How to Activate and Use Ekahau Site Survey for Wi-Fi Network Design and Optimization
How to Activate and Use Ekahau Site Survey for Wi-Fi Network Design and Optimization
Ekahau Site Survey (ESS) is a professional software tool that helps you design, analyze and optimize Wi-Fi networks. With ESS, you can perform passive and active surveys, create heatmaps, generate reports and troubleshoot issues. But before you can use ESS, you need to activate it with a license key and set up the necessary hardware and software components. In this article, we will guide you through the steps of activating and using ESS for Wi-Fi network design and optimization.
What You Need to Activate and Use ESS
To activate and use ESS, you need the following:
- A license key for ESS: This key is needed to activate your Ekahau Account so you can log in to the application. You should have received one in your ESS purchase email. If you don’t have it, contact Ekahau Customer Support.
- An Ekahau Account: This is your online account that allows you to access ESS and other Ekahau products and services. You can create one from the ESS login screen or from the Ekahau website.
- An ESS installation file: This is the file that contains the ESS software. You can download the latest version from the Ekahau downloads page.
- A compatible computer: You need a Windows or Mac computer that meets the minimum system requirements for ESS. You can check them here.
- A Wi-Fi adapter: You need a Wi-Fi adapter that supports monitor mode for passive surveys and throughput mode for active surveys. You can use the onboard Wi-Fi adapter of your computer or an external USB adapter. We recommend using the Ekahau Sidekick, which is a dedicated device that provides accurate and reliable Wi-Fi measurements.
- An Eperf server: This is an optional component that allows you to perform active throughput surveys with ESS. You need to install an Eperf server on another computer or device that is connected to the same Wi-Fi network that you want to measure. You can download the Eperf package from here.
How to Activate ESS
To activate ESS, follow these steps:
- Install the ESS software on your computer by running the installation file that you downloaded.
- Launch ESS from the desktop icon or the installation folder.
- If you are using ESS for the first time, you will see a welcome message that informs you that you need to create an Ekahau Account before proceeding. Click on “Create Account” and follow the instructions. You will need to enter your license key and confirm your email address.
- Once you have created your Ekahau Account, go back to the login screen and enter your email and password.
- You will see a setup screen where you need to give some extra information to configure the application properly. Read the instructions carefully, make the selections and click “Next”.
- You will see the main window of ESS and you are ready to go!
How to Use ESS for Wi-Fi Network Design and Optimization
To use ESS for Wi-Fi network design and optimization, follow these steps:
- Import a floor plan of your site or create one with the built-in map editor.
- Set the scale of your floor plan by measuring a known distance on it.
- Place access points on your floor plan by dragging them from the library or by scanning them with your Wi-Fi adapter.
- Perform a passive survey by walking around your site with your Wi-Fi adapter while clicking on your location on the floor plan. You can use a Sidekick or an external USB adapter for more accurate results.
- Perform an active survey by connecting your Wi-Fi adapter to the Wi-Fi network that you want to measure and selecting “Throughput” as the survey type. You also need to have an Eperf server running on another device on the same network. You can use the onboard Wi-Fi adapter of your computer for this survey.
- Analyze your survey results by viewing different heatmaps, such as signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio, data rate, throughput, etc.
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