WiFi Surveys (Ekahau)
Onsite AP-on-a-Stick Surveys.
On-site survey using a temporary access point at each planned location to measure real-world signal propagation and validate AP placement before permanent installation.
Overview
What is Onsite AP-on-a-Stick Surveys?
AP-on-a-stick surveys involve placing a powered access point at planned locations throughout a facility and measuring real-world signal propagation with the Ekahau Sidekick spectrum analyzer. This method captures actual signal behavior through walls, ceilings, and furnishings, producing highly accurate coverage data that a predictive model alone cannot match.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why Onsite AP-on-a-Stick Surveys matters.
Some buildings do not behave the way a drawing says they will. Reinforced concrete, foil-backed insulation, tinted glass, shelving full of stock and old plaster over metal lath can each change how a signal travels, and the combination is hard to guess from a plan. Surveying with a temporary access point replaces guesses with measurements taken in the actual space with its actual contents. Without it, a team may buy and mount a full set of access points on the strength of a model, then find that a few locations behave nothing like predicted, at the point when moving them is expensive.
Good output from this kind of survey is practical and traceable. Each planned location has a recorded result: it works as planned, it needs to move, or it needs a different mount or height. Noise sources found along the way are written up with their position, so facilities staff or the owner of the equipment can deal with them before the network goes live. The final design then reflects what was measured, which means the installer receives a plan that has already been tested against the building rather than one that still rests on assumptions.
SCOPE
Scope of service.
- 01Temporary AP placement at each planned mounting location
- 02Walk-through measurement with Ekahau Sidekick
- 03Real-world signal strength and noise floor mapping
- 04Interference source identification and documentation
- 05AP location adjustments based on measured data
- 06Detailed heatmaps comparing planned vs. measured coverage
CHOOSING
Choosing this service.
What to decide before you order, and what sits outside the scope.
Measured or modeled coverage
If you can describe the walls and ceilings with confidence, a modeled design may be enough. If the building is old, industrial or full of metal, measured data is the safer base. Many projects start with a model and then measure selected areas to check it.
Decide when the survey happens
Surveying during working hours captures real equipment noise and real furniture, but it means working around people. After hours is quieter and easier to access, but some interference sources may be switched off. Choose based on which conditions you need to understand.
Plan access and escorts
The engineer needs to reach each planned location, often at ceiling height. Arrange keys, escorts, lift access and any safety induction in advance. Restricted rooms, clean areas and rooftops need extra notice, and delays in access are a frequent reason a survey day runs long.
How scale affects the approach
A small site can be measured at each planned location. A very large site is often measured in representative areas first, such as one floor of a repeated stack, with the results applied to similar spaces. Agree up front which areas count as representative.
Not included
- The temporary access point is not connected to your network, so wired throughput and authentication testing are not covered.
- Permanent mounting, cable pulls and powered installation of the final access points are separate work from the survey.
- Work at heights beyond what portable equipment safely reaches may need a lift or licensed contractor arranged by your side.
- Moving racking, stock or equipment that blocks a survey location is not done by the survey engineer.
USE CASES
Typical scenarios.
A warehouse with steel racking and concrete floors where predictive models are unreliable due to variable attenuation.
A heritage building with thick stone walls and variable ceiling heights requiring real-world signal measurement.
A manufacturing facility with heavy machinery and metallic surfaces causing unpredictable signal reflection and absorption.
PROCESS
How the work runs.
- 1
Walk the site first
Before measuring, the engineer walks the building with your contact to confirm planned locations, ceiling types, mounting heights, restricted areas and any equipment that changes during the working day.
- 2
Stage the test access point
At each planned spot the temporary access point is raised to the intended height on a pole, powered from a portable source, and set to the radio configuration the design assumes for that area.
- 3
Measure around each spot
The engineer walks outward from the access point carrying the Sidekick, recording signal, noise and interference until readings drop below what the design needs. The process then repeats at the next planned location.
- 4
Reconcile and adjust
Measured data is compared with the plan. Locations are moved or flagged where results fall short, and the revised placement, measurements and interference notes are written into the project file and report.
RELATED
What you receive and where it applies.
Case studies are representative scenarios, not named clients.
GUIDES
Guides and checklists.
RELATED
More WiFi Surveys (Ekahau) services.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
When should I choose an AP-on-a-stick survey over predictive?
Do you bring your own access points?
Does this require network connectivity at each AP location?
How long does an AP-on-a-stick survey take?
Can the survey take place while staff are working?
What if a planned location turns out to be unsuitable?
At what height is the test access point placed?
QUOTE
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