Final Site Survey Report

The customer needs the final site survey report to move forward with the WLAN installation. The customer and the installation team depend on the site survey engineer to provide them with all the information they need to be able to gather the materials and make the necessary adjustments to the network. A sample site survey report has been included in Appendix D, "Sample Forms." Most site survey engineers create their own template and from there create a unique site survey document that fits the customer's needs.

The survey should be as specific as possible in the report. It is very common that the survey engineer will not be the same person doing the installation, and therefore the report should be as clear, concise, and easy to understand as possible.

The engineer should think of the report as protection for both the engineer and the customer. In the event of a disagreement or problem, a good site survey report can prove that the site survey was completed per the customer's requirements at the time of the survey.

A typical site survey report includes the following sections:

• Objective The objective should describe what work was performed, when and where it was performed, and so on. Basically this section reviews the scope of work from the pre-site survey and defines what other actions were done.

• Site description This is a simple description of the site. It should include floor plans, coverage areas (from the pre-site survey documentation), the type of construction, the number of floors, the number of buildings, and so on. All the general site information belongs in this section of the report.

• Survey dates An installer might be handed a site survey report and asked to install the equipment without much else to go on. If there is a date on the survey that indicates the survey is a number of months or years old, he may question the survey's integrity. Facilities change, as do the equipment that will be installed. When deciding what to put into the report, consider what an installer would want to see in a site survey report.

• Testing procedure The method of testing is something that should be included in any survey document. It provides the customer with a description of what tools (both hardware as well as software versions) were used to do the testing, and how it was done. This helps in troubleshooting the network if necessary.

• General network description This is a general description of the preexisting wired network and infrastructure. Define the types of connections (Token Ring, Ethernet, ATM, fiber, and so on), the types of connecting devices (Nortel Baystack 350 switch, Linksys 2400 hub, Cisco 2600 router), and general information (such as the number of wireless users and the location of the connection points). Review Chapter 8, "Discovering Site-Specific Requirements," for more details about what should go in this section.

• Proposed WLAN components This section details the components that will be used for the survey and installation. Included here would be a complete parts list needed for the wireless system. Some survey engineers even estimate cable lengths, but many leave this up to the installation engineer. In any case, the AP must be located within 100 meters of the hub or switch, if Category (Cat) 5 cable (which is the most common) will be used.

• Existing wireless system definition Detail any present wireless systems on the site. If possible, list the frequencies, the power levels, modulation types (spread spectrum, frequency hopping, narrow-band FM), and applications for the wireless (paging, wireless phone, video monitors, and so on). It is also a good idea to note locations of other wireless systems components on the site plan if possible.

• Wireless sniffer traces The report should include some type of RF sniffer tracing showing what other 802.11 devices might be seen on the site. In many cases, there will be no other devices; however, it is desirable to verify whether there are neighboring systems to be aware of.

• RF spectrum analyses results As part of every site survey, a review of the RF spectrum at the site is required. Document any RF that you discover, noting frequency, signal strength, type of signal, location of transmitter (if known), and any possible interference it may have on the WLAN.

• Area-by-area analyses This is the "meat" of the report. This section is where the actual information for AP location, type of antennas, data rates, transmit power, and mounting instruction are placed. The use of a digital camera is ideal here. Photographs can be a time-saver and make the exact location of the AP or antenna unquestionable.

• Contact list The report should include contact information for all parties involved. Include information for the survey engineer, the survey company sales or account representative, the customer contact, and any others who were involved in completing the survey.