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RF site survey
Last modified: Monday, April 14, 2008
A process used to determine the number and placement of access points (AP) that
provides adequate coverage throughout the facility. With wireless systems, it's
difficult to predict the propagation of radio waves and detect the presence
of interfering signals without the use of test equipment. As a result, it's
often necessary to perform a RF site survey to fully understand the behavior of
radio waves within a facility before installing wireless network access points.
The ultimate goal of a RF site survey is to supply enough information to
determine the number and placement of access points that provides adequate
coverage throughout the facility. In most implementations, adequate coverage
means support of a minimum data rate. A RF site survey also detects the presence
of interference coming from other sources that could degrade the performance of
the wireless LAN.
RF Site Survey Steps The need and complexity of a RF site survey will vary depending on the facility. For example, a small three room office may not require a site survey.
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