CTS 212: How To Approach an APoS Survey

An APoS site survey is usually performed after a predictive model and is part of the design phase of a Wi-Fi project. It is used to study the propagation of a specific AP or antenna in order to adjust and refine the predictive model. This type of survey requires time and a lot of equipment. It also requires some planning. Enjoy the podcast? Support the show by buying us coffee! What to do prior going onsite Obviously, work on the predictive model (Design). From the design. Define which access point locations you would want or need to validate. Document that information. In ekahau you could export an image outlying the AP to test by selecting the APs to test as “My APs”. Create a brand new Ekahau project file dedicated to doing the APoS survey and upload it to the Connect account (if you have a Connect account) Here is the information to gather before going onsite: * Know the height of the ceilings. This will impact the equipment required to temporarily mount an AP* Cheaper tripods usually go up to 8-9ft (Example: https://amzn.to/2TTUzFW or https://amzn.to/38Sizxv)* Some tripods go up to 24ft (Example: https://amzn.to/2QjcELG)* Wheels* Add photos* If the ceiling is higher, you might need a skyjack. Do you rent one? Do you ask the customer for one? What about safety? Training or certification might be required.* Safety & Security* Is a safety training required to be performing work within the facility?* Request access to the areas you need to study* See if access can be granted, if not, will they have an escort available for you?* Scheduling* Does the customer have any scheduling restrictions? Perform the work off hours or when the facility is not in use.* How will this impact your work and how long it takes to make it work. Prepare Your Equipment The type of equipment used during an APoS should be identified prior to going on-site. Create a checklist for what you need to bring with you. Below are some of the items we have for APoS surveys. * Access Points to be mounted temporarily* Use the exact same APs as the ones that will be deployed* You might need a model with internal antennas and a model that supports connecting external antennas* Antennas that you want to try out* Don’t forget to bring a way to mount them temporarily. Bracket.* Pole* Tripod* Painter pole* A way to mount the AP onto the pole* Wi-Fi Stand: https://wifistand.com/ (Brackets: https://wifistand.com/collections/brackets)* Don’t forget about the external antennas* A way to power the access point* Portable PoE+ battery (VenVolt or Accelerator)* Alternatives:* PoE injector powered by a portable battery (AC)* PoE injector with a long extension power cord* Ethernet cables (plan for a long one if you need to mount the AP very high)* Zip ties and Gaffle Tape (You never know) + a way to cut the zip tire* A WLANPi (https://www.wlanpi.com/)* Typically if you need a DHCP server* Or if you want to do some sort of throughput tests * Laptop* Tablet with pencil (iPad if you use the Ekahau Connect iPad application)* Sidekick & its charger* External battery pack (the bigger t...