I thought I would share my site survey kit with you.
My survey Kit is made up of the following:
- A Power Source:
- AP Stand
- Surface Pro 4 with Ekahau Site Survey software installed
- USB powered USB Hub (as the surface only has single USB port)
- Ekahau Spectrum Analyser
- Fluke Aircheck
- Random UTP and Power Cables
- Camera
- Marking Labels to mark the AP Placements.
- Duct Tape and Cable Ties because they always come in handy.
- Good comfortable pair of shoes
Originally I was utilising a Small UPS and a power cube to power the APs but unfortunately or fortunately depending how you look at it the UPS died, so I needed to find a new power source.
Rather than going out and just purchasing a replacement UPS I decided to look at other options that were out there. I did some research on the web and spoke to fellow Wireless Engineers about their kits and came up with the following options:
- Replace the UPS
- A Terrawave Site Survey Battery Pack (Link Here) – Although I was struggling to find an Australian reseller and shipping from the US was huge.
- Purchase a DC to AC convertor (Like this one)and some Batteries (Like these) to power the power cubes.
- Or follow Scott Stapleton’s idea of using a Lithium Battery Pack and a DC-to-DC POE Injector. Link to Scott’s Blog Here
I weighed up each option and I decided to proceed with Scott’s idea for my personal Survey Kit and then I my convincedthe current company that I was working for to purchase a Terrawave Site Survey Battery Pack for their kit,due to the fact that they didn’t like the idea of having to wire up the DC to DC POE injector.
Here is a Breakdown of the main components of my Wireless Site Survey Kit
The Power Source:
Energizer XP18000A
http://global.energizerpowerpacks.com/energizer/external-batteries/XP18000A
The POE Injector:
18-36VDC IN, 56VDC 802.3AF/AT OUT 35W DCDC (TP-DCDC-2448G-HP) 
http://tycononline.com/TP-DCDC-2448G-HP-18-36VDC-In-56VDC-8023afat-Out-35W-DCDC_p_277.html
For Australian Shoppers:
http://www.budgetpc.com.au/tp-dcdc-2448gd-hp
Power Source Setup and connected to a Cisco AP:
AP STAND (With AP Attached): As I didnt have access to the crossbar to mount the AP off (as someone had used it and not returned it), in a pinch I utilised a paint roller and a few clips. I am currently looking to order the WiFiStand from wifistand.com but waiting for a trip to the US before I purchase it as the shipping to Australia is currenly worth more than the part is.
EKAHAU SITE SURVEY – With Spectrum Analyser:
I utilise a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (Intel i7, 16GB RAM, 256GB HDD) to conduct my onsite surveys utilising Ekahau Site Survey software. I find the Surface is light enough to carry around, and has a reasonable battery life (although I would like it to last a full 8 hours). It is also touch screen with a pen making marking the paths taken easy.
I also have the Ekahau Spectrum Dongle, issue now is I only have a single USB port, so I run a hub powered USB hub to connect multiple USB devices to the Surface.
One of the main reasons I like Ekahau vs using Airmagnet’s Survey software is the ability to conduct a passive and active survey at the same time, and also conduct multiple Spectrum surveys as well, saving me time having to walk the floor multiple times.
FLUKE AIRCHECK:
I carry a Fluke Aircheck with me for spot checking, and also utilising its handy features of find an AP or wireless device.
