Prepare my site brief: worksheet and printable PDF
01
Define a result that can be checked.
Start with a real task: a video meeting, a business application or a terminal moving between zones. Record busy periods, affected users and the person accepting the result. “Good Wi-Fi” does not make two proposals comparable or define a useful test.
Separate observations from assumptions. A reception-area slowdown does not establish an AP fault. Record time, device, application and zone, then distinguish Internet, local network and radio. For an existing site, obtain authorisation and a maintenance window before changes; retain a way back to the previous configuration.
02
Record each zone and task.
An RF survey checks the plan against real conditions. Coverage, capacity and mobility are different questions; floor area alone cannot determine AP count.
Scroll the table horizontally to compare all three columns.
| Information | What to provide | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|
| Space | Dated plan, known dimensions, partitions, floors and mounting restrictions. | A colour on a plan is not a signal measurement. |
| Devices | Types, known models, simultaneous quantities and usual movement. | Staff count is not active-device count. |
| Applications | Local or remote service, critical period and a user able to validate it. | Advertised link speed does not describe the entire experience. |
| Infrastructure | Cable outlets, occupied ports, patching, power and unresolved facts. | An existing cable is not automatically qualified for the intended use. |
| Ownership | Who owns access, updates, backups and Internet-provider incidents. | Equipment supply does not make the supplier the network operator. |
03
Prepare a verifiable list from outlet to service.
Ports and paths
Identify each outlet, uplink and device. Count occupied ports separately from requested reserves. State copper or fibre and modules needing confirmation; do not double-count one connection in a simplified diagram.
PoE power
Record each device’s documented demand, accepted PoE mode, per-port limit and switch budget. Power at the cable source differs from power available at the endpoint. Keep exact datasheets; the word “PoE” alone does not validate a combination.
Permitted uses
Write a simple matrix: which group may reach which service? Guests, staff and technical devices need not share permissions. A different Wi-Fi name does not prove isolation; verify allowed and denied flows without putting passwords in the brief.
Administration and continuity
Identify the management-console owner, any licences and expected Internet-loss behaviour. If power continuity is required, list the complete necessary chain, not just the AP. Availability and support commitments need separate confirmation.
04
A slowdown does not always call for another AP.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
Fictional case: meeting room R-01, test laptop T-01 and local share F-01. The owner permits bounded checks with a fictional file, without changing permissions or interrupting operations.
Compare the same task
The permitted T-01 to F-01 transfer works over cable and Wi-Fi at the chosen position. Record conditions and result. This does not yet validate every device, roaming or fully occupied capacity.
Narrow the investigation
The remote application remains slow in both cases. Its owner investigates the path to that service; adding an AP is not the conclusion. The check alone does not identify the provider, remote server or a device as faulty.
Check what should fail too
A guest profile should reach its permitted service but not F-01. If F-01 is accessible, the required isolation fails: record the defect and have the rule corrected. Do not grant internal privileges to make a test pass.
Invented observations explain a method, not a real-network diagnosis. No unauthorised scan, load test or change is proposed.
05
Define checks before choosing references.
Representative conditions
Agree zones, devices, applications and occupancy to test. Use intended terminals, not only the technician’s phone. Record expected results and unvisited areas instead of issuing a blanket pass.
Movement and permissions
If movement matters, repeat the intended route during the task. Check allowed and denied access for each profile. Record the test-account identifier and configuration in the secured report.
Handover and outstanding issues
Request final plans, port labels, versions and backup procedure. Give each outstanding issue an owner and next check. A backup that has never been restored is not recovery evidence.
06
Send a brief that supports a useful answer.
Attach a plan stripped of sensitive information, zone records and a dated list of known references. Separate existing equipment, additions, accessories and services to discuss. Keep each unknown visible with an owner; do not borrow a missing fact from a similar model.
Inovexia helps identify documented equipment and prepare the commercial enquiry. Installation and integration belong to the agreed contractor scope, including WEXON if requested. A saved project list is not yet a submitted enquiry or an accepted order.
07
Before asking how many APs.
Can I keep the existing Internet router?
Record its role, interfaces, management access and known limits. Whether it stays or changes depends on the brief, not a rule requiring a replacement on every project.
Does mesh remove all cabling?
No: power and the path to the network still need documentation. Specify each AP’s link, dependencies and expected loss behaviour. “Mesh” does not replace the survey.
Is an Internet speed test enough for Wi-Fi acceptance?
It describes one path at one moment. Add local tasks, access profiles and agreed representative conditions. A good result does not validate untested areas or devices.
Should passwords be included in the quotation brief?
No. Describe roles and required access. Any authorised contractor account should be created and shared through a separate secure process with bounded rights and duration.
How do I compare two proposals?
Use the same brief and compare inclusions, exclusions and unknowns: interfaces, power, management, licences, checks and handover. AP count or price alone does not define comparable scope.
Technical sources
External reading references. These documents explain principles; they do not certify catalogue products or their combination.
- PoE Availability and ModesUbiquiti · Sources consulted on
- Cisco Unified Wireless Network Solution GuideCisco · Sources consulted on