Wireless Site Survey Recommendations

[tmcd35]

I need to pull together a tender document in September for a new managed wireless solution. I need someone to come in during the summer break, survey our buildings and provide a report/recommendations on access point coverage and layout, details on potential trouble spots, etc. Something I can evaluate the tenders against. Obviously I don't want to use a potential supplier who might be interesting in bidding on the contract. Likewise I don't want to approach a supplier for this work and tell them they won't be asked to submit a tender proposal.

 

So I need an independent contractor who doesn't sell or install wireless solutions but is qualified to do a survey. Does such a person even exist? Anyone have any recommendations or a go-to guy who'll be suitable for this work?

 

Thanks

[RichCowell]

Might be worth asking a supplier/installer, but being clear that it's just the survey, and offering to pay (obviously no one's going to do it for free)... that's what I'd do in that situation anyway...

[tmcd35]

Might be worth asking a supplier/installer, but being clear that it's just the survey, and offering to pay (obviously no one's going to do it for free)... that's what I'd do in that situation anyway...

 

Yeah, the problem is it wouldn't be independent. They'll then be asked to tender for the quote based on that information, and other suppliers will be compared against it. If they then won the tender I think there'd be grounds for other bidders to complain. Not exactly and open transparent process.

 

I could probably evaluate the tenders without it but would prefer a professional eye to have a look over the building and pre-warn me about stuff outside of my expertise.

 

EDIT: I would actually expect any company wanting to submit a tender to do their own surveys. This really is just a basis point for me to compare their work against.

Edited June 25, 2014 by tmcd35

[snagrat]

Each site survey will be different depending on the manufacture of AP you go for. For example Ruckus will give better coverage than Meru.

 

Do you know what vendor you want to go with yet?

[RichCowell]

Just out of interest - and I'm not overly familiar with the tendering/bidding process - but why couldn't they put a quote in and go for the tender?

 

If you tell them straight they're not going to get the work - and that you just need the information, they may do - depends on the company I guess... You could ask them to submit it to you, then you could re-do the quote/proposal without their branding on the school letterheads etc. then just include the proposal & details, without any of the prices...

[tmcd35]

No. The plan is to ask independent retailers/installers to do their own surveys and make recommendations based on their finding and their experience. The problem comes in evaluating the tenders. Comparing a supplier who like Ruckus against a supplier recommending Muru, for instance. I suppose what I'm after is more of a buildings survey than an outright wireless survey.

 

This is going to be around a £35k tender so we are very keen we get the right solution for us, and that it works as expected when installed.

 

I understand the technical difference between Ruckus, Muru, and other managed AP's well enough. It understanding, other than price difference, why one particular solution may be better for our building than another without supplier bias interfering with the decision.

[RichCowell]

I'd agree with @snagrat then - it'd be better to decide which vendor you want to go with, then tell all companies to quote for that - or ask them all to quote for both with advice about which they think would be best, then you can decide afterwards... Edited June 25, 2014 by RichCowell

[snagrat]

You could ask for tenders based on a floor plan with the expectation that the winner does a site survey prior to install.

 

Tenders would have to be estimates but shouldn't differ to much to the final job as most companies should be able to give a good estimate of a floor plan

[tmcd35]

I'd agree with @snagrat then - it'd be better to decide which vendor you want to go with

 

So how do you choose or evaluate vendors? Surely the right vendor would be different for different buildings and then recommendation of vendor should come from the respective suppliers based on the results of a survey not because Marakai are offering more commission this month?

 

You could ask for tenders based on a floor plan with the expectation that the winner does a site survey prior to install.

 

The problem with floor plans is they take no account of building structure.

 

It may be there is no one independent that can do this. If that's the case I'll just have to use my own expertise to evaluate the tenders.

[RichCowell]

The pro's & con's of what they offer... Any decent supplier would press to do their own site survey before giving you a quote - that's definitely what we found when looking at wireless years ago here... they'd need more information about where the busier areas will be etc. and will want to know what your building/walls are like and how well the wireless signal travels through them... e.g. if your school's in an old listed building it's a nightmare and you may need one AP in each room... Not claiming to be an expert on the matter... I think I'd narrow it down to two (e.g. Meru/Ruckus) and ask them to quote for both...

[snagrat]

Test vendor equipment and see which one you like.

 

Different buildings shouldn't require different vendors. They will all work in the same building some my just require more APs to get the same coverage than normal.

 

Yes you are right about the building structure which is why it would be an estimate. If you provide a rough guide to wall structure etc then most can do it from that.

 

You're too far away for me to do it. If we did a survey for you we would have to use APs to do it successfully.Therefore we would use Ruckus APs but what good would that be to you if you didn't want Ruckus.....? The results would be biased.

 

As it's a £35k tender you may get companies willing to do surveys for free with the temptation it's a good bit of profit for them if they win it. Or some might charge you but refund if successful with the tender.

[bossman]

@tmcd35:

 

I am sure LAN3 who are resellers for Aerohive would be interested to come out and survey plus tender, they were very thorough with our buildings as they are old and have very thick walls and steel infrastructure.

 

Our solution has been in place for nearly 2 years and we have not touched it configuration wise.

 

Give them a bell: LAN 3 Network Solutions

[Net-Ctrl]

Hello,

 

i don't know if this will be of use, but thought it was worth contributing.

 

We undertake a vast number of tenders every year, and more often than not we're giving a tender document with a brief, for example the need for site wide coverage, number of users etc.

 

In terms of surveys it is more common for us to be given a particular date/time when we can come onto the site and perform our own active site survey at our own cost, and use this to determine the ap counts etc for our given solution. This is all then submitted to the client at the end where they're able to compare kit lists and surveys across manufacturers and make an informed decision.

 

An experienced wireless supplier/surveyor will be able to tell you on their reports where your potential problem areas will be, and should be able to put forward a solution to counteract these. You could almost use this as a gauge to how good the different suppliers are, based on their ability to spot potential problem areas.

 

Hope this is of some use

[tmcd35]

@Net-Ctrl, for what it's worth your number is still in my address book. You're certainly one of the suppliers we'd be contacting to survey and quote much as you've suggested. It's gauging each suppliers response to different problem areas and differences in vendors recommended that we'd like an independent eye on prior to going out to tender. I'm beginning to think I have to trust my own knowledge of this school and networking in general to fill that role.

[Cablers_JonPaul]

I need to pull together a tender document in September for a new managed wireless solution. I need someone to come in during the summer break, survey our buildings and provide a report/recommendations on access point coverage and layout, details on potential trouble spots, etc. Something I can evaluate the tenders against. Obviously I don't want to use a potential supplier who might be interesting in bidding on the contract. Likewise I don't want to approach a supplier for this work and tell them they won't be asked to submit a tender proposal.

 

So I need an independent contractor who doesn't sell or install wireless solutions but is qualified to do a survey. Does such a person even exist? Anyone have any recommendations or a go-to guy who'll be suitable for this work?

 

Thanks

 

Do you have a list of suppliers in mind? Each wireless solution will require an independent survey to assess AP locations, deal with coverage etc. What may be a problem area for one may not affect another. Please also bear in mind that some wireless network installers are more specialist than others.

 

Why you need a wireless survey before you spend money on a wireless network? | Cablers

 

We are happy to discuss some options with you if you want.

[wifispray]

A really good guide here to read.... http://www.wlanpros.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Seven-Rules-for-Accurate-Site-Surveys1.pdf

 

Should help you understand the process and what you should be getting.

[petertec]

Why don't you just specify an acceptable pervasive db level within the tender and then the emphasis is on the supplier to meet that regardless of the technology they are proposing. Give building plans but make sure that they are aware of any structural concerns/anomalies. Most suppliers will assume a 10/15% contingency for a tender based on predictive surveying and anyone worth their salt will more than likely incorporate a physical survey into their tender response.