What is Ekahau?
Ekahau is a company that makes software and hardware for wireless network design and measurement. Its best known products are a design and survey application (Ekahau AI Pro) and a handheld measurement device (Ekahau Sidekick) that records WiFi signal, interference and spectrum data while an engineer walks a site. Product names and bundles change over time, so check the vendor's own site for the current line-up.
Ekahau is a tool, not a method. A WiFi site survey is the activity, and several tools can support it. The same Ekahau software can plan a network on a floor plan before anything is installed (a predictive survey) or load measured data after installation to produce heat maps and reports (a validation survey).
Buyers sometimes ask for an Ekahau survey by name because the output format is familiar to wireless engineers and to many network vendors. That is a reasonable request, but the quality of the result still depends on the engineer, the accuracy of the floor plans, the requirements agreed in advance and the way measurements are taken. Ask what will be delivered, not only which tool will be used.
How it shows up in practice
- A scope that names Ekahau should also say which survey type is planned: predictive, on-site AP on a stick, or post-install validation.
- The survey needs scaled floor plans, a list of target devices and their minimum signal and data rate requirements, and the access point model if one is already chosen.
- Deliverables normally include heat maps, an access point placement plan, cabling and mounting notes, and the project file so another engineer can open it later. Ask for the file if you want to keep it.
- Agree who holds the license. Some providers survey with their own licensed software, and some customers want the project file in a format their team can open.