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In addition to the surveys based on actual on-site measurements,
TamoGraph can be used for planning WLANs that have not been
deployed yet. This type of planning is called "predictive" or
"virtual," because Wi-Fi characteristics are predicted for the
virtual environment model created by the user. The process of
creating and adjusting the virtual environment, selection and
placement of simulated APs, and analysis of the resulting WLAN is
commonly referred to as "RF planning" ("RF" stands for Radio
Frequency).
To create a predictive RF model, you need to:
-
Create a new project with the help of the Project Wizard.
-
Calibrate the floor
plan or site map.
-
Configure the
survey options and WLAN requirements.
-
Create a model of the environment. This includes placing walls and
other obstructions on the floor plan, as well as placing APs and
editing their properties.
To create a virtual model of the environment, the user needs to
“tell” the application about the position, size, and type of the
physical objects that affect radio wave propagation. Typically,
walls and other obstructions, such elevator shafts, are already
shown on floor plans; however, these are merely lines and dots that
are meaningless to the application. The user has to draw such
physical objects on top of the floor plan and define their
characteristics.
To start creating a virtual model, press the
RF Planner
button on the tool bar. This will show an additional tool bar with
a few drawing tools. It is recommended to begin by drawing walls.
Once the walls have been drawn, you can place APs on the floor
plan, decide how many APs you need to provide adequate coverage,
select the best positions for the APs, and configure their
parameters (channel numbers, rates, antennas, etc.)
Once you have completed this process, you can
analyze
data
as you normally do after a passive survey. If you are a novice in
WLAN design, we also suggest that you read about
Best
Practices, Tips, and Tricks
at the end of this chapter.
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