Why this Ekahau AI Pro training course?
This Fast-Track Ekahau AI Pro training course is a Fast-Track Alternative to the Ekahau ECSE Design course. The Fast-Track course provides comprehensive coverage of Wi-Fi network Planning, Design, Surveying and Reporting using Ekahau AI Pro and Ekahau Survey for iPad/Android in just 3 days.
Highly-focussed lecture sessions and extensive hands-on practical exercises with Ekahau AI Pro, plus on-site survey and predictive design exercises, are key features of this course.
Attendees also learn the key aspects of Wi-Fi life cycle management, including 802.11 / Wi-Fi network and RF essentials, Pre- and Post-deployment site surveys, Predictive design, Active and Passive Wi-Fi surveys, RF Spectrum analysis, plus many undocumented tips and techniques for expert Wi-Fi network engineering.
Ekahau AI Pro Training Course Objectives
On completing this course, you will be able to:
- Understand Radio Frequency (RF) fundamentals, including RF bands, RF channels, Signal Strength, dB, dBm, dBi
- Understand Wi-Fi network standards and Wi-Fi network operation
- Perform Predictive Wi-Fi network design for new and existing networks using Ekahau AI Pro
- Perform on-site Passive and Active Wi-Fi site surveys of existing Wi-Fi networks
- Capture and Analyse Wi-Fi survey data
- Perform RF spectrum analysis for Wi-Fi networks
- Understand Wi-Fi network Planning, Design, Site Survey and Reporting
- Optimise Wi-Fi networks for better coverage, capacity and performance.
Ekahau AI Pro Course Pre-requisites
Students should have the following knowledge and skills before attending this course:
- Ideally some existing experience with Ekahau AI Pro
- The essentials of Layer 2 Ethernet networking
- Wi-Fi standards (802.11n, 802.11ac and 802.11ax), 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels, Wi-Fi APs and clients
- Strong computer skills
- Each student must bring a laptop to the class (Microsoft Windows laptop or an Apple MacBook).
Hands-on Practicals
The course incorporates extensive hands-on practical labs with Ekahau AI Pro, including Predictive Wi-Fi network design and Site Survey with Ekahau AI Pro.
12 Months Post-Course Support
After completing this Ekahau AI Pro training course, delegates receive 12 months post-training support from LEVER Technology Group’s Wi-Fi network engineering team, to help them apply the technologies and skills they have learned with us.
Ekahau AI Pro Training Course Content
Day 1
Wi-Fi Network Essentials
- RF and Wi-Fi Standards Bodies
- IEEE 802.11 Standards, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
- 802.11ax amendment – Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E
- Wi-Fi Alliance™ standards
- Standards for Wi-Fi network engineering
Wi-Fi Network Operation
- 802.11 Operating Modes, BSS, IBSS
- WLAN Radios
- Access Points
- Wi-Fi Clients
- Beacon Frames, SSID, BSSID
- Passive and Active Scanning
- Association and Authentication
Understanding RF Fundamentals
- Understanding Radio Waves
- RF Bandwidth
- RF Spectrum Analysis
- Wi-Fi RF Bands
- RF Laws and Standards
- DSSS and OFDM spread spectrum schemes
- Wi-Fi Channels
- 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz
- OFDM and subcarriers
- 5GH spectrum
- DFS and TPC
- 6 GHz spectrum, AFC, USA (FCC) versus UK/ETSI/EU
- Wi-Fi-7 and 320 MHz channels
Antennas and RF Signal Propagation
- RF signal propagation
- Multipath environments
- EM waves and Polarisation
- The Isotropic Radiator
- Passive antenna gain
- Example antenna types
- Polar Plots and antenna coverage patterns
- Antenna gain, dBi, dBd, dBr
- Half-power beamwidth
- Selecting antennas during Wi-Fi network design
RF Maths
- RF Signal Strength
- Why we use logarithms in Wi-Fi and RF maths
- Linear and Log power measurement: mW versus dBm
- Understanding dB and dBm
- The rules of 10s and 3s
- Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)
- EIRP and RF maths calculations
- Inverse Square Law
- Free Space Path Loss (FSPL)
802.11 PHY: Modulation, Coding and Performance
- Amplitude, Frequency and Phase modulation
- BPSK, QPSK Phase Modulation and Constellations
- Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM)
- Modulation and Coding Schemes (MCS)
- 11a (OFDM) and 11g (ERP) Data Rates
- 11n (HT) and 11ac (VHT) MCS
- Receiver Sensitivity vs Data Rate
- DRS/ARS, Cell sizing, range boundaries
- Sources of RF Noise and Interference
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)
- Data Rate (MCS) versus Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and channel width
Advanced 802.11 / Wi-Fi Principles
- 802.11 Medium Access Control (MAC)
- 802.11 Frame Types
- Contention process
- Co-Channel and Adjacent Channel Interference
- Roaming in a Wi-Fi network
- 802.11n (HT) Enhancements
- 802.11ac (VHT) Enhancements
- Understanding MIMO and Spatial Streams
- Transmit Beamforming (TxBF)
- Multi-User MIMO
- Overview of 802.11ax – Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E
Day 2
Understanding Wi-Fi network Design and Survey
- The Wi-Fi WLAN lifecycle
- The 7 different types of Wi-Fi site survey
- Predictive Wi-Fi Network Design
- Passive versus Active Wi-Fi survey
- “AP-on-a-Stick” (APoS) surveys
- Post-Deployment “Validation” survey
- Defining the Wi-Fi RF Network Coverage specification
- Understanding and using the 4-step Capacity Planning process
Working with Ekahau AI Pro
- Importing and scaling floor plans
- Requirement Areas, Exclusion Areas
- Drawing and defining walls, Attenuation areas
- Drawing walls manually
- CAD file Import and wall classification
- Understanding Predictive Wi-Fi network design
- Key Ekahau Pro visualisations
- Wi-Fi network Coverage and Capacity Specifications
- Understanding the key Wi-Fi network Metrics, Criteria and Conditions
- Designing Wi-Fi networks for Coverage
- Signal Strength assessment, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary coverage
- Assessing Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)
- Using Noise Floors versus Measured Noise
- Assessing alternative AP coverage provision
- Assessing RF Channel Overlap and Channel Interference
- Assessing Associated and Predicted Data Rates
Wi-Fi Network Design with Ekahau AI Pro
- Using Ekahau AI Auto-Planner
- Improving on an Auto-Planner design
- How to create Optimised Wi-Fi network designs
- Hands-on Wi-Fi Design exercises:
- Designing for typical Office space
- Designing Wi-Fi for your own use cases
Advanced Wi-Fi Network Design
- 3D Buildings, Alignment Points, Floor attenuation
- Designing Wi-Fi for multi-floor buildings
- Hands-on Design exercises:
- Designing Wi-Fi networks for Capacity
- Advanced Wi-Fi Design for Office Space
- Determining RF attenuation for walls and Attenuation Areas
Day 3
Surveying and Assessing an Existing Wi-Fi network
- Surveying with Ekahau Sidekick and Sidekick 2
- Visual inspection of the Wi-Fi installation
- Performing Passive and Active surveys with Ekahau Sidekick
- Using Ekahau Insights
- Drawing immediate conclusions
- Identifying the Design flaws in a Wi-Fi network
- Assessing the Capacity of a Wi-Fi network
- Identifying the Design flaws in a Wi-Fi network
- Identifying the Implementation flaws in a Wi-Fi network
- Wi-Fi network Diagnosis
- Performing critical tests on a Wi-Fi network
- Reviewing the critical ESS visualisations
- Drawing conclusions about the installed Wi-Fi networks
- How well are the Coverage requirements met?
- How well are the Capacity requirements met?
- How well is the Wi-Fi network configured?
- What improvements can be made to the network?
- Re-designing an Existing Wi-Fi network
Advanced Site Survey and Design
- When to perform an APoS survey
- Limitations of Predictive Design
- Equipment to use
- Configuring the equipment
- Choosing locations for APoS
- Performing your APoS Survey
- Surveying the Coverage vs Interference Range
- Freezing APs
- Throughput Testing
- APoS – practical lab exercise
RF Spectrum Analysis
- What can we learn from Spectrum Analysis?
- RF signatures, Classifying signals
- Identifying non-Wi-Fi interference
Wi-Fi Network Troubleshooting
- The Wi-Fi Network Troubleshooting process
- Using Ekahau Analyzer
- Using Ekahau Capture
Introduction to Ekahau Reporting
- Generating Ekahau AI Pro reports
- Using Ekahau AI Pro Report Templates