments to his network.

• Make sure that your report includes all of the

information that you have gathered.
• Be as specific as possible in your report. Chances are
that you will not be doing the installation.

• Keep this in mind as you are writing your report. It

should be clear, concise, and easy to understand.

• You should think of the report as protection for both

you and the customer. In the event of a disagreement or
problem, a good site survey report can prove that you
completed the site survey per the customer's
requirements at the time of the survey.

• Put the date of the site survey on your report.

• An installer may be handed a site survey report and

asked to install the equipment. If there is a date on the
survey that is a number of months or years old he may
question the survey's integrity.
• When describing AP locations, be as specific as possible.

• Use objects and identifiers to explain exactly where the AP is to

be located. If the AP is to be located in an aisle, specify which
aisle, and where that area is located in the facility. Specify exactly
how the AP is to be mounted.

• If you have marked the location, explain what you used to

mark the location. This way the installer knows what he is
looking for and does not have to guess.
• Even more important than the AP location, specify with as much
exactitude as you can where the antenna is to be located.

• "On the wall above the doorway" is not enough.

• "On the wall above the doorway, two feet left of EXIT sign" might
be a better explanation.

• Do not use objects that may be temporary as markers. If the

object has moved before the installer arrives, he may not be able
to find your location and may mount the antenna in the wrong
location.
• Describe how the antenna is to be orientated.

• If the antenna is omni-directional, you might mention

that the antenna is to be mounted vertically, with the
cable at the top. Not all installers will be familiar with the
equipment and how it is designed to be mounted.

• If the antenna is directional, describe the direction in

which the antenna should be orientated. A patch antenna
might be described as "facing north" or "directed at the
nursing station at the end of the hall".

• The more directional the antenna, the more important

your description.
• Describe the facility, its construction, and its contents.
Make mention of the square footage.
• Discuss the tools you used to survey and how you
performed the survey.
• Describe the settings that you used in the survey, to
include datarates, channels, packet size, and thresholds.
• Talk about the coverage for each access point and detail
the coverage in an included diagram.
• Also mark areas where there is no coverage needed. The
customer could come back later and tell you he wanted
coverage in an area where he previously claimed he did
not.
• If you do not mark the areas where coverage is not
needed (or describe them in the report) you have no way
of proving that you were instructed not to survey the
areas for coverage.
• Have the customer sign and return a copy of the report
for your records.
• Add sections that discuss proper mounting of the APs
and antennae. Detail the specifications for providing
power to the APs and how the electrical workboxes
should be mounted.

• Discuss the proposed cabling runs (power and

networking) including where and how they will attach to
each system.

• List the system components. List the network media

type and components that you suggest connecting to. List
the WLAN components that you are proposing for
installation. Discuss the network topology and planned
implementation of the WLAN topology.

• If the customer discusses future expansions or WLAN

client upgrades with you, explain his intent in your
report, and any problems that the upgrades may propose.

• Explain your objective for the site survey. What are the
customer's needs and expectations?
• Include a list of the parts that will be needed.

• Include the total number of APs for the install and

recommend that a spare be kept on hand in case of
emergency.

• List the total number of antennae needed.

• If possible, list network components that you have

proposed.

• Some SEs go as far as to list the amount of network and

power cabling that will be needed for the job and make
recommendations on the type of cabling to be used.

• Include diagrams showing the facility, AP locations, and

proposed cable runs.

• Whenever possible, include photos. Today's digital cameras

are relatively inexpensive. A photo of the AP location or
proposed antenna installation makes it very clear how and
where the equipment should be installed.
• List the contacts for each of the companies involved.
These may include manufacturer, reseller, customer, and
services companies. List names, addresses, phone and
fax number, and e-mail addresses.

• In this section we have made suggestions on some of

the items that should be included in you site survey
report. Each report you will do will be different based
upon your survey and your customer's needs. Included is
a site survey report of an imaginary facility. This should
give you a good idea of how a site survey report should
look and what kind of documentation you will be
expected to produce.
• When a radio wave strikes a solid surface, it is reflected
in the same way that a light wave would be.

• The reflected waves may have a different polarization

depending upon the angle at which the waves are
reflected.

• Directional antennae can be used to reduce the amount

of reflected waves. A directional antenna will focus the RF
energy in a single direction, leaving less radio waves to be
reflected from objects to the side or behind the antenna.
• When a radio wave bounces back on itself 180° degrees
out out phase, it creates a "null" or dead spot, where the
combined siognals virtually cancel each other out.

• Nulls are a fact of life with RF. Nulls will be all around
you, but their positions may be constantly changing. As a
forklift drives through a warehouse, or a person walks
through an office, radio waves may be reflected off of
these moving surfaces. As the location of the forklift
changes, so do the nulls.

• A problem can occur when a null is stationary (RF wave

reflected back on itself by a stationary object). If the
antenna is located in a null, their will be poor reception.
Use diversity antennae to overcome nulls.

• When a single antenna is used, the AP may have to be

relocated to overcome the null.
• If the RF wave is unable to penetrate an object it will
suffer from what is called diffraction.

• The RF waves may pass over, under, or around the

object, still providing coverage on the other side of the
object, but there will be an area directly behind the object
where there is no coverage.

• This area is most commonly known as an "RF shadow".

If there are other objects nearby, reflected RF waves may
fill in the the area behind the object, eliminating the
shadow.

• The only way to know for sure is to survey the area.

• After you have discovered possible trouble areas,
examined your customer's application needs, and talked
with the IT staff concerning their network, it will be time
for you to start the survey.

• Make sure prior to arriving on site that all of your

equipment is operational. Your equipment should be
configured and ready to survey before your arrival at the
customer's site. By doing these two things, you will be
ready to get started with the survey when you arrive.

• Call ahead and find out if a manlift will be needed to

reach the ceiling. If so, find out if the customer will
provide the lift or if he expects you to provide the lift.
Make sure that you have the proper equipment, and if
necessary, a license to operate the lift.

• Charge all batteries and battery packs the night before

you are scheduled to survey.
• The easiest way to start a site survey is to pick one area of
the facility that needs coverage.

• Choose a corner and place the AP in the corner. Survey the

coverage of that AP and make a note of where the furthest
point of coverage is from that AP.

• Then move the AP to that point. If you were to place the AP

in the corner, as much as 75% of your coverage cell might be
wasted covering an area outside the building that does not
need coverage.

• Once you have moved the AP, then survey the coverage of
the AP.

• It maybe necessary to move the AP several times in order to

find best placement.

• Once you have decided on the best location for that AP,
then move to a different corner of the facility and repeat the
process. In a simple warehouse like the one shown above,
you would repeat the process four times. The survey of the
RF coverage would then be complete.
• In a more advanced survey, repeating the process four
times might only provide coverage around the perimeter
of the facility. You would then need to fill in the holes.
This is where experience and judgment will come into
play. Some engineers might elect to survey the perimeter
and then fill in the center.

• Remember, if you need seamless coverage, the coverage

cells must overlap.

• For a standard survey, 15% overlap is usually sufficient

to provide for smooth, transparent handoffs. If you intend
to use repeaters, then the repeaters will need to have a
50% overlap with a wired AP.
• Another approach is to survey the first two APs and find
the coverage areas. Then place an AP at the edge of the
first AP's cell, survey the coverage, and then move the AP
out further to utilize it's entire cell. This allows you to
roughly judge the size of the cell and then move the cell.
Survey the new location to determine feasibility and
adjust as necessary.

• Once the AP location has been decided, the SE

would continue this process until the entire facility is
covered.
• When you are surveying, take into account the fact that
there are only three non-overlapping channels. In order
to maximize your data rate, use these channels. By using
the non-overlapping channels you insure that the APs
will not interfere with each other.

• As you design the WLAN, survey using the channel that

you intend that AP to operate on.

• Part of your survey duty is to test for interference. If you

survey every AP using the same channel, and not the
actual channel the AP will be using, you cannot be
certain that no interference exists on the channel that the
AP will actually be using.
• Once you know the minimum data rate your customer
will be using, survey at that data rate.

• The data rate you choose will drastically effect the

results of your site survey.

• In the example above, we see the same warehouse

surveyed at two different datarates.
•If at 2Mb it takes six APs to cover the facility...
•At 5.5Mb it might take twelve APs to cover the
facility.
• Know what your customer needs. If you survey at the
wrong data rate and the customer installs the WLAN, he
may be able to only connect in certain areas, or unable to
connect at all!
• What if there is too much overlap?

• The engineer might find himself in a situation where

one more AP may provide too much coverage, but the
current number of APs provides too little coverage.

• At this point the SE has some options. He may elect to

use a different antenna to obtain more coverage from the
APs.

• Or he may elect to use smaller antennas and add more

APs.

• Still another possibility is changing the power levels on

one or more of the APs to change the size of the coverage
cell(s).

• Or he may elect to use a combination of these options

to get the coverage he needs.
• The process is one of trial and error. Again, experience
will play a vital role here.

• Site surveys can often be like puzzles. And sometimes

individuals can become so sure that they know THE
solution they fail to see other solutions.

• Whenever possible, take the time to talk with other SEs

about their surveys. They may have come up with very
creative solutions that you can implement in your future
designs.

• More times than not this conundrum presents itself

because the SE has surveyed a few APs only to find out
that ultimately his plan will not work.

• Instead of wiping the slate clean, an SE may try option

after option to force the last piece of the puzzle to fit.
• What if there is too much overlap?

• The engineer might find himself in a situation where

one more AP may provide too much coverage, but the
current number of APs provides too little coverage.

• At this point the SE has some options. He may elect to

use a different antenna to obtain more coverage from the
APs.

• Or he may elect to use smaller antennas and add more

APs.

• Still another possibility is changing the power levels on

one or more of the APs to change the size of the coverage
cell(s).

• Or he may elect to use a combination of these options

to get the coverage he needs.
• The process is one of trial and error. Again, experience
will play a vital role here.

• Site surveys can often be like puzzles. And

sometimes individuals can become so sure that they
know THE solution they fail to see other solutions.

• Whenever possible, take the time to talk with other SEs

about their surveys. They may have come up with very
creative solutions that you can implement in your future
designs.

• More times than not this conundrum presents itself

because the SE has surveyed a few APs only to find out
that ultimately his plan will not work.

• Instead of wiping the slate clean, an SE may try option

after option to force the last piece of the puzzle to fit.
 • Sometimes site survey problems are due to frustration, and
sometimes laziness.
• An engineer's mind might become "single track" because he
doesn't want to start the survey over again.

• If you find yourself in this situation it is best to take a

break from the work. Go for a cup of coffee, check voicemail,
or take a lunch break to let your mind rest. Upon your return
you may find that the best solution presents itself.

• If not, it may be necessary to wipe the slate clean and start

over. You may have found trouble spots that you had not
anticipated.

• By starting the survey over you will be aware of these

trouble spots and can factor in this knowledge when
planning the layout of the APs again.

• It is always better to start the survey over and design the

WLAN properly than to try and force a solution or use a
solution that may not provide the best coverage.
• There may be times when the location of the APs may
be dictated by available network connectivity. Copper has
a length limit of 328 feet, for example. But no matter
what the problem, there is almost always a way around
it.

• Take the warehouse shown above, for example. Network

connectivity is only available along one wall. The
warehouse is filled with shelving that creates long,
narrow aisles.

• A good solution for this warehouse may be to locate APs

along the wall where they can be connected to the
network. Using Yagi antennae you could shoot down the
aisles, covering an aisle and a portion of two other aisles.

• Overlap the coverage such that the entire warehouse is

covered. The signal may bounce off the metal walls at the
far end of the warehouse and fill in the dead spots
created by the shelving.
• In the example above, we are looking at a distribution
center. The DC stores perishable items. Different areas of
the DC are kept at different temperatures. Some of the
areas are freezers with temperatures as low as -20°.

• Installing APs in areas with temperatures this low may

require expensive heated enclosures to protect the APs.

• An alternative may be to use an antenna splitter. By

using a splitter, the AP can be mounted outside the
freezer with one antenna providing an area of coverage
outside the freezer and the other antenna providing
coverage inside the freezer.

• Beyond the savings to the customer from not having to

buy the expensive heated enclosure, you save him having
to pay for the extensive time it would take to install cable
and power inside the freezer. Installing this type of
equipment while wearing a sub-zero suit and heavy
gloves can take a quite a bit of time and be very
expensive.
 an

• Remember that the APs can use antenna diversity.

• While using antenna diversity the AP uses one antenna

or the other, but never both !

• Do not try an attach one antenna to each connector and

place one inside the freezer and the other outside the
freezer. This would not be an effective solution.

• In the example above, using the antenna splitter, the

diversity antenna feature might be disabled. Otherwise,
two splitters and four antennae would be needed.
• Special caution needs to be taken when surveying
multi-floor facilities. APs on different floors may be able
to interfere with each other as easily as APs located on
the same floor.

• It is possible to use this to your advantage during a

survey. Using larger antennae, it may be possible to
penetrate floors and ceilings and provide coverage to
floors above as well as below the floor where the AP is
mounted.

• In the example above, a four story office complex

needed to be covered. A single AP would not cover an
entire floor. Mounting two APs on each floor would be
expensive and might present a problem with APs on the
same channel overlapping.

• The problem was solved by using patch antennae on the

APs. Because the patch antenna is semi-directional, there
was enough coverage from each AP to cover most of one
floor and a portion of the floors above and below it. By
mounting APs on alternating floors and at opposite ends
of the building, the SE was able to achieve the desired
coverage with only four APs.
• Sometimes there will be areas within a site that cannot
be covered. In the example shown here, we are looking at
a trauma room in a hospital. The surrounding Emergency
room is covered. The Emergency room has drop tile
ceilings, sheetrock walls, a tiled linoleum floor, and
presents very little challenge.

• A patient may be brought into the trauma room and x-

rays taken there. However, the trauma room has heavy
wooden doors, a hard cap ceiling, concrete walls, and a
poured concrete floor which are lead-lined to protect the
surrounding ER.

• In this example, there is no coverage whatsoever in the

trauma room. The trauma room is designed to be
extremely sterile and the hospital did not want exposed
wiring and APs in the trauma room. Because of this, the
hospital's application was redesigned to accommodate
the occasional disconnect. The application was changed
such that during periods of disconnect, the node would
store all the data as a batch unit, and then send the data
once connectivity was reestablished.
• During your survey you may find that the coverage from
an AP is not be what you expect.

• You may have surveyed a number of APs already in the

facility and have some idea of the average size of an AP's
cell. But for some reason, the cell you are currently
surveying seems small.

• Always try and mount the antennae in an open area for

best signal propagation.

• Look for objects that may be affecting the RF signal.

There are a number of objects that can cause
interference.
• Some of the objects that may have a detrimental effect on
your signal are:
- Cardboard, wood, or paper (which may contain a lot of
moisture)
- Walls fabricated from "chicken wire" and stucco
- Filing cabinets - Firewalls
- Metal - Concrete
- Transformers - Refrigerators
- Heavy-duty motors

• Also watch out for sources of Electromagnetic

Interference (EMF):
- Fluorescent lights (FUSION 2.4 GHz lighting systems)
- Microwave ovens - Air conditioning ductwork
- Other radio equipment

• Always attempt to mount the AP as far away from these

items as possible.
• In this section, we have shown you how to get started
performing a site survey. We have pointed out some of the
areas that may give you trouble and introduced various
methods and approaches for surveying different types of
facilities
• Now it is up to you to work with the equipment and
gain the experience you need to become a professional
site survey engineer. You will start this process in the
next section.

• You will be given the opportunity to survey the facility

around you. While doing this, remember, there are
always going to be others around you, going about their
day-to-day business while you are trying to survey. Do
your best not to disturb these people while you do your
work. This applies here in this facility as well as every
other facility you will ever survey.
• From the ACU Menu Bar, choose Commands>Site
Survey. You should see the Site Survey Screen.

• The current Status is read from the Cisco Wireless LAN

Adapter four times per second to quickly gauge the Signal
Strength, Beacons, Overall Link Quality, and Associated
Access Point. The Site Survey screen includes bar graphs
for Signal Strength, Beacons Received, and Link Speed as
well as line charts for each to show trends over time.
• Besides showing the associated AP and the IP address
of the associated AP, the ACU shows the channel the
client is using to communicate with associated AP.
• Note that the ACU is in Passive Mode. The ACU has two
modes while running a site survey - Passive and Active.

• In Passive Mode, the ACU does not initiate any RF

Network traffic, it only listens to any other RF network
traffic that the Cisco Wireless LAN Adapter hears (from
the associated AP).

• To set up active mode, press the Setup button at the

bottom of the screen. If the Setup button is grayed out, it
indicates that the client is using a version of firmware
that does not support active mode. Upgrade the firmware.
• After clicking the Setup button, you should see the Site
Survey Setup Screen. This screen allows you to
customize the site survey parameters.

• Destination MAC Address - Specifies the MAC address

of the device on which the site survey will be performed.
This should be the MAC address of the AP that you will
be using during the site survey.

• Destination Is Another Cisco/Aironet Device - Check

this box if the device you are connecting to is either a
Cisco device or an older legacy Aironet device.

• Continuous Linktest - Check this box if you want the

site survey to run continuously. The survey will run
continuously until it is stopped by clicking the Stop or
OK button.
• Number of Packets - Number of packets that will be
sent during the site survey. This value is adjustable from
1 -999 and may be adjusted using the slider bar or by
entering a numeric value in the box.

• Packet Size - Adjust the packet size. This value can be

set using the slider bar or by entering a numeric value in
the box. Packet size should normally match the
maximum packet size that will be sent using the WLAN.

• Data Retries - The number of times to retry a

transmission if an ACK is not received from the
destination.

• Data Rates - Sets the bit rate at which the packet will
be transmitted. No rate shifting will be performed.
• Delay Between Packets - Sets the delay (in
milliseconds) between successive transmissions. Set this
to a low rate to watch the information scroll across the
screen as the site survey is performed. Setting this to a
higher value will give you time to examine each packet's
transmission.

• Packet TX Type - Unicast- expects an ACK back from

the destination and retries can occur. Multicast- No
packet retries.

• Packet Success Threshold - The percentage of packets

that are not lost. This parameter controls the red line on
the "Percent Successful" histogram. Percentages greater
than or equal to this value will show up as green bars,
while percentages below this value will show up as yellow
bars on the Percent Successful histogram.
• Once you are satisfied with the settings, click the OK
button to return to the Site Survey screen. Now click the
Start button to start the site survey in active mode.

• Percent Complete - shows the percentage of the

packets that have been sent. If continuous linktest has
been selected, it shows the percentage of packets that
have been sent until it reaches 100%, then starts over
again.

• Percent Successful - shows the number of packets the

have been successfully sent and received. Notice the red
threshold line. If the percentage drops below this line, the
bars will become yellow.

• To stop the survey click Stop or OK.

• Click the Status tab. You should see the Status screen.

• The status screen on all Cisco Aironet products are very

useful screens that provide a substantial amount of
information about the device. These screens provide a
quick, easy way to find out some of the details about the
device. Here we will highlight some of the fields.

• Device -This tells you specifically what type of device

you are looking at (PC4800, PCM340, etc.)

• Firmware Version - Version of firmware currently

loaded on the card.

• NDIS Driver Version - Version of NDIS driver currently

in use.
• Network Type - Indicates if the card is in
Infrastructure Mode (connected to an AP), or Ad Hoc
Mode (peer-to-peer).

• Associated Access Point - Lists the AP that the card is

connected to.

• Associated Access Point IP Address - List the IP

address of the AP the card is connected to.

• Up Time - Shows the length of time that the card has

been live in hours, minutes, and seconds.
• Current Signal Strength - Bar graph that represents
the strength of the signal received from the AP.

• Current Beacons Received - Bar graph that represents

the percentage of the beacons successfully received from
the AP.

• Overall Link Quality - Representation of the link

quality between the card and the AP, based upon the
signal quality and the beacons received. Possible
representations are Excellent: Both values greater than
75%; Good: Both values greater than 40% but one (or
both) less than 75%; Fair:
Both values greater than 20% but one (or both) less than
40%; Poor: One or both values less than 20%.
• From the ACU menu bar choose Commands>Linktest.
You should see the Linktest Screen.

• IP Address of Access Point - Set this to match the IP

Address of the AP you are using to perform a linktest. For
a site survey, this will be the AP that you are using for
the survey. An IP address must be specified in order to
perform a linktest.

• Number of Packets - Total number of packets to be

sent during the linktest. This setting can be adjusted by
moving the slider bar or by entering a numeric value in
the box.
• Packet Size – Size of packets to be used during the
linktest. This should match the maximum size packets
the customer will be trying to send via the WLAN. We will
discuss this further in later sections. This setting can be
adjusted by moving the slider bar or by entering a
numeric value in the box. Be aware that the TCP/IP stack
that comes with Windows 95 will fragment packets into
512 byte frames, so specifying a packet size greater than
512 bytes will cause the linktest packets to be
fragmented.

• Continuous Linktest – Checking this box will allow

you to run a continuous linktest. The ACU will ignore the
number of packets specified, but not the size. During
most site surveys, this box will be checked.
• Click the Start button to start the linktest. More
information will be shown on the screen as the ACU
starts the linktest.

• Statistics for both the current and cumulative number

of packets will be shown. These statistics are shown for
both Transmit and Receive. These values are periodically
updated as the linktest runs.

• Also shown is the status of the client (Associated/Not

Associated) and, if applicable, the AP Name and MAC
Address.