Comprehensive Report on Site Survey Tools for eHealth Network Design

This report provides a detailed analysis of three site survey tools: VisiWave Site Survey, NetSpot, and AirMagnet Survey, emphasizing their importance in designing and optimizing wireless networks, particularly in the context of eHealth. The report begins by highlighting the critical need for site surveys before installing wireless and LAN networks to ensure reliable network setups. It then delves into each tool, explaining their functionalities, features, and advantages. VisiWave Site Survey, known for its data collection and visualization capabilities, is discussed in detail, emphasizing its ability to identify coverage voids and signal leakage. NetSpot, a free wireless network analyzer, is examined for its role in identifying channel interference and dead zones. Finally, AirMagnet Survey, recognized for its accuracy, is presented as a tool for mapping, designing, and planning wireless networks, including its capabilities in budget estimation and integration with other solutions. The report also addresses the specific application of these tools in an eHealth environment, emphasizing the need for site surveys in eHealth buildings to avoid radio frequency interference, maintain hospital equipment functionality, and ensure optimal wireless coverage. A sample survey form is included, along with references to support the findings and recommendations.

Running Head: SITE SURVEY TOOLS 1
Site Survey Tools
Institution
Name
Date

SITE SURVEY TOOLS 2
Contents
Site survey tools...................................................................................................................3
VisiWave Site Survey......................................................................................................3
VisiWave Screenshots..................................................................................................5
NetSpot.............................................................................................................................5
NetSpot Screenshots.....................................................................................................6
AirMagnet Survey............................................................................................................7
AirMagnet Screenshot..................................................................................................9
Areas and issues eHealth needs to do a site survey.............................................................9
Survey form sample template............................................................................................11
References..........................................................................................................................12

SITE SURVEY TOOLS 3
Site survey tools
It is very crucial to conduct site surveys before installing wireless and LAN networks so
as to ensure that all the requirements are laid out and good strategies are set to guarantee that a
reliable network is set up in the end. Various site survey tools are available in the market. We
shall discuss three tools which are VisiWave Site Survey, NetSpot, and AirMagnet Survey.
VisiWave Site Survey
VisiWave Site Survey is a wireless site survey tool that operates on windows
workstations and Mac OS. It is a site survey tool utilized by many organizations to perform
wireless site surveys worldwide. Wireless networks are almost in every business environment
these days. They are the most critical component of many business infrastructures in the twenty
first century. For this reason, wireless networks, therefore, must be explained, examined and give
accountability.
VisiWave Site Survey software will show every network administrator everything that is
going on in their 802.11n network. How well does VisiWave Site Survey do this? It has very
improved methods of data collection and good presentation and visualization techniques forming
a complete wireless site survey solution. VisiWave Site Survey gives the capabilities of
visualizing radio waves within the wireless network setup and you will be able to easily
demonstrate the effectiveness of the network coverage.

SITE SURVEY TOOLS 4
VisiWave Site Survey gathers deep critical data on the wireless network and other
networks around and gives a good visualization of the data. Critical information about the
network is presented by every view created by the software in an informative and intuitive way.
VisiWave Site Survey can aid in giving all coverage voids of the wireless network where the
radio signals do not get to. This will help the concerned administrators to provide appropriate
correction measures and ensure that there is always a strong wireless network in all departments
of the organization. VisiWave Site Survey allows one to map for any signal leakage in the
buildings, map the usage of channels in the network, find rogue access points, note the location
of those rogue access points and realize all the effects caused by access points that are close to
the buildings. This tool will also be an important resource in visualizing any overlapping access
points and much more.
It is highly recommended that eHealth utilizes VisiWave Site Survey since it comes
coupled with many advantages. This tool provides for simple and quick data collection. It has
very effective ways of capturing data, therefore, making the process pretty easy and faster. It
does this by continuously taking a walk through the area with which the survey is done,
implementing GPS positioning for any outdoor surveys and finally analyzing one point at a time.
VisiWave Site Survey contains a powerful report generation feature. It has very fine
report templates than can be re-used over and over again. Furthermore, VisiWave Site Survey is
not expensive to install and no special requirements need. All that is needed is just a software
install with just the need of a wireless adapter in the PC. This product has been used in the
market for over ten years now in more than 80 countries worldwide.

SITE SURVEY TOOLS 5
VisiWave Screenshots
NetSpot
Netspot is a free wireless network analyzer available for Mac OS X and the Windows
workstations. Everytime we are working on a wireless network that we need to have it working
at an optimum level, we must have a solid understanding of the behavior of all radio frequency
waves in that network. To do this, we must undertake a wireless site survey. A site survey by
Netspot will bring out areas that have channel interference and help to tremendously develop an
intact network by also noting all the dead zones. A Wi-Fi survey must be done to when one
wants to know the feasibility of deploying a wireless network in a given region and also looking
for the best spots for a wireless access point and antennas (Aldasouqi, 2014). Netspot is a perfect
assistant for network administrators in finding out unauthorized users, rogue access points and

SITE SURVEY TOOLS 6
getting rid of any false positive intrusion alerts. It will greatly help in preventing cross channel
interferences.
Netspot can assist one to check the security configurations of the network which usually
an be: Open, WPA/WPA2, WEP. It also allows one to check and view all non-broadcasting
SSIDs plus the Wi-Fi signal strengths of the network. Netspot provides for an improved
collection and data visualization, therefore, giving all their users a detailed and perfect WIFI site
survey. Netspot in a few clicks allows one to see a detailed view of their `office plan and area
map. When you point to an area on the map, it will begin measuring the wireless signal strength
almost immediately (Ohm, 2017).
NetSpot Screenshots

SITE SURVEY TOOLS 7
AirMagnet Survey
This one has been known by network administrators the world over to be the most
accurate site survey solution for any wireless network. It is utilized for mapping, designing, and
planning for 802.11 n/b/a/g wireless networks to provide optimal results, compliance, and
security. This tool does the math on the number of access points that need to be installed on the
network. It also guides on how to perfectly configure access point that provides for a very secure
wireless environment. It is able to verify the radio frequency coverage and plots the actual end
user performance. Dictates the connection speed of the network and also the throughput of the
network even before it is laid out or implemented. The final result is it will guarantee the highest
degree of user satisfaction by giving a map of the critical analysis of the end user performance
metrics by assisting in deploying a good network correctly for the first time. This again aids in

SITE SURVEY TOOLS 8
estimating budgets before the pilot project of installing a wireless network is deployed (Plets et
al., 2016).
AirMagnet integrates with other secondary solutions such as professional spectrum
analyzers to gather all wireless data faster and easily. This tool comes in two versions, the
Express version, and PRO version. The express version does all the basic site surveying actions
such as mapping the signals, noting user performance and interferences in the wireless network.
On the other hand, the PRO version provides a foundational support for multi-floor installations,
verification of network designs, radio frequency spectrum analysis and outdoor surveys.
AirMagnet comes coupled up with other many features:
a) 802.11ac site survey
b) 802.11n site surveys
c) Access control user application requirements
d) Different Radio frequency survey
e) Custom professional reports
f) AirMagnet scheduler integration
Assume “what if” scenarios to ensure the deployment of a less costly optimum wireless
network.

SITE SURVEY TOOLS 9
AirMagnet Screenshot
Areas and issues eHealth needs to do a site survey
A site survey needs to be done in the second building. This is the building that hosts
administrative offices for human resource, Marketing Sales, Managers, and accounting. We must
do a site survey in this building because we expect to have dark spots where the Radio frequency
spectrum will not get to. We definitely need to identify these regions so that we come up with a
remedy for them. So as to provide an optimum wireless coverage, we must clearly understand
the radio frequency behavior of our network deployment site. Considering the fact that the
building is made of concrete, a wireless survey will aid to get rid and avoid interference by any
existing radio sources and blockage caused by physical objects like metal objects, walls,
furniture, beams and even people. A site survey, therefore, will definitely help in determining the
feasibility of installing a wireless network in the building so as to meet our needs and know how
to deploy the network.
To find and recommend ways of avoiding RD barriers. Without a site survey, the network
manager at eHealth will have no idea what kind of interferences will exist and the way the site’s
radio signal will be occasionally changing. Getting a wireless site survey will determine whether

SITE SURVEY TOOLS 10
there is an existence of co-channel blockages and how they are distributed within the buildings.
It will again assist in knowing how to minimize the number of access points needed and
positions to put the access points to ensure the best coverage in the entire building.
To maintain the normal working of Hospital equipment. Any health organization contains
several onsite types of equipment used to treat the sick that largely plays a big part in
interrupting the Radio Frequency waves of a wireless network. Such equipment includes
radiology devices, X-ray machines, cellular phones, Bluetooth devices, walkie-talkie radios,
personal digital assistants and electrocardiogram machines. We must, therefore, perform a deep
site survey so as to identify perfect positions to place our wireless access points. This must be at
very strategic positions since other devices in the medical organization can be interfered by the
wireless network big time.
It has been clearly evident in our assessment that a site survey must be undertaken before
a wireless network is deployed at eHealth. This will greatly help the network manager minimize
the costs of purchasing many wireless access point routers since they will be able to find perfect
areas of installing few access points that will transmit their RF waves to all required positions in
the buildings. A site survey will also assist in knowing the estimated budget needed way before
the network is installed.

SITE SURVEY TOOLS 11
Survey form sample template
Need for a safe working environment. A secure working environment needs to be established for
all users. This will ensure that they remain motivated into working hard to meet the organization’s
values and mission. Users must also be assured of their own physical security and a good enabling
environment also needs to be provided for them so that all their strengths and minds will be
concentrated into producing outcomes for eHealth and not worrying about themselves. “A peaceful
mind is the basic factory for innovation” D H Whittaker.
The Location and objects
Location of obstacle information.
Name of Obstacle:____________________________________
Obstacle number:_________________
Type of obstacle:________________________
Latitude of the site:
In degrees: min: sec
Longitude of site: In degrees: min: sec
Magnetic Variation at the site:_____________________
Height of obstacle:_________________________
ο ` ``
ο ` ``

SITE SURVEY TOOLS 12
Technologies Recommended
IEEE standards: ____________________
Security
Physical Identity Management and Access Control Measures: _____________
WEP/WAP/WPS Security:_____________________
Firewalls:____________
What VPN software:__________________
References:
Aldasouqi, I., & Salameh, W. A. (2014). Using GIS in designing and deploying a wireless
network in city plans. Int. J. Comput. Netw, 6, 66-75.
Ohm, M. A. (2017). Wireless LAN auditing procedure for industrial environments (Master's
thesis, NTNU).
Plets, D., Tanghe, E., Paepens, A., Martens, L., & Joseph, W. (2016, April). WiFi network
planning and intra-network interference issues in large industrial warehouses. In
Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP), 2016 10th European Conference on (pp. 1-5). IEEE.