Optimizing and Improving Internal Wireless Coverage with Analysis & Optimization

RMS Omega provides specialized wireless services to enhance and optimize the wireless coverage of a particular location or facility. If your wireless connection is poor and your employees are continuously losing a signal, collecting and managing important patient data can become tedious and inefficient.

An Analysis and Optimization, or A&O, is a process that can optimize and enhance your wireless coverage. An A&O is performed to identify and correct poor coverage, dead zones or incorrectly installed hardware.

Wireless coverage can be affected by a number of factors. Multiple or conflicting wireless signals, introducing new equipment to your work space, or just re-arranging the layout of your environment can all impact the strength of your network.

Don’t always blame the handheld!
When your handheld devices aren’t functioning properly, more often than not, it is not the device that is having problems: it’s the wireless connection. If your handheld devices are dropping off the network or running slowly, they are unable to connect, or not meeting the initial expectations, it might not be the devices’ fault. If there are problems with connectivity, there is a good chance it has to do with the wireless connection. An A&O can identity and help you solve these problems.

The Process to Better Coverage

The A&O process contains three phases including discovery, analysis, and optimization.  The discovery phase is when information is collected about your facility and existing wireless system. The analysis phase is where your facility and wireless system is studied and possible solutions are discovered. The solution is implemented in the optimization phase.

Benefits of Wireless Analysis & Optimization:

Analysis and optimization can be extremely beneficial for any facility. Wireless coverage is essential in many work environments, and the faster it works, the more efficient your staff can be.

• Correct problems with handheld devices and under-coverage
• Faster and stronger wireless connections
• Ensures your network is set up properly
• Increased worker productivity
• Less down time from dropped coverage
• Wireless will perform how it was originally expected

Phase 1 – Discovery

During the discovery phase, information about your existing wireless system will be collected.  Information about your wireless configuration, the type and model of your access points, types of antennas used, any additional information that is crucial to determining a possible solution to your problem.

All you have to do is provide an RF Engineer with a floor map of your facility. They will do a physical walk through of the facility and take a look at the signal strength. Specialized analytical software will be used to capture the RF energy and produce a graphic representation (heat map), which will display your wireless coverage. Heat maps will display both strong and weak wireless signal strengths. The engineer will use a spectrum analyzer to see what other wireless systems or noise might be interfering with yours system. This software is important because it can detect what the human eye cannot see – wireless signals.

Another important aspect of the discovery phase is the interaction with the wireless system. The RF Engineer will interact directly with the users of the wireless system which will allow the Engineer to pay closer attention to problematic areas and where there is difficulty obtaining signal strength.

Phase 2 – Analysis

In the analysis phase, the RF Engineer will take all the data that was collected during the discovery phase and analyze it. Using knowledge gained over many years of experience working in the industry the engineer  will determine how  your current system is performing and consider what  changes could be made to enhance the wireless performance for your facility and your specific situation.

The RF Engineer will create a plan. They will come up with a possible solution that will be most effective for you, every attempt will be made to enhance your existing infrastructure making the corrective measures as cost effective as possible.

Phase 3 – Optimization

The optimization phase is when the solution is implemented.  You can opt to have the RF Engineer on site for the optimization phase, or chose to implement suggested changes on your own at a later date. After the solution is implemented, if the RF Engineer is still on site, they will take another physical walk through of the facility and another heat map will be created. This will ensure that the changes were successful in solving the initial problem.

Heat Maps

Heat maps are created with the purpose to be able to view wireless coverage throughout your facility. Two of them are made throughout the A&O process so both you and the RF Engineer can see a visual of the initial wireless coverage, and the wireless coverage after the solution is implemented.

Heat maps contain three colors, which signify different strengths of wireless coverage.  Blue represents strong wireless coverage, green represents areas that wireless coverage can be problematic, and brown represents areas where there is weak or no wireless signal.

Explanation of RF Coverage
Below is an example of a heatmap. For each range, the darker shades indicate a stronger signal.

Learn how an A&O can benefit your wireless coverage. Contact our Wireless Support team today!