How to Run a Site Survey and Speed Test
Measure coverage and speed properly.
What matters in practice:
- A walk with a Wi-Fi analyser beats weeks of guessing — record signal strength room by room and weak spots stop being opinions.
- Wired and wireless tests separate the plan from the network — the first gap is your ISP, the second your router, the third your coverage.
- Test at peak time, not on a quiet Sunday — congestion only shows up when everyone else is online.
Guessing where Wi-Fi is weak leads to buying the wrong equipment. A basic survey and proper speed tests tell you what to fix. Buildings with thick walls get more honest results when you also read Wi-Fi in brick and concrete buildings first.
Tools
- Wi-Fi analyser apps on Android, or similar tools on Windows and macOS, to see channels and signal strength.
- iPerf3, a free tool that measures network throughput between two devices without involving the internet.
- Speed test websites to check your connection to the internet.
- Floor plans or a simple sketch to record results.
Step 1: Define what you need
Decide the minimum acceptable performance for each area, for example enough signal for video calls in the office and for streaming in the lounge.
Step 2: Walk the building
With an analyser app, walk through each room and record the signal strength of your network at each point. As a rough guide, signals stronger than about -65 dBm suit video calls and demanding use, while weaker than about -75 dBm usually means trouble.
Step 3: Make a heatmap
Mark each measurement on your floor plan and colour the areas: good, marginal, poor. Some apps create the map for you. Dead zones and overlapping areas become obvious.
Step 4: Test throughput
Run iPerf3 with one device wired to the router acting as the server and your laptop on Wi-Fi acting as the client. This measures Wi-Fi performance separately from the internet. Test in several rooms and at different times.
Step 5: Test the internet
Run a speed test from a wired laptop, then from Wi-Fi. Compare the results with your plan.
Avoiding bad tests
- Close other apps and downloads first.
- Test with the same device each time.
- Repeat each test three times and use the typical result.
- Test at both quiet and peak times.
- Do not trust a phone with weak antennas as the only measure.
- Make one change at a time, then retest.
Reading the results
| Result | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Slow even wired | Plan or ISP problem |
| Fast wired, slow near router | Router, band or device issue |
| Fast near, slow far | Coverage or placement problem |
| Fast sometimes, slow at peak | Congestion or interference |
Each row points to a different fix, and why your new router isn't faster works through those causes in order. Use the heatmap to decide where to add an access point, not just a more powerful router.
Next Steps
This is the survey we run for clients. Backspace Business Solutions measures coverage, interference and throughput across Ugandan offices, hotels and homes as part of our Networks & Infrastructure services.
Request a Free Site Survey and we will produce the heatmap and a written list of what to change.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between break-fix and managed IT services?▼
How can managed IT services reduce my business costs?▼
What response time can I expect from my IT support provider?▼
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How do I choose the right IT support provider?▼
Not sure which of this applies to you?
Reading about a problem is not the same as knowing what yours actually is. The Solution Advisor asks a few questions about your environment and gives you a preliminary technical interpretation — what to check first, and what can probably wait.
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