What a WiFi site survey is for
Floor area alone doesn't tell you how many access points a site needs. A glass-walled function room and a steel-framed warehouse of the same size behave completely differently, and a hall that seats 400 for dinner has a very different busy moment from the same hall during an exhibition. The survey is where we find those differences before they turn into dead spots on the day.
It also stops quotes being guesses. Because we plan from the real space, the access point count, cable runs and connection in the quote reflect the site rather than an estimate from a headcount. Every event WiFi hire starts here.
On-site walk-through or floor-plan review
Both lead to the same written plan. Which one suits depends on the site and the timing.
| Question | On-site walk-through | Floor-plan review |
|---|---|---|
| Suits | Large or unusual sites, warehouses, outdoor areas, buildings with steel or thick walls | Standard rooms with accurate plans, repeat layouts, interstate jobs before travel |
| What we need from you | Access to the site and someone who knows it | A floor plan with dimensions or a scale, photos and the event layout |
| What we check | Construction, neighbouring networks, power, cable paths, mobile signal | Room sizes, layout, stage and stall positions, likely obstacles |
| Limits | Needs a visit time that suits the venue or site | Can't measure interference or mobile signal, so these are confirmed at install |
Interstate jobs usually start with a floor-plan review, so the network is planned before we travel.
What we look at during a wireless site survey
- Floor area, ceiling height and number of levels
- Walls, glass, steel framing, racking and lift shafts
- Where the crowd sits or stands at the busiest moment
- Registration desks, bars, stall rows, stages and back offices
- Where the internet connection can come in
- Power points near likely access point positions
- Safe cable paths away from walkways
- Mounting options: stands, trusses, shelving, walls
- Other WiFi networks already competing for airtime
- Mobile signal, if 4G/5G is part of the plan
- Outdoor areas, marquees and loading docks
- Venue rules on equipment, drilling and cabling
Send a floor plan or the venue name. We reply with what the network needs and one written quote.
What you get from WiFi coverage planning
The survey ends in a short written plan, sent with the quote.
Coverage plan
A marked-up floor plan showing where access points or mesh nodes go and the areas each covers, including offices, mezzanines and outdoor zones.
Access point count
The number with the reasoning behind it, so you can see whether coverage or capacity set it, and whether mesh or cabled access points suit the site.
Network list
Each separate network you need, such as staff, guests, payments, devices and cameras, and who joins which.
Connection plan
How the internet gets in, the service type, expected activation time and whether a 4G/5G backup is included.
Cabling and power
Where cables run, where switches sit, which access points run on power over Ethernet and which need a power point.
Install schedule
When we install, what we test and from where, and when support and pack-down happen.
Why coverage often decides the access point count before capacity
Capacity is how many devices an access point can serve well; we start from about 50. Coverage is the area it can reach with a strong signal; our planning assumption is roughly one access point per 900 m² of open floor, with extra for walls, steel, racking and levels. Whichever needs more access points sets the count, and both numbers are confirmed on-site.
On large, sparsely populated sites, coverage nearly always wins. Take a 5,000 m² warehouse with upstairs offices and around 50 people. At 1.5–2 devices each, that's 75–100 devices, which capacity alone would handle with two access points. Coverage points to five or six. The real project used six mesh nodes across the floor and offices, with full signal at every spot tested; the warehouse case study tells the story.
Dense events flip this around. A 400-person conference in a 600 m² ballroom fits under one access point for coverage but needs around eight for capacity. Our guide to how many access points you need works through more examples, and the event network planner runs both numbers for your own site.
Questions people ask
Do I need a WiFi site survey for a small event?
Not always a visit. For a small event in a standard room, a floor-plan review with a few photos is often enough to plan the WiFi. A walk-through matters more for large spaces, warehouses, outdoor sites and buildings with steel, thick masonry or several levels, where signal behaves in ways a drawing doesn't show.
What's the difference between a site survey and a floor-plan review?
A site survey is a walk-through of the actual space to check construction, power, cable paths, interference and mobile signal. A floor-plan review is done from drawings, photos and your layout. Both produce a written coverage plan. A floor-plan review is quicker to arrange; a walk-through catches things drawings miss, such as steel framing or crowded airwaves.
What do I need to send for a floor-plan review?
Send a floor plan with dimensions or a scale, photos of each area, the event or working layout, expected headcount at the busiest moment and anything that must not fail, such as payments, ticketing or a live stream. Note any areas beyond the main room, like back offices, mezzanines, loading docks or outdoor spaces, that also need WiFi.
How do you work out how many access points we need?
We calculate access points two ways and use the larger number. For capacity, devices at the busiest moment divided by about 50 per access point. For coverage, roughly one access point per 900 m² of open floor, adjusted for walls, steel, racking and levels. Both are planning starting points, confirmed on-site.
Will the coverage plan change after installation?
Sometimes it's fine-tuned. Once people move in or the event layout is final, we test again and adjust positions if a spot is weaker than expected. On a recent warehouse project, a return visit was booked for after move-in for exactly this reason. How much follow-up is included is agreed in your plan.
Can you survey a site outside Sydney?
Yes, usually starting with a floor-plan review so the network is planned before we travel. For larger or unusual interstate sites, we'll discuss whether a separate walk-through visit is worthwhile before the install. Either way, the coverage plan and quote are in writing before any travel is booked.
