Wi-Fi & Wireless Solutions in Rwanda

What is a Wi-Fi site survey, and who needs it

A site survey measures signal strength and interference throughout a space, then uses the measurements to plan where access points go, which channels they use and how much capacity each area needs. Concrete, masonry, metal and glass absorb or reflect signal very differently: a solid concrete wall or a steel-framed partition attenuates signal far more than plasterboard, and buildings that mix materials behave unpredictably until measured. A survey is the difference between Wi-Fi that works in every room and a hopeful guess.

The problem it solves

Wi-Fi installed without a survey usually suffers from two problems at once: dead zones where there’s no usable signal, and congestion where too many devices crowd one access point. Both come from the same cause, placement based on convenience rather than measurement. A survey-based design fixes both by matching access point density and placement to building materials and real usage, including meeting rooms, classrooms and areas where many people gather.

Coverage, capacity and roaming

Three design goals have to be balanced, and they pull in different directions.

Coverage means usable signal everywhere it’s needed, including stairwells, corners and outdoor areas.

Capacity means enough airtime for everyone at once. Each access point shares its capacity among all connected devices, so a busy room needs more access points running at lower power, not one powerful unit shouting across the floor. The 5 GHz band offers far more channels and capacity than 2.4 GHz, so modern designs steer capable devices onto 5 GHz and keep 2.4 GHz for older devices.

Channel planning stops access points interfering with each other. In the 2.4 GHz band only channels 1, 6 and 11 don’t overlap, so neighbouring access points are given different channels in a repeating pattern, and channel widths are kept narrow where space is tight.

Roaming lets a phone or laptop move from one access point to the next during a call without dropping. It depends on enough overlap between cells and on access points managed as one system.

What the work involves

1. Requirements. We note where people work, how many devices they use, what applications matter (video calls, point-of-sale, cameras) and any event spaces.
2. Pre-survey. We take floor plans and wall materials and produce a predictive model of likely access point positions.
3. On-site survey. We walk the space with measurement equipment, confirming how signal actually travels and finding sources of interference.
4. Design. We produce the placement plan, channel and power plan, network names, and the separation of staff, guest and device networks.
5. Installation. Access points are mounted, cabled and powered over Ethernet from the switch, then configured from a central controller or cloud dashboard.
6. Validation survey. We re-measure after installation to prove coverage and performance match the design, and hand over the results.

What’s included and what’s not

Typical timelines and what drives cost

A single-floor office survey, installation and validation typically takes two to four days. Cost is driven by floor area, building construction (concrete and steel need more access points per square metre than plasterboard), required capacity (a training room for 50 simultaneous users needs more than a quiet office of the same size), outdoor areas, and whether cabling to each access point already exists.

Equipment typically used

Business-grade access points supporting current Wi-Fi standards, managed centrally through a controller or cloud dashboard, so channels and power can be tuned without visiting each unit. They’re powered over Ethernet from switches with enough power budget, and outdoor-rated units are used where needed. Central management also shows which access points are struggling, which makes later troubleshooting far faster.

Common mistakes we see

Access points mounted where a cable happened to reach, rather than where signal is needed. Consumer routers and range extenders used in business spaces, which halve throughput and can’t hand devices over cleanly. A single network with no guest isolation, so any visitor shares a network with internal systems. Wi-Fi designed for coverage but not capacity, so the first training session or board meeting reveals that “full bars” doesn’t mean usable. And every access point left on automatic channel settings, which can leave neighbours fighting on the same channel.