What if the Internet Wi-Fi goes out for a few weeks in your area? How much will it impact your business? It’s probably going to cause massive disruption across your operations. That’s because fast and reliable Wi-Fi is no longer a luxury for today’s businesses—it’s a necessity.
Whether you run a small office, a retail shop, or a large enterprise, your Wi-Fi network is the backbone of your operations. But how do you ensure your Wi-Fi network is up to the task? The answer is by conducting a Wi-Fi survey.
Intelligent Technical Solutions (ITS) is a managed service provider (MSP) that has helped hundreds of businesses conduct a Wi-Fi survey. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about them, including what they are, why they matter, and how they can transform your business operations.
What Is a Wi-Fi Survey?
A Wi-Fi survey is a detailed evaluation of your wireless network’s performance, coverage, and reliability. It involves assessing the physical environment, analyzing signal strength, and pinpointing areas for improvement. You can think of it as a health check-up for your wireless network performance to assess whether it’s operating at optimal levels.
Wi-Fi surveys come in three main types:
- Passive Surveys: These are done to measure your network’s signal strength and interference without actively connecting to it.
- Active Surveys: These are tests done to assess your network’s performance, including speed, latency, and packet loss, by actively connecting to it.
- Predictive Surveys: Use software to simulate network performance in environments where a network has not yet been deployed.
Each type serves a specific purpose, from troubleshooting existing networks to designing new ones.
Why Does Your Business Need a Wi-Fi Survey?
Whether you’re setting up a new network or troubleshooting issues in an existing one, a Wi-Fi survey provides invaluable insights. Here are some of the key benefits:
1. Eliminate Connectivity Gaps
Wi-Fi dead zones can bring productivity to a halt. A survey identifies these gaps and ensures consistent coverage across your floorplan.
2. Solve Interference Issues
From neighboring networks to Internet of Things (IoT) devices, interference can wreak havoc on Wi-Fi throughput. A survey pinpoints these issues, enabling you to resolve them effectively.
3. Optimize Performance
Are your employees complaining about slow connections or frequent drops? A Wi-Fi survey uncovers the root causes and provides actionable recommendations for improvement.
4. Plan for Future Growth
As your business grows, so does your connectivity needs. A survey helps ensure your network is scalable and ready to support new devices, applications, and users.
5. Improve Security and Compliance
A survey can identify vulnerabilities in your network, helping you meet compliance standards and safeguard sensitive data.
When Should You Conduct a Wi-Fi Survey?
Timing is everything when it comes to Wi-Fi surveys. Here are some scenarios when they’re particularly beneficial:
- Before Deploying a New Network - A Wi-Fi survey will ensure optimal design and placement of access points (APs) when deploying a new network.
- During Office Relocations - It also helps you assess and map out your new space for Wi-Fi coverage and performance.
- When Experiencing Performance Issues - A Wi-Fi survey can help troubleshoot slow speeds, dropped connections, or poor coverage.
- Planning For Network Expansion - It will also prevent issues when adding capacity for new users, devices, or applications.
- As Part of Routine Maintenance - Doing Wi-Fi surveys as part of your routine maintenance will help keep your network running smoothly over time.
What Happens During a Wi-Fi Survey?
A Wi-Fi survey involves several key steps and components to evaluate your network effectively:
Step 1: Signal Strength Testing
Signal strength testing measures how far your Wi-Fi signal reaches and identifies areas with weak or no connectivity (often called "dead zones"). It is a crucial step because poor signal strength can disrupt workflows, slow down applications, and cause frustration for users. This step involves:
- Using Tools: Specialized tools like signal analyzers and mobile apps measure the strength of the Wi-Fi signal in different parts of the premises.
- Understanding Signal Quality: Signals are measured in decibel milliwatts (dBm). Strong signals are typically between -30 dBm to -50 dBm, while weaker signals drop below -70 dBm.
- Identifying Barriers: Structural elements like thick walls, furniture, or reflective surfaces can hamper Wi-Fi performance.
Step 2: Heatmaps
Heatmaps visually represent the Wi-Fi signal's strength and coverage across your physical space. When done right, they can give a clear, actionable snapshot of your network’s performance helping you focus on weak spots. During this step:
- Mapping the Space: A floor plan is overlaid with data collected from signal strength testing.
- Color Coding: Areas are color-coded (e.g., green for strong signals, red for weak signals) to show coverage levels.
- Highlighting Dead Zones: These visual aids make it easy to spot areas where connectivity needs improvement.
Step 3: Interference Analysis
Walls, concrete, metal, aquarium tanks, and other environmental factors can cause interference and reduce the range of your Wi-Fi signal. That can cause your connection to slow or drop at random times. Analyzing what factors can interfere with your signal is critical if you want to maximize the range of your Wi-Fi signal and improve reliability. This step involves:
- Detecting Interference Sources: Tools identify competing signals from neighboring Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth devices, microwaves, and other electronic equipment.
- Channel Utilization: Interference often arises when too many devices operate on the same Wi-Fi channel. An analysis ensures optimal channel selection.
- Physical Interference: Structural features like metal walls, glass partitions, or densely packed objects can also impact signal quality.
Step 4: Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)
SNR measures the quality of your Wi-Fi signal relative to background noise. Achieving a high SNR ensures your network delivers consistent and reliable performance, especially in high-demand scenarios. During this step:
- Collecting Data: Tools calculate the ratio of the signal’s strength to the level of interference (noise).
- Interpreting SNR Values: A higher SNR value indicates better signal quality. For most business applications, an SNR above 20 dB is ideal.
- Fine-Tuning Placement: Adjustments to access point (AP) placement or configurations are made to improve SNR.
Step 5: Bandwidth Testing
Modern businesses rely on data-heavy applications. Ensuring your network can handle the demand is critical for productivity and customer satisfaction. That’s why bandwidth testing is crucial. It evaluates how well your network supports data-heavy applications and ensures sufficient speed and capacity for users. This step includes:
- Measuring Network Speed: Tests assess upload and download speeds in different areas.
- Simulating Usage: Real-world conditions are simulated, such as video conferencing, file uploads, or streaming, to measure the network’s performance under load.
- Identifying Bottlenecks: Areas with slow speeds or high latency are flagged for optimization.
Step 6: Assess Device Compatibility
If your business has been operating for a while, it’s likely that you’re mixing both new and old technology. The problem is that compatibility issues can come up after a while. Ensuring the compatibility of your devices prevents connectivity issues and boosts efficiency. This step checks how well your network supports the various devices and applications your business uses. It involves:
- Inventory of Devices: Listing all devices that connect to the network, including laptops, tablets, smartphones, IoT devices, and specialized equipment.
- Compatibility Testing: Evaluating whether the current network setup meets the needs of all devices, especially newer ones with advanced connectivity requirements (e.g., Wi-Fi 6).
- Prioritization: Ensuring mission-critical devices and applications receive the bandwidth and priority they need for seamless operation.
Ready to Conduct a Wi-Fi Survey for Your Business?
A Wi-Fi survey is more than just a diagnostic tool—it’s a strategic investment in your business’s efficiency, scalability, and security. If you understand your network’s strengths and weaknesses, you can create a reliable, high-performing Wi-Fi environment that supports your business goals.
If you need help conducting a Wi-Fi survey for your organization, reach out to us at ITS. We can ensure your network isn’t just meeting expectations—it’s exceeding them. Schedule a free network assessment with us to get started! You can also check the following to learn how to maximize your network performance: