Ekahau Wi-Fi RF Planning and Site Survey Tool

5-day training event
6100-3201

This Ekahau WiFi RF Planning and Site Survey Tool training course provides hands‑on instruction for network engineers and IT professionals on designing, deploying, and validating high‑performance wireless LANs using Ekahau Pro and Ekahau Sidekick. Participants learn RF fundamentals, spectrum analysis, predictive planning, heat‑map creation, capacity planning, channel and power optimization, and practical site survey techniques for enterprise, healthcare, education, and industrial environments. The course covers real‑world workflows including conducting active and passive surveys, troubleshooting interference, generating professional reports, and interpreting performance metrics to meet coverage, capacity, and roaming requirements. Attendees leave with the skills to produce accurate predictive models, perform efficient on‑site validation, and apply best practices for ongoing Wi‑Fi optimization and documentation.

Target audience:

• Wireless network engineers and technicians

• IT professionals responsible for Wi‑Fi design, deployment, and optimization

• Consultants and integrators performing site surveys and RF planning

• Students preparing for Ekahau certifications or vendor-neutral Wi‑Fi exams

Prerequisites:

• Basic networking knowledge (TCP/IP, VLANs, SSIDs)

• Familiarity with 802.11 fundamentals (channels, bands, modulation)

• Laptop with Ekahau Pro installed (or access to training lab)

• Optional: experience with enterprise Wi‑Fi hardware

Course Outlines

Introduction to Ekahau and Course Objectives

• Course goals, syllabus, and lab environment overview

• Ekahau product family: Ekahau Pro, Sidekick, Capture, Cloud, and Connect

• Licensing, system requirements, and software installation checklist

• Safety and on-site survey considerations

  Wi‑Fi RF Fundamentals Review

• 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz vs 6 GHz characteristics and trade-offs

• Channel planning, co‑channel vs adjacent channel interference

• RF propagation basics: path loss, reflection, diffraction, absorption

• Antenna types, patterns, gain, and mounting considerations

• Impact of materials and building construction on RF

  Ekahau Pro User Interface and Project Setup

• Creating projects, floor plans, and multi-floor sites

• Importing and calibrating floor plans, scale, orientation

• Setting up building materials and assigning material attenuation values

• Defining networks, SSIDs, security types, and client profiles

• Using project notes and survey metadata

  Predictive RF Planning and Heatmap Modeling

• Placing access points and using AP templates (vendor models)

• Automated vs manual AP placement strategies

• Running predictive coverage, throughput, and interference heatmaps

• Capacity planning: device density, throughput targets, SNR and MCS expectations

• Evaluating predictive results and iterating AP placement

• Ekahau Sidekick and Survey Hardware

• Ekahau Sidekick capabilities and usage best practices

• Other supported survey adapters and mobile devices

• Survey equipment setup, calibration, and verification

• Conducting spectrum scans with Sidekick or external analysers

• Managing survey hardware firmware and drivers

  Active and Passive Site Surveys

• Passive vs active vs combined surveys: when to use each

• Performing walking surveys: speed, path planning, and sample density

• Tagging measurement points, creating manual reference points

• Using directional antenna measurements when required

• Best practices for survey data quality and repeatability

  Spectrum Analysis and Interference Troubleshooting

• Interpreting spectrum view and waterfall displays

• Identifying non‑Wi‑Fi interferers and their signatures

• Correlating spectrum data with Wi‑Fi performance issues

• Using spectrum scan logs to recommend mitigation (channel change, shielding)

• Practical exercises: detect and mitigate interference scenarios

  Post‑Survey Analysis and Validation

• Processing survey data and fixing alignment/calibration errors

• Creating coverage, SNR, throughput, and roaming heatmaps from survey data

• Validating predictive models against survey results

• Identifying dead zones, coverage holes, and capacity shortfalls

• Documenting findings and actionable remediation steps

  Advanced Design Considerations

• Designing for voice, video, and high‑density use cases

• Roaming and handoff considerations, 802.11r/k/v basics

• MIMO, spatial streams, and antenna diversity effects in modeling

• Planning for outdoor, mixed‑use, and industrial environments

• Redundancy, channel reuse, and power planning best practices

  Troubleshooting Workflows and Real‑World Scenarios

• Systematic troubleshooting methodology using Ekahau outputs

• Case studies: poor throughput, intermittent connectivity, roaming failures

• Combining Ekahau data with controller/AP logs and client diagnostics

• Rapid field triage: pass/fail checks and quick fixes

• Creating prioritized remediation plans

  Reporting and Deliverables

• Building professional survey reports and executive summaries

• Customizing report content: maps, heatmaps, survey metrics, and recommendations

• Export formats: PDF, CSV, images, project backups

• Presenting findings to technical and non‑technical stakeholders

• Handoff materials for installation teams (AP placement maps, cabling notes)