CTS 391 – How to Perform an AP-on-a-Stick Survey Effectively

https://youtu.be/gDR38L1sOfQ

An AP-on-a-Stick (APoS) survey is the most reliable way to know how a Wi-Fi design will behave in a difficult environment. You mount a real access point on a tripod, place it where you plan to install it, and measure. It is also the survey type where the most time gets wasted — and almost never on RF.

In this episode we go through how we prepare and run APoS surveys: the conversation with the client, the equipment decisions, the configuration work that belongs in the office, and the way we organise the survey files we bring back.

What we cover

* When an APoS survey is justified, and when a predictive design plus a validation survey is the better answer

* Preparing the work on site with the client: escorts, access, PPE, production constraints, and communicating what our equipment entails

* Choosing the right equipment for the site: stick height, antennas, brackets, PoE batteries

* Why the access points must be configured and tested before leaving the office

* The case for a two-person crew

* Planning the measurements in advance so the on-site day is pure execution

* Using one survey file per variable to compare antennas, locations, heights and power levels

APoS preparation checklist