Ekahau Site Survey Services: Predictive, AP-on-a-Stick, and Sidekick 2 Wireless Survey Methodology

An Ekahau site survey is how you stop guessing about wireless coverage and start designing to numbers. WiFi Hotshots runs a four-stage Ekahau site survey methodology — Discovery, predictive wireless design in Ekahau AI Pro, onsite AP-on-a-Stick survey validation with the Sidekick 2, and post-install validation — against published RF targets: -67 dBm for data, -65 dBm for voice, -75 dBm secondary coverage for RTLS, 25 dB SNR, 15-20% cell overlap, and co-channel interference held at 19 dB or better. Every deliverable is a document an engineer can act on: predictive wireless design report, bill of materials, annotated heatmaps, and an as-built floorplan. Our bench carries Ekahau ECSE and multi-CCIE credentials, with 25 years of enterprise networking leadership behind every wireless engineering engagement. Fixed-fee SOW, vendor-agnostic, minority-owned.

Reviewed by the WiFi Hotshots engineering team — Ekahau ECSE certified, multi-CCIE bench, 25 years in enterprise networking.

Talk to an engineer: sales@wifihotshots.com · (844) 946-8746

When you actually need an Ekahau site survey

Not every wireless project warrants an Ekahau site survey engagement, and we will tell you that directly. A survey is the right investment when the outcome depends on measured RF behavior rather than a catalog-driven AP count. The triggers we see most often:

• New build or tenant fit-out. A predictive wireless design before drywall lets you pull cabling once and land APs where the model says they should go, not where the electrician felt like putting a J-box.
• AP refresh to Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7. Cell sizing changes materially when you add the 6 GHz band, and a Wi-Fi 5 BOM rarely maps one-for-one to a modern Wi-Fi 7 deployment.
• Post-construction changes. Added walls, new racking, a renovated wing, or a warehouse conversion invalidates the original model. Re-validate before users complain.
• Voice or RTLS rollout. Spectralink, Vocera, Ascom, and clinical RTLS platforms fail quietly when coverage is designed to data targets instead of voice targets. A coverage-only design is not a voice design.
• Compliance audits. PCI-DSS 4.0, HIPAA, and CJIS reviews increasingly ask for documented wireless coverage, segmentation, and rogue scanning evidence. A survey produces that evidence.
• Performance complaints you cannot reproduce. Sticky clients, mid-call drops, scanner disassociations — these are RF problems, and RF problems need measurement.

Our four-stage Ekahau site survey methodology

The workflow below is how every WiFi Hotshots wireless site survey runs, regardless of building size or vertical. The stages are sequential; skipping Discovery to get to a heatmap faster is the single most common reason surveys miss.

Stage	Tooling	Primary output	Typical duration (100,000 sq ft)
1. Discovery	Floorplan intake, client fleet inventory, vertical requirements workshop	Requirements document and validated floorplans	3-5 business days
2. Predictive Design	Ekahau AI Pro	Predictive design report, BOM, AP placement drawing	5-8 business days
3. Onsite Validation (APoS)	Ekahau Sidekick 2, tripod-mounted AP	Measured heatmaps, spectrum captures, adjusted BOM	2-3 field days
4. Post-Install Validation	Sidekick 2, Ekahau Cloud	As-built report, RSSI/SNR/data-rate/channel heatmaps	1-2 field days

Stage 1 — Discovery

We do not open Ekahau AI Pro until Discovery is finished. The inputs we collect:

• Floorplans in DWG, PDF, or scaled image. If you do not have them, we coordinate with your facilities team or commission a measured walkthrough.
• Wall and ceiling materials. Drywall, CMU, tilt-up concrete, IT-glass, metal-pan ceilings, and drop ceilings all attenuate differently. A wall drawn as “drywall” when it is actually poured concrete will wreck the model.
• Client fleet inventory. What devices actually associate — laptops, Chromebooks, Zebra TC-series scanners, Spectralink Versity handsets, Vocera badges, Ascom Myco, iPads, IV pumps, biomed telemetry. Design is driven by the weakest required client, not the best.
• Application and use-case inventory. Voice, video conferencing, barcode transactional, SAP/WMS, RTLS, streaming, guest. Each drives different capacity and airtime assumptions.
• Vertical-specific requirements. HIPAA segmentation for clinical-grade healthcare wireless, PCI-DSS scope for casino and gaming floors, forklift-mount scanner coverage in warehouse and 3PL environments, 1:1 Chromebook density for K-12 classrooms.

Stage 2 — Predictive Design in Ekahau AI Pro

With Discovery complete, we build the predictive model in Ekahau AI Pro. Floorplans are scaled to a known reference dimension, wall and attenuation objects are drawn per construction, and APs are placed with vendor-specific models — Cisco Catalyst 9136/9176, Aruba AP-655/AP-735, Juniper Mist AP45/AP64, Ruckus R760/R770 — so the simulation reflects the actual antenna pattern, not a generic omni.

Every predictive design is run against explicit RF targets:

• -67 dBm primary coverage for data across the entire served footprint.
• -65 dBm primary coverage for voice, including elevators, stairwells, restrooms, and med rooms.
• -75 dBm secondary coverage from at least one neighbor AP at every measurement point — required for roaming and for three-AP trilateration in RTLS.
• 25 dB SNR minimum for data, 30 dB preferred for sustained high MCS; 25 dB absolute floor for voice.
• 15-20% cell overlap at the -67 dBm contour for data; 20-25% for voice-grade roaming so the handset sees two APs at -67 dBm or better.
• Co-channel interference ≥ 19 dB between serving AP and next co-channel AP (20 dB for voice), or co-channel absolute at -85 dBm or weaker.
• Airtime utilization ≤ 30% modeled per BSS at design load.

The predictive design output is a scaled AP placement drawing with mount type (ceiling, wall, aisle T-bar, pendant), antenna selection (internal vs directional/patch for high-bay), cabling run count, and a modeled heatmap for RSSI, SNR, and channel plan across 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz.

Stage 3 — Onsite Validation (AP-on-a-Stick)

Predictive models are only as good as the assumptions behind them. Before we commit to a final BOM, we validate in the physical space with an AP-on-a-Stick (APoS) survey. A live AP is mounted on a pole or tripod at the modeled height and location. We then walk the space with an Ekahau Sidekick 2 — dual Wi-Fi 6E radios, integrated spectrum analyzer, GPS, directional antenna, battery-powered — capturing real propagation on every floor, every hallway, every elevator shaft, every stairwell.

The Sidekick 2 scans 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz simultaneously and runs spectrum capture concurrently, so we see non-802.11 interferers (microwave leakage, video senders, DECT, Bluetooth density, hospital telemetry) alongside the 802.11 picture. The measured heatmap is then compared against the predictive model. Where they diverge — a corridor that looked open in the drawing but turns out to be chain-linked electrical panels, a bathroom with lead-backed glass — we adjust the design before a single cable is pulled.

Stage 4 — Post-Install Validation

After installation, we return to the site and walk every hallway, room, elevator, and stairwell with the Sidekick 2. The post-install validation produces a full heatmap set:

• RSSI per band
• SNR per band
• Negotiated data rate across the footprint
• Channel plan with co-channel contention visualization
• Secondary AP coverage to confirm roaming and RTLS triangulation
• Spectrum capture identifying post-install interference sources

The deliverable is an as-built validation report documenting where the network meets the design targets and, where any gap exists, exactly what the remediation path looks like. This is the document your auditor, your vendor-management team, or your incoming CIO will want to see.

Tools we use

Ekahau AI Pro is the industry-standard platform for predictive wireless design and survey analysis. Our engineers hold the Ekahau ECSE certification (both Design and Troubleshooting tracks on portions of the bench), which is the credentialed training program built around the tool.

Ekahau Sidekick 2 is the companion measurement instrument that powers every WiFi Hotshots Sidekick 2 survey: dual Wi-Fi 6E radios for full concurrent scanning of 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz, an integrated spectrum analyzer for non-802.11 interference, directional antenna for AP-identification, GPS for outdoor and large-footprint indoor surveys, and a battery pack sized for full-day walks. A Sidekick 2 survey captures RSSI, SNR, channel, data rate, and spectrum in a single walk, and the data flows directly to Ekahau AI Pro with no manual correlation.

Ekahau Cloud syncs projects across the team so two engineers can split a 500,000 sq ft warehouse between them and converge the project file without re-import gymnastics. It also gives your in-house team visibility into the project during the engagement if you want it.

We are vendor-agnostic on the hardware we design around — Cisco Catalyst 9800 controllers and 9100/9170-series APs, Aruba Central with 600/700-series APs, Juniper Mist with AP45/AP64, Ruckus RUCKUS One, Extreme Cloud IQ, and Cambium for outdoor and point-to-point — so the Ekahau model reflects your actual or intended platform, not ours.

Deliverables you get

Deliverable	Format	What it contains
Predictive Design Report	PDF, ~30-60 pages	Requirements summary, RF targets, modeled heatmaps per band, channel plan, capacity model, assumptions and limitations
Bill of Materials (BOM)	XLSX	AP count by model, mount hardware, antenna selection, cabling run counts, PoE budget (802.3at vs 802.3bt), switch port demand
AP Placement Drawing	DWG or PDF overlay on floorplan	Scaled AP locations, mount type, cable pull reference for the structured cabling contractor
Onsite Validation Report	PDF + .esx project file	Measured heatmaps, spectrum captures, predictive-vs-measured delta, any design adjustments
Post-Install Validation Report	PDF + .esx project file	RSSI, SNR, data-rate, channel, secondary-coverage heatmaps; pass/fail against targets; remediation list if any
As-Built Floorplan	DWG or PDF	Installed AP positions with BSSID mapping, channel assignment, final configuration reference

Predictive vs Passive Wireless Survey vs Active vs AP-on-a-Stick Survey

These Ekahau site survey types are often used interchangeably in RFPs, which is how clients end up with the wrong deliverable. Plain English:

• Predictive wireless design — the RF model built in Ekahau AI Pro from floorplans, wall materials, and AP models. No measurement yet. Right answer for: pre-construction design, budgetary BOM, and sizing conversations. Wrong answer when treated as a final deliverable.
• Passive wireless survey — a walked measurement of APs already in the air, listening only. A passive wireless survey is the right answer for post-install validation, troubleshooting existing networks, and documenting what is actually broadcasting today. Wrong answer for greenfield where no APs exist yet.
• Active survey — the Sidekick 2 associates to an SSID and measures throughput, retry rate, and roaming behavior in addition to RSSI/SNR. Right answer for: validating application-layer behavior (voice, scanner, WMS) and confirming roam timing.
• AP-on-a-Stick survey (APoS) — a live AP is temporarily placed at the modeled location and surveyed passively and actively to validate the predictive model against measured propagation before ordering hardware. An AP-on-a-Stick survey is the right answer for unusual construction (historic buildings, lead-shielded imaging rooms, refrigerated warehouse), risky predictive assumptions, or spaces where the BOM cost justifies the measurement effort.

On most engagements we use them in combination: predictive wireless design for the initial model, an AP-on-a-Stick survey for any space with uncertain propagation, an active survey for voice and scanner environments, and a passive wireless survey for the final post-install validation.

Vertical-Specific Ekahau Site Survey Considerations

The RF targets above are industry baselines. What changes by vertical is the weighting and the secondary requirements:

• Healthcare. Voice-grade -65 dBm across the clinical footprint including bathrooms and stairwells, 20% cell overlap for Spectralink/Vocera/Ascom handset roaming, perimeter AP placement for 3-to-5 meter RTLS asset accuracy, HIPAA-driven SSID/VLAN segmentation, 2.4 GHz retention on a subset of APs for legacy biomed telemetry. See our healthcare wireless engineering page for the full clinical build-out.
• Warehouse and 3PL. Scanner coverage at -65 to -67 dBm along every aisle, dock door, and shipping office; AP-per-aisle density in narrow-aisle racking because dense metal and liquid attenuate 5 GHz severely; 802.11r fast-roam to keep SAP and WMS sessions alive under 50 ms transitions. Detail on the warehouse and 3PL wireless page.
• Casino and gaming. High-density seat-bowl math for the gaming floor, strict PCI-DSS 4.0 segmentation between POS/CHD-bearing segments and guest, surveillance on its own physical or logical infrastructure per gaming commission rules. Covered on the casino and gaming wireless page.
• K-12 education. One AP per classroom baseline, design to the weakest Chromebook in the fleet, capacity modeled for state testing weeks (peak concurrent load, not average), E-rate Category 2 BOM constraints. Covered on the K-12 classroom wireless page.

Engagement: fixed-fee SOW, timeline, and what we need from you

Every Ekahau site survey is quoted as a fixed-fee SOW. No hourly creep, no surprise change orders for walking a wing twice. The Ekahau site survey SOW names the footprint in square feet, the floor count, the deliverable set, and the number of field days budgeted for APoS and post-install validation.

Typical timeline for a single-site engagement of 100,000 sq ft:

• Week 1: Discovery kickoff, floorplan intake, fleet and application inventory
• Week 2: Predictive design in Ekahau AI Pro, BOM issued for review
• Week 3: Onsite APoS validation (2-3 field days), adjusted BOM finalized
• Post-installation: post-install validation on the scheduled install-completion date, as-built report within 5 business days

What we need from you to start an Ekahau site survey: current floorplans (DWG or scaled PDF), a contact for facilities coordination, a list of required client devices, and a point of contact for the SSID and security model. If you are anywhere in our footprint — Los Angeles, Santa Clarita, the San Fernando Valley, the Antelope Valley, the Inland Empire, Orange County, San Diego, Palm Desert and the Coachella Valley, or Bakersfield — our engineers drive. Outside Southern California we travel; nationwide rollouts are a routine part of our business.

Ready to scope a survey? Send us the floorplans or email sales@wifihotshots.com. More on the engineering team is on our about page.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an Ekahau site survey cost?

Fixed-fee, and driven by square footage, floor count, and which stages you need. A predictive-only design for a 50,000 sq ft single-story space is typically in the low five figures; a full four-stage engagement (Discovery, predictive, APoS, post-install) on a 250,000 sq ft multi-floor facility scales from there based on field days and deliverable depth. We quote every survey as a fixed-fee SOW — no hourly creep — so the number you see is the number you pay. Email sales@wifihotshots.com with footprint and scope and you will have a quote inside two business days.

How long does a wireless site survey take?

For a typical 100,000 sq ft single-site engagement, plan on three weeks end-to-end for Discovery through onsite APoS validation, plus one to two additional field days for post-install validation after the install is complete. Discovery takes 3-5 business days, predictive design in Ekahau AI Pro takes 5-8 business days, APoS validation runs 2-3 field days, and the post-install walk is 1-2 field days depending on floor count. Larger footprints (500,000+ sq ft) and multi-site rollouts scale linearly and often run multiple engineers in parallel using Ekahau Cloud.

What is the difference between predictive and passive surveys?

A predictive survey is a model built in Ekahau AI Pro from floorplans, wall materials, and AP models — no measurement yet. A passive survey is a walked measurement of APs already broadcasting, where the Sidekick listens only and records RSSI, SNR, channel, and data rate. Predictive answers “what should we buy and where should it go.” Passive answers “what is the network actually doing right now.” On most engagements we use predictive for the initial design, AP-on-a-Stick to validate the model, and passive for post-install validation. One without the others is an incomplete methodology.

Do I need a survey for a 50,000 sq ft warehouse?

Yes, and especially for warehouse. Racking attenuates 5 GHz severely, metal and liquid inventory distort propagation, and forklift-mount scanners (Zebra, Honeywell) roam aggressively and drop sessions at roam events over 100 ms. A coverage-only design modeled on floorplan alone almost always underestimates AP count for narrow-aisle racking. Our warehouse surveys use APoS validation in representative aisles because the rack profile changes what the BOM looks like. Any warehouse with WMS, SAP telnet clients, or scanner-driven pick workflows pays back the survey in avoided re-work on the first missed install.

What does Ekahau ECSE certification mean?

ECSE stands for Ekahau Certified Survey Engineer. It is the credentialed training program built around the Ekahau AI Pro platform and Sidekick hardware, covering predictive design, onsite survey methodology, validation, and troubleshooting. The program has Design and Troubleshooting tracks, and ECSE-certified engineers have demonstrated competence on tool operation, survey workflow, and deliverable quality. Every WiFi Hotshots site survey is run by an ECSE-certified engineer, not handed off to a junior after the kickoff call.

Will you survey with Wi-Fi 7 hardware?

Yes. The Ekahau Sidekick 2 has dual Wi-Fi 6E radios and scans 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz simultaneously, which covers the channels a Wi-Fi 7 deployment uses. For AP-on-a-Stick validation we mount the live Wi-Fi 7 AP model you plan to deploy (Cisco 9178, Aruba 730-series, Juniper AP64, Ruckus R770) so the measured propagation reflects actual vendor hardware, not a generic simulation. If you are migrating from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 7, the cell-sizing math changes enough that a fresh survey is cheaper than assuming a one-for-one AP swap will work.

Can you do surveys outside Southern California?

Yes. Our base is Valencia, California, and our engineers cover Southern California without travel charges — Los Angeles, Santa Clarita, the San Fernando Valley, Antelope Valley, Inland Empire, Orange County, San Diego, Palm Desert, and Bakersfield. For engagements outside that footprint we travel, and multi-site national rollouts are a routine part of our business. For rollouts spanning dozens or hundreds of sites, we use Ekahau Cloud to parallelize across engineers and normalize deliverables so every site report matches the same standard.

What deliverables do I actually get?

Every engagement produces: a predictive design report (30-60 page PDF with requirements, RF targets, heatmaps, channel plan, and capacity model), a bill of materials in XLSX (APs, mounts, antennas, cabling runs, PoE budget, switch port demand), a scaled AP placement drawing (DWG or PDF overlay for the structured cabling contractor), an onsite APoS validation report, a post-install validation report with full heatmap set (RSSI, SNR, data rate, channel, secondary coverage), and an as-built floorplan with BSSID and channel mapping. You also receive the raw .esx Ekahau project file so your in-house team can reopen it later.

Do you do surveys on weekends to avoid business hours?

Yes, routinely. Hospitals run surveys at night and on weekends to avoid patient-care disruption, retailers survey before open or after close, warehouses survey during shift gaps, and schools survey during breaks. We scope after-hours field time into the SOW when you need it — no separate surcharge negotiation after the fact. For 24/7 environments (healthcare, gaming, national distribution centers) we coordinate with your operations lead on wing-by-wing or aisle-by-aisle windows so the facility keeps running.

Can we do an AP-on-a-Stick survey before we buy APs?

Yes, and this is one of the best uses of APoS. We bring loaner APs in the vendor and model you are considering (Cisco, Aruba, Juniper Mist, Ruckus) and validate the predictive design in the physical space before you commit to the BOM. This is particularly valuable in unusual construction — historic buildings, lead-shielded imaging rooms, refrigerated warehouse, tilt-up concrete with unknown rebar density — where predictive assumptions carry real risk. The APoS stage turns a BOM-shaped guess into a measured commitment.

Ready to start? Email sales@wifihotshots.com or call (844) 946-8746. WiFi Hotshots is the trade name of LA Wireless LLC — minority-owned, vendor-agnostic, fixed-fee SOW, Ekahau ECSE certified, multi-CCIE bench, 25 years in enterprise networking.