Site Survey Guidelines How to survey for a Ruckus Wireless installation

2 Agenda  Pre-survey preparation  Tools you will need  On-site survey  Post-survey actions

3 Preparation Before You Go  Get a floor plan (as accurate as possible) and print it out  Discuss with customer the desired goals:  What areas need to be covered  What kind of devices will use the WLAN  What applications will use the WLAN  Minimum acceptable bandwidth  Make sure the customer is prepared to shut off an existing APs that will not be part of the final deployment

4 Target Performance Values ApplicationTarget Throughput Voice20 Mbps Enterprise-class data15 Mbps Casual access10 Mbps Notes Voice should always be tested with a voice handset Data rates are advisory, you can always go for less or more

5 What About Spectrum Interference? Any good site survey takes into account other sources of RF outside the customer’s deployment, these can include  Neighboring wireless networks  RF emitting machinery  Cordless telephones/microwaves, etc.  Other? Never know unless you check …

6 When to Do a Spectrum Analysis Not all customers will want to pay for this.  Even if they do not want it:  At least run NetStumbler while onsite to check if there are a lot of neighboring APs that might cause interference (look for signal strengths of at least 30%)  Note any packet loss during SpeedFlex tests If either of these looks significant, recommend a full spectrum analysis survey to determine potential issues For more information on spectrum analysis, see the separate Spectrum Site Survey presentation.

7 Site Survey Tools  Ruckus Wireless NFR kit  1 ZoneDirector 1000 (7.1+ software)  1 Ruckus AP  Laptop with wireless card that supports all radios required (a/b/g/n)  Power strip (squid)  Extension cables

8 Site Survey Tools  Optional, but desirable  Portable battery (12V DC or 120VAC)  Single port, gigabit POE adapter or POE switch  Client(s) with similar performance (radios) to customer devices  Tripod/Speaker stand

9 Site Survey Configuration Test laptop With SpeedFlex installed ZoneDirector Access Point Power options for ZD and AP” AC adapter for AP & ZD to AC outlet POE adapter for AP

10 Site Survey Configuration Test Make sure the following works before beginning the survey:  Wireless network is configured for correct radios  Laptop can connect to wireless network  Laptop can ping AP and ZD  Run SpeedFlex successfully 

11 Running SpeedFlex  If you try to run SpeedFlex the first time, you will get the following error:

12 Running SpeedFlex  Click the download link for your OS (Windows or Mac) to download the client portion of the software

13 Running SpeedFlex  Copy the downloaded file to a safe place and then run, you will get a terminal window with the following message: SpeedFlex version 1.83, Copyright (C) Ruckus Wireless, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Built Jul at 14:30:54 Entering infinite loop. Enjoy the ride

14 Running SpeedFlex Once the program is running, go back to the web page and click the Start button to begin the test

15 Running SpeedFlex  Important! To get a consistent reading, remain still while SpeedFlex is running. Progress indicator

16 Running SpeedFlex  When the test is complete, you will see the test results.

17 Onsite Setup  When onsite, begin at the edge of where coverage should begin,. Power up the AP and ZD using one of the power options.  Mount the AP as it would normally be deployed (usually dome facing down).  If the AP will be on the ceiling, use a tripod to get it as close to the ceiling as possible for most accurate results.

18 Onsite Methodology  Begin at the edge of the coverage area  Install the AP at a potential installation spot  Connect laptop to wireless test SSID  Run SpeedFlex, record results on floor plan  Walk to a different spot (about 50’) and repeat until coverage has been completely surveyed

19 Site Survey Walkthrough Example Client A is running SpeedFlex against AP (B). The shaded area is how far Client A can get from the AP and still maintain 15-20Mbps as reported by SpeedFlex.

20 Site Survey Walkthrough Example The next step is to move the AP to one of the points on the boundary and test again. Previously tested area Boundary of previously tested area New area

21 Walkthrough Result

22 Final Survey Deliverable (Example)

23 Post-survey Actions  Confirm your survey results with the BOM tool on the Ruckus partner site  Initial heat map to validate number of APs and positioning

24 Ruckus BOM Tool

25 Ruckus BOM Tool

26 Ruckus BOM Tool

27 Materials Designation  Determine square footage needed and break it out by difficulty for RF propagation  Easy – only use this if all clients have direct line of sight to the AP (i.e. ceiling mount over cubicles)  Medium – devices may have to go through walls (light construction, no metal or concrete newer than 10 years)  Difficult – construction materials have significant impact on RF propagation (reflection or absorption) – metal, water, glass, new or very thick concrete, etc.

28 Materials Designation If a coverage area is a mix of types, try to break it down into areas to determine percentage Example: 60,000 sq. ft. building which has a 200’x100’ office area next to a manufacturing floor in the same building. 200’ x 100’ = 20,000 sq. ft. of Easy or Medium (33%) 60,000 – 20,000 = 40,000 sq. ft. of Medium or Difficult (67%)

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30 Design The BOM tool also provides a design tool for AP layout. Look for it at the bottom of the screen. The design tool allows you to upload floor plans and try out different layout options.

31 WiFi Site Planner Tool When you start the design tool, make sure you create a grid that is the same size as your largest overall dimension.

32 Use to add floor plan

33 Adding Construction Materials Click the Wall icon to add a wall with construction materials The Room icon is a quick wall to create four walls – use the “Break to walls” option to break it into 4 individual walls to which you can apply material properties

34 Adding Access Points Click the AP icon and place APs on the floor plan at your target locations as determined by the site survey. When all of the APs are positioned, click the Generate Map button to view an estimated heat map.

35 Heat Maps Hover the mouse to view estimated signal strength. Note: this floor plan was not cropped so that the outer walls are at the very edge of the jpeg. That’s why the RF is shown outside the walls. It’s always a good idea to crop floor plans so that there is as little white space as possible around the outside.

36 Save Your Work  When you are done working with the design tool, make sure you click the Save Layout button.  You can come back to this site anytime and load the layout again to view or make further modifications.

37 Summary – Steps to Success  Pre-survey preparation  Understand what the customer wants to achieve  Get floor plans  Make sure the survey gear works before you go  On-site survey  Be thorough - follow the walkthrough methodology!  Check for spectrum interference  Confirm construction materials  Post-survey  Use the Ruckus BOM and site planner tool to confirm AP numbers, layout and heat maps