WLAN Health Check 101

A WLAN Health Check is essential to maintaining an efficient, reliable wireless network, especially in environments with high-density user connections, such as hospitals, manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, airports, and educational campuses. 7SIGNAL’s platform, which is made of both Wi-Fi performance sensors and endpoint monitoring agents, provides network administrators and IT teams with critical data to evaluate, troubleshoot, and improve their WLAN’s performance 24/7. In this blog, we’ll explore how 7SIGNAL’s agents and sensors can be used to conduct an enterprise-grade  WLAN Health Check, why it matters, and the key metrics that define WLAN health. 

What is a WLAN Health Check? 

A WLAN Health Check is a thorough and ongoing assessment of a wireless network’s performance and stability, measuring critical factors like congestion, coverage, roaming, interference and connectivity.   This is NOT a site survey which is a snapshot of the environment at a point in time.  WLAN Health Checks include software and hardware that live in the environment and are constantly running passive and active tests.  Its primary goal is to identify potential issues and areas for improvement to ensure the network meets the ever-changing needs of its users consistently.  

Why Conduct a WLAN Health Check? 

Today’s organizations depend on seamless wireless connectivity for everything from daily operations to customer engagement. Issues like network downtime, slow speeds, and unstable connections disrupt productivity, cost the company money, and lead to frustration among users. Automated WLAN Health Checks enable IT teams to proactively address these challenges before they affect the end-user experience. These checks also help identify ways to optimize the network for evolving requirements, new devices, and increasing user demands. 

7SIGNAL’s Approach to WLAN Health 

7SIGNAL offers unique capabilities to monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize WLANs. Using their enterprise endpoint agents and Wi-Fi performance sensors, network administrators and IT teams can gain insights into both the client and network-side performance, enabling a holistic view of WLAN health. Here’s a closer look at each tool and how they contribute to a comprehensive WLAN Health Check: 

• Wi-Fi Performance Sensors:  Installed strategically across an organization’s environment, these sensors continuously monitors Wi-Fi performance from a network perspective, providing insights into factors like RF interference, spectrum analysis, and access point (AP) behavior. It’s instrumental in identifying issues that could impact multiple clients or the network as a whole.  A single sensors and monitor between 4-6 AP’s in the 2.4, 5 and 6 Gigahertz bands.  

• Endpoint Agents: Agents are deployed via MDM software to shared and employee wireless devices throughout the enterprise. These agents are gathering performance data from the end-user perspective. This tool helps IT teams assess the WLAN experience from the perspective of individual users, measuring metrics such as connection drops, latency, roaming and data transfer speeds. 

Key Metrics for WLAN Health 

A WLAN Health Check assesses several key metrics, each offering unique insights into network performance. 7SIGNAL’s platform will provide real-time data and historical trends for the following metrics: 

• Signal Strength: Ensuring adequate signal strength across all areas of the WLAN is foundational to network health. Low signal strength can lead to dropped connections and slow speeds. 

• Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR): SNR is a critical indicator of Wi-Fi quality, showing the balance between signal strength and background noise. High SNR values correlate with better connectivity and data throughput. 

• Throughput: Measuring the actual data transfer rate over a wireless network, throughput tests reveal how well the network supports bandwidth-intensive applications like video conferencing and data uploads. 7SIGNAL’s tools include iPerf testing, which measures achievable bandwidth over TCP and UDP connections, giving a precise view of potential throughput. 

• Latency and Jitter: Low latency and jitter are essential for time-sensitive applications like VoIP and streaming. By tracking these metrics, network administrators can troubleshoot delays and optimize network response times. 

• Packet Loss: Packet loss can occur due to interference or other issues, leading to incomplete data transmission. High packet loss rates indicate potential connectivity problems that need addressing. 

• Roaming Performance: In environments with multiple APs, seamless roaming is crucial to a positive user experience. A WLAN Health Check assesses whether devices can switch between APs without interruption, which is vital in large facilities. 

A WLAN Health Check is indispensable for any organization that relies on a stable, high-performance wireless network. With 7SIGNAL, IT teams gain an unparalleled view of both the network and client perspectives. These insights allow for proactive management, targeted troubleshooting, and continuous optimization of WLAN performance.