What is the difference between a predictive design and a site survey?

A predictive design models coverage and capacity from floor plans and material properties, before anything is installed. A site survey takes real measurements in the building — either to calibrate a design beforehand or to validate afterwards that a deployed network meets its requirements. Complex environments usually need both.

Can you review a design or vendor proposal we already have?

Yes. Advisory and design review is an independent senior review of an existing design, a vendor proposal or an RFP response, delivered before budget is committed. It typically covers capacity assumptions, AP and antenna selection, channel and power planning, and whether the stated requirements are actually met.

Do you install equipment as well?

No. SemFio Networks is an engineering firm, not an installer or a reseller. We produce designs, measurements and documentation your team or your cabling and installation partner can build from, then we validate the result.

What do you need from us to start a Wi-Fi design?

Usually: floor plans, a description of the applications and devices that must work, client types and expected device density, details of the existing network and controllers, and any cabling, power and mounting constraints. If some of that is unknown, defining it is part of the engagement.

Services — SemFio Networks

Wi-Fi Design

Complex environments punish assumptions. We model your building, verify it on site with AP-on-a-stick, then hand your installer a design they can build without guessing.

What it covers

1. Requirements workshop — we document applications, critical client devices, density, mobility needs, the state of the existing network and the building's limitations. Documented and validated by both parties before design work starts.
2. Predictive design — full RF model in Ekahau or Hamina with real material properties, predicting propagation at 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz. AP and antenna selection, placement, mounting strategy, channel and power plan.
3. On-site measurements (APoS) — AP-on-a-stick measurements in the key areas, using the actual APs and antennas, then the model is adjusted to match the real building.
4. Design review — we walk the design through with your team and adjust for cabling, mounting reality and aesthetics.
5. Documentation — everything written down: design report, heat maps, AP locations, bill of materials, installation specifications.
6. Design presentation — we present the final design and the reasoning behind every decision, and answer your team's questions live.

What you get

Design report (PDF or HTML) — requirements, assumptions, results and the reasoning behind every decision.
Predictive heat maps — coverage (primary RSSI), cell overlap (secondary RSSI), signal quality (SNR) and co-channel interference.
AP and antenna schedule — per AP: model, antenna, mounting height, orientation and location.
AP location plans (PDF) — new AP locations placed on your floor plans, ready for the installer.
Bill of materials — spreadsheet of every item to purchase: APs, antennas, mounts, accessories, quantities.
Installation specifications — the document your installers work from, plus the recommended AP radio and RF configuration.
Source project file — your Ekahau or Hamina project, including MDF/IDF locations and installation details. You keep it and reuse it.

Is it for you?

A new building, campus, plant or venue where Wi-Fi has to work on day one
A refresh where the existing network was never designed, only installed
A vendor AP count nobody can explain or defend
Hard RF environment: high ceilings, metal, glass, dense seating, outdoor coverage

Site Surveys & Validation

The only proof that a Wi-Fi network works is measured data from a full building, with the devices your people actually use. That is what we go and get.

What it covers

1. Requirements and configuration review — we validate against the requirements agreed at design time, or define them with you if none exist, then review the AP radio and WLAN configuration as it was actually deployed.
2. Validation site survey — we re-survey the building and measure the new RF environment: primary signal strength, secondary signal strength, SNR and co-channel interference, area by area.
3. Installation inspection — every AP is checked against the design: location, mounting, orientation, antenna. Each installation is photographed.
4. Spectrum analysis — we look for interference, Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi, that will degrade the network once it is under load.
5. Client behaviour validation — your critical devices are tested for real: association, power save, roaming while idle and while in communication, roaming delays, 802.11r/k/v and QoS.
6. Application testing — critical applications are run on critical devices, static and mobile, with packet captures, retry rate calculations, roaming analysis.
7. Report and presentation — findings, evidence and the actions to take, presented live to your team.

What you get

Validation report — results measured against the agreed requirements, area by area, with the actions to take wherever they are not met.
Measured heat maps — coverage (primary RSSI), cell overlap (secondary RSSI), signal quality (SNR), co-channel interference.
Source survey file — the Ekahau or Hamina project containing every measurement we took. You keep it and reuse it as your baseline.
AP installation photos — a picture of every access point as it was actually installed.
Installation and configuration findings — APs that are misplaced, badly mounted or misconfigured, each with the correction to make.
Client and roaming analysis — how your critical devices really behave on the new network: roaming delays, feature support, QoS handling.
Application test results — packet captures, retry rates and audio quality from real tests on real devices.
Prioritized action list — what has to be fixed before sign-off, and what can wait.

Is it for you?

A new Wi-Fi network has been installed and you need proof it meets the requirements before you sign off
The deployment followed a design, but nobody has measured what was actually built
Users are complaining in specific areas after a refresh and there is no data to argue with
A complex environment where a walk-around with a phone does not prove much: high ceilings, metal, glass, dense seating, outdoor coverage