In a previous blog, we discussed the steps you can take to eliminate dead zones in your office or building. One of the steps we recommended was conducting a wireless site survey. Let’s take a closer look at what that means and why it’s critical for an effective network.
What Is a Wireless Site Survey?
A wireless site survey is the process of analyzing a physical environment to design or optimize a Wi-Fi network for coverage, performance, and reliability. A survey usually involves a site visit to test for Radio Frequency interference and identify installation locations for access points.
A wireless site survey can also require an inspection of the facility and building floor plans, as well as the identification of potential obstacles that could interfere with the operation of the network. Last but not least, interviews with IT management and the end users of the wireless network are important to determine the parameters of the network.
It helps identify:
- Signal strength and coverage gaps
- Interference sources
- Access point placement
- Network performance issues
What Are the Types of Wireless Site Surveys?
There are three different types of site surveys:
- Passive Site Surveys
- Active Site Surveys
- Predictive Site Surveys
The goal when deploying any of these surveys is to gather relevant and accurate data that will help to design a wireless network that meets the needs of the users.
Passive Site Surveys
Passive site surveys are the fastest and easiest to complete and consist of a physical survey of the building, both interior and exterior as well as the data collection of the radio frequency readings at the access points. Radio frequency is the rate of radio signal to send and receive communication measured in hertz cycles per second. This is important because a neighbor that is operating on the same frequency may be causing a higher volume of network traffic than your network was designed to accommodate.
A passive site survey will provide some very important information and is the most inexpensive of the three. A physical walk through of the building interior and exterior as well as checking the radio frequency is critical to ensuring that all physical factors that could impact network performance are included in the survey.
Benefits:
- Less disruptive
- Real performance data of your network
- Easier and less expensive than other site surveys
Active Site Surveys
Active site surveys have the same steps as passive site surveys, and they also include connecting to the network’s access points during the survey. Connection to the network via the access points allows the surveyor to generate network traffic; measure the network performance and some other important metrics including packet loss and the data upload and download speeds.
An active site survey will ensure that the upgraded network will meet all critical requirements. This is particularly important for retail locations and other businesses that have extensive security requirements.
Active site surveys are more expensive to conduct and most likely need to take place during business hours; a requirement which could cause some inference with the operation of the customer’s business. They do however, provide information that cannot be obtained with a passive site survey.
Benefits:
- Extremely accurate data of your signals, coverage, and more
- More information provided
- Immediate discovery of network coverage issues
Predictive Site Surveys
Predictive site surveys do not include any information from physical visits. A predictive site survey uses a software package to simulate not just the construction of the building but also floor plans, offices, conference rooms, cubicles, walls, windows and even filing cabinets and other large objects.
The software will then take all of these factors into account and create a prediction of the number of locations of access points and where each one should be located in order for the network to meet required coverage and performance.
Predictive modeling does not require an onsite visit, but if possible; a passive site survey should also be conducted to ensure that all critical information is included in the network model.
Benefits:
- No onsite visits, making it less disruptive
- Fast turnaround
- Establishes a network baseline
Which Wireless Site Survey Do You Need?
The right approach depends on your situation.
- Designing a new network? Start with a predictive survey, then validate with an active survey
- Fixing coverage issues? Use passive + active surveys
- Running a mission-critical network? Use all three for full visibility
Skipping the right survey often leads to:
- Dead zones
- Poor roaming performance
- Overloaded access points
- Ongoing troubleshooting costs
Why Professional Wireless Site Surveys Matter
Wireless environments are complex. Walls, materials, interference, and device density all impact performance.
A professional site survey ensures:
- Proper access point placement
- Reliable coverage and capacity
- Fewer post-deployment issues
- Better long-term network performance
Get Your Wireless Network Right the First Time
Choosing the right wireless site survey isn’t just a technical decision—it’s a business decision. The right approach saves time, reduces costs, and ensures your network performs the way your users expect.
Talk to our team of experts to get a consultation on what type of wireless site survey you need and how we can help you get your network in shape.