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