The next step for the task force is to conduct a site survey and recommend the types of access points the company should deploy.

Deliverables

• Discuss why it is important to conduct a site survey.  Discuss what additional information should be included in a site survey document. What data should be included in an indoor vs. an outdoor site survey?
• Discuss the pros and cons of using a Wireless LAN Controller in conjunction with thin access points, when compared to autonomous access points.

First Student Post:

A site survey will ensure reliable and consistent deployment of the wireless network on our site. Site surveys come in different forms for different reasons but mostly a wireless survey is an on-site inspection that measures the Radio Frequency (RF) propagation and usability of a wireless network. A site survey also identifies any neighboring networks that might cause interference. Site surveys can test predictive wireless designs before a network is deployed, verify that changes or additions are installed correctly, and ensure that the network continues to be fast and reliable for its users and applications (Ekahau, 2022). Site surveys can be conducted both indoors and outdoors. The information for both will be very similar as both revolve around signal propagation and interference.

Survey information will include an accurate survey of the property to ensure the scale of the building and its spaces are being accurately represented when being compared to measure RF signals. The types of construction materials used should be included for addressing signal attenuation problems. The survey will list the measuring equipment being used and the types of tests being performed. The survey should also include information about which channels are scanned and network signal strength for our network or neighboring networks. This will help with channel assignments and troubleshooting of interference. Ultimately, this information will allow us to make an informed decision on the number of APs that are needed for our site, where they need to be installed, and how they should be configured.

For our site, I recommend the use of thin APs over standalone, or autonomous APs. Autonomous APs need to be individually configured for the network. The more APs needed; the more separate configurations will be required. As the network changes in the future, configuration requirements will be more robust. Thin APs work with a single LAN controller that can be configured at once for every AP on-site. This means easy reconfiguration and those configurations can evolve and change as the network does (Belding, 2018). Thin APs are generally recommended for medium to larger environments such as ours.

References

Belding, G. (2018, June 27). Security+: technologies and tools – Access point. Retrieved from INFOSEC: https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/certification/security-technologies-and-tools-access-point/#:~:text=Fat%20Access%20points%20are%20also%20known%20as%20autonomous,remote%20configuration%20and%20do%20not%20require%20manual%20configuration.

Ekahau. (2022, April 22). Measure Twice, Cut Once: Validating Your Wireless Design with a Wi-Fi Site Survey. Retrieved from ekahau.com: https://www.ekahau.com/blog/validating-your-wirele…

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Second student post:

To : CIO

From: IT Department

Subject: Concerning Access points Continued

As discussed in the previous correspondence regarding Access points, I stated that they could benefit our employees and our own IT department by eliminating the need for many fixed desktops. As requested, we did conduct a site survey. We were going to contract this out but fond it more affordable to do it in house. This also allows us to change things around as needed. Given the openness of each floor, signals are easily able to reach everywhere on a horizontal level but they can not pass through the floor or ceiling given the type of materials used in the building. This was necessary in order to figure out what the best layout was for our wireless system as we now know that instead of being 100% wireless for the building, we must use a hybrid system of thin access points with a hardwired server. Completely autonomous points will not work in this building. As you already know, we occupy 4 floors of our building with each floor being dedicated to certain tasks. Based on our Site survey and the limitations of the building we have determined the most cost effective spread would be 4 access points on each floor. If we divided each floor into quadrants and placed an AP in the center of each quadrant Using omnidirectional spreads with boosted gain but lower power, it would allow for a small, controlled and strong signal available for each floor. We would repeat this for each floor we used. Each of the 4 APs on each floor would connect to a hardwire LAN that connects all 4 floors. This is going to be the most simplistic approach for it all. If you require a more detailed plan with diagrams, we are happy to provide it at your request.

Regards,

How to do a RF site survey guide – metageek. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2022, from https://www.metageek.com/inc/images/downloads/How-To-Do-A-RF-Site-Survey-Guide.pdf