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There are three types of surveys that you can conduct in
TamoGraph:
passive,
active,
and
predictive
(the latter is technically not a survey; rather, it’s virtual
modeling).
During a
passive survey,
the application collects the most comprehensive data on the RF
environment: information on access points and their
characteristics, signal strength, noise level, interference, etc.
This is the default and most important survey type that we
recommend to conduct for every project. If you need more insight
into the real-world performance of your WLAN, TamoGraph can also
perform an
active survey.
During active surveys your Wi-Fi adapter connects to the wireless
network(s) of your choice and the application generates network
traffic to measure actual throughput rates and a few other metrics.
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 is called “RF
predictive modeling”
or “RF
planning”,
because Wi-Fi characteristics are predicted for the virtual
environment model created by the user. The virtual model includes
walls and other obstructions, as well as virtual APs placed by the
user. In other words, it is a computer simulation. No on-site
measurements are conducted.
The table below summarizes the distinctions between the survey
types. Please read this information carefully to make sure you
fully understand which survey type you need.
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Passive Surveys
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Active Surveys
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Predictive Modeling
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When
to conduct
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Highly recommended at all times. The most comprehensive survey type
that covers the most important WLAN characteristics and
metrics.
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Optional. Conduct when measurement of real-world performance
characteristics of your WLAN is required.
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Optional. Conduct before deployment to plan your WLAN and simulate
its characteristics.
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Hardware requirements
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On Windows, a compatible wireless adapter is required. For the
up-to-date list of compatible adapters, please visit our
Web site.
On macOS, no specific adapter is required; the application will
work with the built-in adapter of your MacBook.
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On Windows, virtually any modern wireless adapter with the latest
drivers supplied by the adapter vendor will work. On macOS, no
specific adapter is required; the application will work with the
built-in adapter of your MacBook.
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A fast multi-core CPU. Intel i7 is highly recommended. No wireless
adapter is required.
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Additional software configuration requirements
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None
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You must create a Windows profile for the WLAN you plan to test. On
macOS, the WLAN you plan to test must be listed under Preferred
Networks. If you plan to measure TCP and/or UDP throughput, you
must also run the throughput server utility on the wired side of
your WLAN.
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None
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How data is collected
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The application passively listens for packets and does not attempt
to connect to WLANs.
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The application connects your Wi-Fi adapter to the wireless
network(s) of your choice to measure actual throughput rates and a
few other metrics.
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No on-site data collection is performed. Data is simulated based on
the virtual environment that you created.
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Available visualizations
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Signal Level
Signal-to-Noise Ratio
Signal-to-Interference Ratio
AP Coverage Areas
Number of APs
Expected PHY Rate
Frame Format
Channel Bandwidth
Requirements
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Actual PHY Rate
TCP Upstream Rate
*
TCP Downstream Rate
*
UDP Upstream Rate
*
UDP Downstream Rate
*
UDP Upstream Loss
*
UDP Downstream Loss
*
Round-trip Time
Associated AP
Requirements
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Same as for passive surveys
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List of APs and their characteristics is available
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Yes
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No
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Yes
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Surveys can be conducted simultaneously
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On Windows – yes. You can conduct a simultaneous Active + Passive
survey if your computer is equipped with two different Wi-Fi
adapters. One of them must be compatible with passive surveys; for
the up-to-date list of compatible adapters, please visit our
Web site.
On macOS – no.
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Not applicable
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*
When using advanced mode with a throughput server utility
connection. See
Survey
Type Selection
for more info.
As mentioned above, some additional software configuration is
required when performing an active survey. The next chapter
provides detailed information on how to configure TamoGraph for an
active survey.
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