Ekahau Site Survey 9.0: Now also available for MAC OS

Anyone looking for a professional solution for fast and accurate planning of a WLAN network will inevitably come across the name Ekahau. With Ekahau Site Survey (ESS), the Finnish software manufacturer has significantly influenced the standards for planning corporate WLAN networks and has established itself as the industry standard. ESS supports IT managers, administrators, and experts in the planning, illumination, optimization, quality assurance, and troubleshooting of WLAN infrastructures.

With the release of ESS Version 9.0, Ekahau has added several key features to its WLAN planning software that simplify and speed up the use of ESS and further optimize the planning results.

Fine-tuning reduces hardware costs

With Ekahau Site Survey 9.0, it is now possible for the first time to implement different requirement and capacity profiles within a planning area. Previously, the entire planning area was considered as a single unit. Both in terms of the planned applications (field strength) and the required capacities (bandwidth), the maximum requirements defined the parameters for the entire project.

In ESS 9.0, requirement profiles such as high-speed data transmission, Voice over IP, or location tracking can be defined individually for individual areas for the first time. The same applies to the capacity profile and the associated data rate: a conference room with many clients requires greater bandwidth than an office space of the same size that is less frequently used. This fine-tuning reduces hardware costs, as it avoids the purchase of unnecessary access points.

Automatic planner optimized for 802.11ac

One significant change is the completely revised Autoplaner, which has been optimized for 802.11ac. It simplifies the use of ESS and enables excellent planning results with reduced effort. The “Copy & Paste” function for various drawing elements, introduced in program version 8.7, also contributes to greater ease of use. Identical building structures, wall thicknesses, and materials, etc. can now be easily copied and do not need to be recreated, saving a tremendous amount of time when planning complex areas.

The programmers at Ekahau have achieved another groundbreaking innovation with ESS 9.0 for MacOSX. Mac users can finally use Ekahau Site Survey without having to change their system. ESS 9.0 for Mac is currently available in a beta version.

Industry standard for professional WLAN planning

Ekahau Site Survey is considered one of the fastest and most user-friendly Wi-Fi survey tools. Using imported floor plans or building sketches, Ekahau Site Survey calculates the optimal number of access points, their locations and configuration based on expected network capacities, right down to the setting of antenna direction, height, tilt and intensity.

Analyzing an existing WLAN is also no problem with Ekahau Site Survey. During a site survey, ESS records all received access points and enters them with their parameters into a 3D plan. This three-dimensional approach allows users to maximize network coverage across all floors of a building while minimizing the number of installed access points and their interference.