Ekahau, the first step to building a Wi-Fi network

That a wireless network is essential for running a business is a fact. But the challenge is getting the network up and running and maintaining it in such a way that it works properly and grows as your business grows. An ever-increasing number of devices in the office, newer technologies introduced on the warehouse floor (e.g. automated forklifts), or the building structure itself all directly impact the quality of the network. How it copes with the new challenges largely depends on the first stage of its construction: planning. 

Reliable Wi-Fi needed now

You move with your team to a new location (new office, new building, new warehouse). You want to have a Wi-Fi network, and you want it to work well. You communicate your needs to the contractor. You indicate how many devices need to be connected to the network and where employees will use them. You expect the access points to appear in the right places so that they meet your requirements. Theoretically speaking, the issue does not seem complicated. You expect things to go your way and the new network to be reliable. But what if it doesn’t?     

Precision first

The result of poor network design is too many or too few access points. The first case is equated with increased total hardware and installation costs. The second – with the creation of gaps in signal coverage, increased latency and reduced throughput. This may be the placement of access points where ‘it seems like it will be fine’. In reality, planning their placement is much more complex. Issues such as the material of the building’s walls, the height of the ceiling, or the signal penetration between floors must be considered. Precision is paramount in network planning. This is where Ekahau comes in.   

Network design and diagnosis

Ekahau is a tool that helps you build and maintain efficient Wi-Fi networks and troubleshoot network issues. Network design with Ekahau allows us to choose the best available solution to determine precisely where access points should appear in the hall, office and how they should be configured. Ekahau performs a thorough radio analysis during the customer’s site visit. The physical measurement is preceded by uploading the building plan to the Ekahau software and calibrating it. The next step is to plug in the device and physically walk around the building. During this walk, the information received by Ekahau is recorded on a map, and a heat map is generated to visualise this data. This project is the basis for further work related to the placement, selection and configuration of access points in places with the best environmental conditions. This, in turn, leads to creating a high-performance Wi-Fi network. 

Comprehensiveness at the heart of FCA’s offering

Ekahau allows us to verify what is in reality. Most planners offer the distribution of access points on a map but do not consider many important aspects, such as interference from other wireless signals. By having a tool like Ekahau, at every stage of building a WLAN, whether during planning, design, deployment or maintenance, we have a full spectrum of information to verify or prevent future problems.