[1] The survey usually involves a site visit to test for RF interference, and to identify optimum installation locations for access points.
This requires analysis of building floor plans, inspection of the facility, and use of site survey tools.
As part of the wireless site survey, the effective range boundary is set, which defines the area over which signal levels needed support the intended application.
This involves determining the minimum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) needed to support performance requirements.
[1] Wireless site surveys are typically conducted using computer software that collects and analyses WLAN metrics and/or RF spectrum characteristics.
During an active survey, the wireless adapter is associated with one or several access points to measure round-trip time, throughput rates, packet loss, and retransmissions.
Virtual access points are then placed on the floor plan to estimate expected coverage and adjust their number and location.
Additionally, some survey application allow the user to collect RF spectrum data using portable hardware spectrum analyzers, which is beneficial in case of high RF interference from non-802.11 sources, such as microwave ovens or cordless phones.