analyzing the wi-fi coverage and performance - ekahau wi-fi design-5

ESS User Guide

IntroductionOverview1. Features2. Technical Support3. Backward Compatibility4. Check for Updates5.

1.

InstallationSystem Requirements andSoftware Limitations

1.

Supported Wi-Fi Adapters2. How to Install3. Evaluation Version4.

2.

Designing, Deploying andTroubleshooting Wi-FiNetworks

Wi-Fi Design Life Cycle1. Ekahau Site Survey andOther Wi-Fi Tools

2.

3.

User Interface OverviewMap View1. Planning and Survey Tabs2. Visualization Selections3. Toolbar4. The Access Point List5. Working with the AccessPoint List

6.

The Surveys List7. The Building View8. Mini Status Views9. Menus10. Software Preferences11.

4.

Starting to work with EkahauSite Survey

Starting Ekahau SiteSurvey

1.

Setting the Map and Scale2. Defining NetworkRequirements

3.

5.

Designing a Wi-Fi NetworkDefining the Environment1. Designing Wi-FiNetworks for Multi-FloorBuildings

2.

Creating a Network Planwith Auto-Planner

3.

Creating the Network PlanManually Using SimulatedAPs

4.

Optimizing Channel Plan5.

6.

Site Surveys - EnsuringSufficient Coverage andPerformance On-Site

Performing Site Surveys1. Post-Deployment andPre-Deployment Surveys

2.

Placing Access Points onthe Map

3.

Selecting My AccessPoints

4.

Simultatenous Survey5.

7.

From Ekahau Wi-Fi Design documentation

There are various visualizations that allow you to estimate network coverage andperformance. The visualizations are displayed as "heat maps" on the map image.

The displayed visualization is selected using the two drop-down menus above themap window. The default visualization is Signal Strength for My Access Points. Thefirst drop-down menu selects the visualization type, for example signal strength ordata rate. The second drop-down selects what access points will be included in thevisualization. If you want to visualize signal strength for one access point only, forexample, you would select Show Signal Strength for Selected Access Points and justselect the AP you want to see the signal strength for. The AP can be selected eitherfrom the map, or from the AP list.

When the visualization is displayed, roll over the map with the mouse to see theactual values on the map at a given point as a tooltip.

Analyzing the Wi-Fi Coverage and Performance - Ekahau Wi-Fi Desig... http://docs.ekahau.com/index.php/Analyzing_the_Wi-Fi_Coverage_a...

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Work: Merging TwoProjects as OneInspecting Surveys inMore Detail

6.

Analyzing the Wi-Fi Coverageand Performance

Visualization Options1. Adjusting the Legend2. Visualization Views3. Different Survey Methodsvs. Visualizations

4.

Visualization Statistics5.

8.

Troubleshooting - Detectingand Solving the Most CommonWi-Fi Problems

On-Spot TroubleshootingUsing Live NetworkStatus

1.

Troubleshooting After theSurvey

2.

TroubleshootingNon-Wi-Fi InterferenceUsing Spectrum Analyzer

3.

9.

Reporting and ExportingReport Generator1. Report Templates2. Creating Report Templates3. Exporting Images4. Survey Statistics5.

10.

Cisco Prime NCS / WCSIntegration

Importing Floor Mapsfrom Cisco Prime NCS /WCS

1.

Exporting the Project toCisco Prime NCS / WCSFile Format

2.

Importing the Project intoCisco Prime NCS / WCS

3.

11.

Real-Time Location Tracking(RTLS) Features

12.

Troubleshooting13. Additional_Information

Meru Virtual Cell1. Ekahau ThroughputServer

2.

14.


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Visualization type1. Visualized access points2. Quick band selection3. Refresh visualization button - Uncheck the box to manually refresh the visualization4. Visualization options5. Editing legend6.

NOTE

Automatic refresh option refreshes the visualization automatically when changes are made. Automatic refreshworks well for small and medium-sized projects. If you are working with a large project, you may want todisable the automatic refresht to keep the software running smoothly, and only refresh the visualization whenneeded.

For quick reference for different visualizations, check the List of Visualizations page.

NOTE

In order to see any visualization, surveys need to be recorded, or at least one simulated access point needs to beplaced on the map.

Contents

1 Visualization Options1.1 Visualization Mode1.2 Signal Prediction1.3 Visualization Specific Options

2 Adjusting the Legend3 Visualization Views

3.1 Associated Access Point


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3.2 Capacity: Clients per AP3.3 Capacity Health3.4 Channel Bandwidth3.5 Channel Coverage3.6 Channel Overlap3.7 Data Rate3.8 Interference / Noise3.9 Network Health3.10 Network Issues3.11 Number of APs3.12 Packet Loss3.13 Round-Trip Time3.14 Signal Strength3.15 Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)3.16 Throughput (Max)3.17 Difference in Interference3.18 Difference in Signal Strength3.19 Difference in Number of APs

4 Different Survey Methods vs. Visualizations5 Visualization Statistics

Visualization Options

Visualizations contain parameters that can optionally be set using Visualization Options. Some visualization options arespecific to the selected visualization, whereas some are generic and apply to all the visualizations.

The Visualization Options allow you to set parameters concerning the visualization accuracy, performance and overallappearance:

Visualization Mode - See the visualization in Smooth mode (polygons) or Detailed mode (rectangles)1. Extrapolation - When Smooth Visualization Mode is selected, adjust the level of extrapolation in meters/feet2. Speed vs. Accuracy - Allows the visualizations to be refreshed more quickly at the expense of the accuracy, or viseversa

3.

Signal Prediction - Enable or disable all signal prediction. Can be used to predict signal propagation through otherfloors

4.


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Visualization specific options (In this case for Signal Strength visualization)5.

Visualization Mode

The visualization heat maps are overlaid on the map using some amount of extrapolation, because every inch of the facilitycan not be surveyed. To adjust the amount of extrapolation, click the Options button next to the visualization selection.

There are two Visualization Modes:

Detailed: The extrapolation is fixed. The Detailed Mode provides low extrapolation and accurate results. Does notallow adjusting the amount of extrapolation of data. Use Detailed mode when in-depth analysis is needed.Smooth: Adjustable amount of detail, as the user can set the extrapolation (in feet or meters).

When designing large Projects with lots of walls and simulated access points, you may want to get visualizations updatedquickly to find out the optimal number of access points, their locations and configurations as quickly as possible. At thispoint, the accuracy of the visualization may not be essential to find out the "ball park" locations and configurations of accesspoints.


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In situations like these, you can increase the visualization speed by adjusting the slider above the Signal Prediction options.The Rough Sketch will provide the fastest response with the least amount of detail, whereas the Very Accurate setting willprovide most detail, sacrificing some of the response time.

Signal Prediction

It may not always be feasible or even possible to survey all areas and rooms of the project. Instead, signal prediction can beused. There are two main types of signal prediction in ESS:

Signal prediction of simulated access points: All signals from the simulated APs are predicted.Signal prediction of measured (surveyed) access points: The signals outside the surveyed areas are predicted.

Ekahau Site Survey can predict signal propagation through floors. There are five options to choose:

Off - No signal prediction is used at allCurrect floor - Signal propagation in current floor is only predictedOne floor - Signal propagation to one floor above and below is predictedTwo floor - Signal propagation to two floors above and below is predictedAll floors - Signal propagation to all floors is predicted - Use with care only in projects with multiple hole in the floorareas!


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By default, Signal Prediction is enabled. If it is necessary to see only the measured (surveyed) data of the access points, anddisregard all the prediction calculations, disable Signal Prediction.

Visualization Specific Options

Some visualizations have specific options that only apply for them. These visualization specific options include:

Minimum Signal Strenght - The visualization is only shown in areas where the signal strength exceeds this thresholdAdapter - The visualization is shown according to how the selected adapter would have perceived the measured dataNetwork Load - Is used with simulation visualizations to demonstrate how different network loads affects on thenetwork performanceUse Noise From - Defines wheter the visualization uses measured Noise or Simulated Co-Channel Interference - WithAutomatic option, the measured Noise is always used when availableShow Strongest Signal at Channel - Visualizes the selected strongest signal at the selected channel(s)

Adjusting the Legend

You can adjust the visualization appearance and value range by adjusting the Legend. The legend allows you to adjust theheatmap cut-out values as well as the requirement grey-out. By adjusting the heatmap cut-out, you can for example selectnot to display the heatmap for values under -75dBm.


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With the requirement grey-out, you can display the area where your current active requirement is not met. For example, thesignal strength might still be good for basic connectivity, but it does not meet the Voice requirement. To disable therequirement grey-out, right-click the legend, and uncheck the Enable requirement grey-out.

NOTE

When you adjust the grey-out slider, this will also adjust the value to your current active coverage requirementprofile.

When you right-click the Legend, you can also adjust the legend color range. With this you can adjust the legend the sameway as before Ekahau Site Survey version 7.6. The color beyond the color range slider will be the same regardless thevalue. So for example, if the the right-hand side color range slider is set to -45dBm, all values above that will be shown withthe same green (assuming the legend coloring is from red to green).

The Legend colors can also be changed by left clicking the Legend. Select the legend coloring from the drop down.

NOTEThe Legend adjustments are automatically saved with the project.

NOTENot all visualization heatmaps are customizable.

Visualization Views

Associated Access Point

Capacity: Clients per AP


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Capacity Health

Channel Bandwidth

Channel Coverage

Channel Overlap

Data Rate

Interference / Noise

Network Health

Network Issues

Number of APs

Packet Loss

Round-Trip Time

Signal Strength

Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)

Throughput (Max)

Difference in Interference

Difference in Signal Strength

Difference in Number of APs

Different Survey Methods vs. Visualizations

Not all visualizations are available with just passive surveys, or when working with simulated access points. Thevisualizations that require Hybrid Surveys do not work for simulated data. The Network Health and Network Issuesvisualizations provide all the functionality only when using Hybrid Surveys

The below table outlines which survey methods affect on each visualization:


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Visualization Passive Survey (TraditionalSignal Reading)Hybrid Survey (End-to-end

Connectivity Testing) Simulation

Data Rata X X

Interference / Noise X X

Network Health X X X

Network Issues X X X

Number of APs X X

Channel Overlap X X

Per-Channel View X X

Signal Strength X X

Signal-to-Noise Ratio X X

Ping Round Trip Time X

Ping Packet Loss X

Maximum ChannelBandwidth X X

MaximumThroughput X X

Associated AccessPoint X

Capacity Health X X

Associated Clients X X X

Visualization Statistics

Visualization statistics displays you a quick statistical overview on the map you are currently viewing. For example, you canverify that the Network Health requirements are met on over 90% of the floor plan or that the Signal Strength is between-50dBm - -60dBm on 70% of the floor plan. The Visualization Statistics is based on the Legend options like thevisualization itself is. To view the Visualization Statistics, simply click on the statistics icon on the top right-hand sidecorner on the map view.


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