On-site walk and heat map
An on-site walk of each floor, turned into a heat map that shows where signal is strong, weak or missing.
Wi-Fi Consulting
Wi-Fi site survey and wireless network design
Coverage, capacity and channel plans for offices, warehouses and high-density rooms, designed around the switches and firewall that feed them. On site in San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento.
Survey Types
Predictive vs on-site Wi-Fi surveys: what each one measures.
There are three kinds of wireless site survey: predictive, passive and active. They answer different questions.
| Survey type | What it measures | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Predictive | A software model built from floor plans, wall materials and known interference sources. It takes no field measurements. | Early planning for a new space, to estimate access point count before anything is mounted. |
| Passive (on site) | A listen-only walk: signal from detectable access points and neighboring Wi-Fi networks. The survey device never joins your network. | Existing Wi-Fi with dead zones, or a check for rogue and neighboring access points. |
| Active (on site) | A walk connected to your access points, measuring the connected survey client's data rates and retransmissions, not just range. | High-density rooms and new deployments. |
A model cannot see what a building actually does to the signal; a walk can. Every assessment already reads your access points from the controller, and the survey walks the floors where coverage is the complaint.
What You Get
What a wireless site survey delivers.
Added to a Network Risk Assessment, the survey is an on-site walk of each floor, turned into a heat map.
Coverage plan and access point placement
A coverage plan for the gaps: where each access point goes, how it is mounted, and which existing ones move, with notes on ceiling height, walls and racking.
Channel and power plan
Set per band. In the U.S., 2.4 GHz has only three non-overlapping channels: 1, 6 and 11. Where density is high, we plan 20 MHz channels and check channel and power settings against the survey data instead of leaving them on automatic. Dual-band access points often need different power per radio so both bands cover the same area.
Capacity from user and device counts
Peak users and devices in each area set the access point count, not floor area alone. Cisco Meraki's high-density guidance plans around 25 clients per radio, or 50 per access point, with at least 25 dB signal-to-noise ratio across the coverage area. We use figures like these as a planning method and check them on the walk.
PoE and switch-uplink impact
An access point's power source decides what it can do. Fortinet's FortiAP 231K runs two spatial streams (2x2 MIMO) at full power on 802.3at PoE and drops to one stream (1x1) on 802.3af. The FortiAP 441K needs 802.3bt, or two 802.3at feeds, for full mode and has two multigigabit ports up to 10G. The plan checks your switch's PoE budget and uplink speeds before anything is ordered.
Guest, staff and IoT segmentation
Separate SSIDs and VLANs for guests, staff and devices such as cameras, printers and scanners, so guest Wi-Fi never shares a segment with your file server.
Validation after install
A second walk once the access points are in, measured against the plan. The survey documentation is the guide for verifying the network after installation.
When You Need One
When a Wi-Fi survey is worth doing.
Dead zones and dropped calls
Find the cause first. RF coverage, configuration and upstream connectivity, including the switch behind the access points, are checked before any additional hardware is recommended.
A new office or build-out
Plan access point locations, power and switch ports before the ceilings close, so placement follows coverage and capacity, not where cabling was already pulled. Cabling stays with your licensed low-voltage contractor.
An access point refresh
Several Wi-Fi 7 FortiAP models, such as the 231K and 441K, add 6 GHz to 2.4 and 5 GHz; others, such as the 221K, are dual-band. A placement plan drawn for the old radios should be checked before a one-for-one swap.
High-density rooms
Conference rooms, training rooms and open floors where dozens of devices connect at once. An active survey matters most here, because it measures data rates, not just range.
Warehouses
Racking, high ceilings and metal shelving change where access points can be mounted and how signal reaches each aisle where scanners and handhelds work.
Platforms
Vendor-neutral design for the access points you run.
Your existing access points are surveyed and planned as they are.
Fortinet FortiAP
We supply FortiAP as a Fortinet partner, quoted by exact part number. FortiAPs are managed from the FortiGate as the wireless controller, or from Fortinet's cloud management service.
Cisco and Cisco Meraki
Cisco wireless and Meraki MR access points are surveyed and tuned where they are. Meraki MR access points can also stay in place behind a FortiGate.
Aruba
Aruba wireless is planned with the same method: controller data first, then the walk.
Choosing a new wireless platform instead? Comparing vendors is a network architecture review, scored on criteria you approve. To have access point health, client counts and channel settings watched after the survey, see network monitoring.
Pricing
Wireless site survey cost.
Added to a Network Risk Assessment: wireless survey (an on-site walk of each floor, turned into a heat map), $1,500 per floor, up to 15 access points per floor; each floor of a multi-floor building or warehouse is priced the same way. A standalone Wi-Fi design, a new-build plan, install support, a post-install validation visit, or a floor with more than 15 access points is quoted after scoping, because it depends on floor area, wall construction, access point count and user density. Assessment tiers and add-ons are on the assessment pricing page. For the assessment add-on, travel within Sacramento and the Bay Area is included.
How It Runs
From floor plan to validated coverage.
One senior network engineer is your point of contact from the first walk through the validation survey. Added to an assessment, the survey covers steps 1 and 2, and the heat map goes in the assessment report.
1. Scoping call
Floor plans, users and devices in each area, and the applications that matter, such as voice calls or handheld scanners.
2. Survey walk
Each floor walked with the controller data in hand: signal, interference and neighboring networks.
3. Written plan
Access point placement, channel and power plan, PoE and switch-port needs, SSIDs and VLANs.
4. Install support
Access points and controller configured to the plan.
5. Validation walk
A walk after install, measured against the plan, with the results written up.
FAQ
Wi-Fi site survey questions.
What is the difference between a predictive and an on-site Wi-Fi survey?
A predictive survey is a software model built from floor plans, wall materials and known interference sources; it takes no field measurements. An on-site survey walks the space: a passive survey listens to detectable access points and neighboring Wi-Fi networks, and an active survey connects to your network and measures the connected survey client's data rates and retransmissions. A predictive model plus a walk after install is vendor-recommended best practice.
What does a Wi-Fi site survey include?
Added to a Network Risk Assessment, it is an on-site walk of each floor, turned into a heat map. Separately scoped design work adds a coverage plan, access point placement and mounting notes, a channel and transmit-power plan per band, capacity planned from user and device counts, the PoE and switch-uplink needs of the access points, guest, staff and IoT segmentation, and a validation visit after install.
How much does a wireless site survey cost?
Added to a Network Risk Assessment, a wireless survey (an on-site walk of each floor, turned into a heat map) is $1,500 per floor, up to 15 access points per floor, including each floor of a multi-floor building or warehouse.
Do we have to replace our access points?
No. Your existing access points are surveyed and planned as they are. If a model cannot support the plan, for example because it is past end of support, the report says so, and replacement is a recommendation, not a requirement.
How many access points do we need?
It depends on floor area, wall construction, and how many users and devices connect in each area at peak; square footage alone undercounts busy rooms. The survey walk checks the planning count against the building.
Can you check Wi-Fi after a new install?
Yes. A validation visit after install measures coverage, neighboring networks and access point placement against the plan, and the written results show what to adjust.
Which areas do you cover on site?
On site in Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area and San Jose. Planning from your controller data and floor plans is also done remotely across California.
Does a survey cover PoE and switch uplinks?
The written design plan does. It lists the PoE standard each access point needs (802.3af, 802.3at or 802.3bt), checks it against the switch's PoE budget, and checks whether the uplink ports suit multigigabit access points. On some Wi-Fi 7 models, too little PoE means fewer active radios or lower transmit power.
Sources
Checked against vendor documentation.
Last reviewed . Vendor guidance changes; confirm against the linked pages before you decide.
- Cisco: Site survey guidelines for WLAN deployment (passive, active and predictive surveys; post-install verification)
- Cisco Meraki: Channel planning best practices (predictive and post-deployment surveys, channels 1, 6 and 11, per-radio power)
- Cisco Meraki: High-density Wi-Fi deployments (clients per radio, SNR, 20 MHz channels, active surveys)
- Fortinet: FortiAP series datasheet (management options, PoE modes, multigigabit ports)
Fortinet, FortiGate and FortiAP are trademarks of Fortinet, Inc. Other vendor names are trademarks of their respective owners, used to identify the products discussed. Ambio Edge Networks is an independent Fortinet partner and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any other vendor named here.
Plan Your Wi-Fi
Send a floor plan and where coverage fails.
Tell us the number of floors, the access points and controller you run today, and how many users and devices each area holds. We reply with a survey scope, or a recommendation to start with a Network Risk Assessment.
Fortinet Engage Advocate Partner · Cisco, Fortinet and CompTIA certified
What Happens Next
Response from a senior engineer within 1 business day.
A direct conversation — no sales team, no runaround.
An honest assessment of whether we are the right fit.
Clear next steps if we are — no pressure if we are not.