In the early days of 802.11 wireless networking (2001) it was typical for a company to hire a consultant to come in and perform a wireless site survey. In order to assure proper signal coverage, and to determine the number of, and correct location for wireless access points, the consultant would experimentally place access points here and there and then walk around with some kind of hand-held tool to measure the RF characteristics of the building. In today?s largest, most sophisticated 802.11 installations this is still true, and Connect802 can provide that kind of on-site consulting as well. However, the wireless industry has evolved since its early days and the RF characteristics of building materials and interior obstructions and furnishings are now well documented.

This has given rise to the creation of sophisticated modeling and simulation software tools that use a floor plan of a building, along with specifications of the type of construction, to create site survey maps. These maps show very accurately where access points should be placed for optimal coverage. In addition, the number of users in a space, and the bandwidth and throughput required for their network activities, is integrated into the mathematical simulation to assure that the network will provide the required level of service.