1. No category

urvey
ite S
FS
MDT5000 R
Survey
Site
RF
SSURVEY Program
( ENGLISH )
S.R.L.
Via delle Macchine, 24 - 30038 SPINEA (VE) - Italy
Tel. +39 (041) 5412600 - Fax +39 (041) 5412231
web:
http://www.meteorbarcode.it/
e-mail: meteor@meteorbarcode.it
Technical Support:
Tel. +39 (041) 5412600 - Fax +39 (041) 5412231
e-mail: tecnico@meteorbarcode.it
MDT5000 - SSURVEY Program
Revision.: 1.00
Ed.: 07/2003
Cod.: 5407100006
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this work may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in any form or by any means without prior written
consent from METEOR S.r.l., which reserves the right to modify it without notice.
Even if the present guide has been edited very carefully, METEOR S.r.l. does not assume any responsibility for
mistakes or omissions and for any consequences that may occur.
The names of the products mentioned in the present book have only an identification purpose and they can be
brands or companies’ registered trademarks.
© - 2000-2003 METEOR S.R.L.
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 MDT5000  SSURVEY Program 
CONTENTS
1
General Information
1.1
1.2
2
SSURVEY start
2.1
2.2
2.3
3
Installation
Main menu
Info menu
6
6
6
The Setup menu
Test setup
Send setup
Site Survey tests
4.1
4.2
4.3
5
5
6
Site Survey configuration
3.1
3.2
3.3
4
Introduction
Program features
5
8
8
8
9
11
Access point selection
Signal level
Site Survey test
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11
11
12
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 MDT5000  SSURVEY Program 
1 General Information
1.1
Introduction
Installing a wireless network begins with conducting a site survey. A site survey with the
MDT5000RF terminal involves using the SSURVEY program to determine the physical
requirements for a site-specific wireless network.
The SSURVEY tool permits to analyse the installation environment and provides users with
recommendations for equipment and placement.
The user could use this program to determine the placement of access points and antennas,
as well as the number of devices necessary to provide optimal service.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Before to use the SSURVEY tool, it need to read the MDTRF
User Manual. Only qualified site survey technicians should use
the SSURVEY utility.
METEOR S.r.l. has edited the present manual to provide the user with an exhaustive guide of
the SSURVEY program.
1.2
Program features
The inner features of the SSURVEY program are the followings.
Menu architecture with touch panel supported.
Roaming or mandatory access point association.
Current signal level measure.
Current signal level measure with ping.
Site survey complete test.
Site survey reports manage.
Site survey reports sending to a host PC.
Site survey setup.
RF card info.
 MDT5000  SSURVEY Program 
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2 SSURVEY start
2.1
Installation
The SSURVEY program is installed together with the MDTRF packet. See the paragraph 2.1
of the MDTRF User Manual to know how to install it.
To start the SSURVEY program from the DOS prompt, it need to launch the command
SSURVEY.
2.2
Main menu
*METEOR SITE SURVEY *
Select Access Point
Signal level
Signal level + ping
Site survey test
Setup
RF card info
Info
⇐
The user interface of the program is like any other Meteor’s software for MDT5000.
When the SSURVEY program start, the main menu appears. Any item of the main menu and
of its submenus could be selected with the [↑] and [↓] keys or by touching the item that the user
want. In this case it is recommended to use the integrated pen.
2.3
Info menu
The RF CARD INFO display some network parameters. These parameters are terminal MAC
address, terminal IP and netmask.
* RF CARD INFO ******
MAC:
00:A0:F8:54:A9:30
IP:
192.168. 0.24
SubNet:
255.255.255. 0
With the Info menu it is possible to know some simple information about the terminal and the
program.
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 MDT5000  SSURVEY Program 
*** INFO ************
Disc C Info
Disc D Info
Company Info
Exit
Disc C Info and Disc D Info items permit to know the free bytes space in the Flash Disc
C and in the Ram Disc D.
The item Company Info of this submenu gives the program version and some brief
information about METEOR S.r.l.
 MDT5000  SSURVEY Program 
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3 Site Survey configuration
3.1
The Setup menu
Selecting the item Setup from the main menu, the SSURVEY SETUP menu will appear, that
permits to set some parameters of the site survey test and to set the sending parameters to send
site survey reports to an host PC.
* SSURVEY SETUP ****
Test setup
Send setup
Save setup
⇐
With the option Save setup it is possible to save immediately the current setup. If the setup
is changed and the Save setup item is not used, before to exit from SSURVEY program it will
appear the following message.
The site survey
Setup is changed.
Do you want to
save it?
Yes
No
If the user answer is No, the made changes from the launching of the program will have lost.
3.2
Test setup
The item Test setup of the setup menu permits to access to the SS TEST SETUP menu,
where it is possible to set some test parameters.
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 MDT5000  SSURVEY Program 
** SS TEST SETUP ***
Host address
Packet size
Ping number
Threshold time
⇐
Before to perform any test it need to set the IP address of the ICMP host. This host must be
active in the same physical and logical network of the terminal. In fact any test is performed with a
request-answer mechanism by means of the ICMP protocol (see page 12), so a valid answering
host is necessary.
The Packet size option permits to set the size in bytes of the packets transmitted during the
ping in a site survey test. The default packet size is 128 with a maximum of 1472 bytes.
The Ping number option permits to set the number of ping to be transmitted during a site
survey test. The default ping number is 100 with a maximum of 2000.
The Threshold time enter the maximum acceptable time (in seconds) to send out and
receive the total number of pings for each test. The default threshold time is 20 seconds, with a
maximum of 180 seconds.
3.3
Send setup
The item Send setup of the setup menu permits to access to the SS SEND SETUP menu,
where it is possible to configure the sending parameters. In fact the program allows to send the
reports of the performed test to an host PC.
** SS SEND SETUP ***
Baud rate setup
Interface setup
Protocol setup
⇐
With the Baud rate setup item, the following speed are selectable (the default value is
38400 bits/s).
 MDT5000  SSURVEY Program 
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* BAUD RATE: 38400
115200
57600
38400
19200
9600
4800
2400
⇐
With the Interface setup item, it is possible to select Cable or Infrared interface.
INTERFACE: Cable
Cable
Infrared
⇐
The default interface is Cable.
Three protocols are selectable to transfer the site survey reports.
PROTOCOL: RSF
Direct
RSF
ZModem
⇐
The default protocol is RSF.
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 MDT5000  SSURVEY Program 
4 Site Survey tests
4.1
Access point selection
The MDT5000RF terminal can roam within the coverage area by switching access points.
Roaming is transparent and virtually instantaneous in high-level applications.
Roaming occurs when:
• The terminal is unassociated and it attempts to associate or reassociate with an
available access point.
• The supported rate changes of the terminal finds a better transmit rate with another
access point.
• The RSSI (received signal strength indicator) of a potential access point exceeds the
current access point.
• The ratio of good-transmitted packets to attempted-transmitted packets falls below a
threshold.
• The wireless network card detects an imbalance in the number of MUs associated with
available access points and roams to a less loaded access point.
The Select Access Point item permits to display the MAC addresses of the recognized
access points in the range of the terminal.
The SSURVEY program permits to perform any test in roaming mode or in mandatory mode
(with an associated access point). To activate the mandatory mode it need to select the MAC
address of the desired access point.
* ROAMING ENABLED **
Roaming
00:A0:F8:25:5C:1B
00:A0:4F:C2:D4:20
⇐
4.2
Signal level
A very important parameter in the inspection of a survey area is the RF signal strength. The
SSURVEY tool has two modes to inspect the current signal level.
Before to perform any test, it need to set the Host parameter in the program setup (see page
9).
The Signal level item permits to display the strength of the radio signal transmitted by an
access point. This information is useful in determining if the trial site survey access point
placement locations are effective for providing radio coverage to the proposed radio coverage
area.
 MDT5000  SSURVEY Program 
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* RF SIGNAL LEVEL **
AP roaming enabled
AP 00:A0:B1:C2:D3:F4
MU 00:0A:4F:C2:D4:20
85%
Min: 100%
Avg: 100%
Max: 100%
The signal level is displayed in the percentage value respect to the maximum value. Also it is
displayed the minimum, average and maximum values from the start of the test.
In the first line of the display is displayed the current mode (roaming /mandatory); the second
line display the associated access point MAC address (it is fixed if the mandatory mode is enabled,
otherwise it could change).
If the Signal level + ping item is selected, the same display will appear. In this case
pings with the host are performed and after any ping the signal level is updated. Ping use the ICMP
(Internet Control Message Protocol), that is a protocol used for IP error control and diagnostic.
4.3
Site Survey test
The Site survey test item of the main menu permits to study round-trip ping times, data
rates and signal strength.
* SITE SURVEY TEST *
New test
Inspect tests
Delete all tests
Send reports
⇐
When the New test item is selected, the Test name is required. The user could leave the
test name empty or to assign it a name (maximum 15 characters long).
When the [ENTER] key is pressed in the Test name window, the test start and the statistics
progress are displayed.
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 MDT5000  SSURVEY Program 
* SITE SURVEY TEST *
AP roaming enabled
AP 00:A0:B1:C2:12:34
Progress
090%
Signal
080%
Rx rates (MB/s)
1
2
5.5
11
Retries: 0
In the line under the title is displayed the AP mode (roaming/mandatory) and the MAC address
of the AP associated at the terminal.
The progress bar display the test status. If the Threshold time (see page 9) is too short, the
test could not be complete. When the test is finished or the threshold time is expired, in the last line
of the display will appear the message Press any key…
The Signal progress bar indicates the average received signal strength.
The Rx rates progress bars indicates the number of packets received at the permitted rates
(1, 2, 5.5, 11 Mb/s).
At the end of the site survey test the terminal wait the pressure of a key to display the test
statistics. If the test name has been assigned, it appear in the title of the report.
* TEST STATISTICS **
* TEST STATISTICS **
MU 00:A0:F8:54:A9:30
Roaming enabled
Host: 192.168.0.10
Packet size: 128B
Pack. transmitted at
1 MB/s 000 0%
2 MB/s 000 0%
5.5MB/s 000 0%
11 MB/s 100 100%
Ping: 100/100
Signal level
min
avg
096%
096%
max
100%
Retries: 5
Packets received at
1 MB/s 001 1%
2 MB/s 000 0%
5.5MB/s 000 0%
11 MB/s 099 99%
Time (ms): 10500
QUIT
QUIT
The test report is divided in two window. It is possible to pass from a window to the other with
the [←] and [→] keys.
In the first window the terminal (Mobile Unit) MAC address, the access point mode
(roaming/mandatory) the ICMP host address and the packet size (in bytes) are displayed.
The ping number respect to the ping set (see page 9) is displayed.
In the second window are displayed the rates of the packets received and transmitted.
With the [ESC] key or touching the QUIT label with the pen, the program ask to the user if he
want to repeat the last test. If the answer is Yes, the test is repeated, otherwise the program ask if
he want to save the last report. If the answer is No the test report is lost, else the report is saved. If
the test name has not been assigned, it need to insert the test name before to save the report.
 MDT5000  SSURVEY Program 
13
It is possible to inspect the tests saved with the Inspect tests item of the SITE SURVEY
TEST menu. The TESTS INSPECTION menu permits to scroll the test saved, to consult and to
delete them.
The Delete all tests item permits to delete all the reports saved.
The Send reports item permits to send the SSURVEY reports to an host PC. The host will
receive a text file called ssurvey.txt.
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 MDT5000  SSURVEY Program 