ce. The objective of the site survey is to gather enough information to plan the number and location of access points to provide the required coverage, in terms of achieving a minimum required data rate over the operating area. Chapter Seven There are two types of site survey that can be performed - a noise and interference survey and a propagation and signal strength survey. Noise and Interference Survey This survey looks specifically for the presence of radio interference coming from other sources, such as nearby networks, military installations, etc., that could degrade WLAN performance. The main aspects of this type of survey are described below in Table 7-7. Propagation and Signal Strength Survey A well executed propagation and signal strength survey will help to ensure that network resources are correctly located SO that the planned network will not suffer from coverage holes, resulting in areas of poor network performance, and will also ensure that network capacity is properly planned. The main aspects of this type of survey are described below in Table 7-8. Table 7-7: Noise and Interference Survey Survey aspect Description Objective Assess the noise floor (RF power per unit of bandwidth, dBm/MHz) across the intended bandwidth to be used by the WLAN. Identify the distribution of RF energy within the bandwidth (frequency, continuous or sporadic, peak and average power levels). Equipment used Stand-alone RF spectrum analyser or PC equipped with a wireless interface card and spectrum analysis software. Survey Site walk-through test prior to access point placement. technique Extended point measurements should be made at selected locations to identify any intermittent interference sources. Application of Noise floor measurements will be used in the link budget survey results calculation to assess the effective range of an RF link given the hardware specifications (transmit power, receiver sensitivity, antenna gains). Interference results will indicate any limitations on bandwidth usage, such as channels that sh