WiFi Mapper

WiFi Mapper

Site survey from your web browser

Highlights

  • Map 802.11a/b/g/n coverage and signal strength
  • Find wireless "black holes" indoors and out
  • Perform pre-deployment checks and post-install surveys
  • Optimize access point placements
  • Runs in most web browsers, with no software to download and install
  • Runs offline when not connected to the Internet
  • Integrated Google Maps, geo-location, and custom floor plan support
  • Compatible with Cisco Meraki and non-Cisco Meraki wireless LANs

System Requirements

Operating Systems: Windows XP, Vista, 7, Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard) or later

Browsers: Firefox 3.5 and 3.6, Safari 4, Internet Explorer 7 and 8, Google Chrome (Windows only)

Instructions for use:

  1. Load the tool by visiting tools.meraki.com/mapper.
  2. Set survey location: WiFi Mapper can try to locate you using WiFi-based geolocation.  Click on Find Your Location Automatically.  If this does not work, manually enter your address and hit Go.
  3. If you plan to conduct an indoor site survey and will want to upload floorplans or if you’ll want to save your survey results for later access, create a Cisco Meraki Tools account.  Click on the “Sign-Up or login” link in the upper-right corner of the page.  If you already have an account, just login.
  4. For indoor surveys, click "Manage maps" in the upper-right corner to upload floorplans (.gif, .jpg, .pdf and .png are accepted).
  5. Upload your floorplans.
  6. Click on "Measure scale" to set the scale of the map(s).  Select two points on the map that are a known distance apart.  Doorways are a good reference as they are typically about 3 feet or 1 meter wide.
  7. Click Save Changes.  Then click on the Return to WiFi Mapper link at the top of the page.
  8. Select your floorplan from the drop-down selector at the upper-right corner of the map.
  9. Select the network that you want to survey from "Network(s) to survey".  Make sure that your laptop is associated to the same network that you want to survey.
  10. Under Display, select whether you want to map throughput or signal strength, and what color scheme you want to use.  Both signal strength and throughput data will be collected, but only one can be displayed on the map at a time.  Enter appropriate numerical values to set the color scale for your map.
  11. To start collecting data, double-click on your location on the map.  When the data collection has finished, a colored coverage circle will appear at the indicated location on the map.  Data collection should take about 15 seconds per data point.
  12. Continue collecting data until the site survey area has been fully covered with overlapping data points.

Q: What is the WiFi Mapper?

A: The WiFi Mapper is a browser-based wireless site survey and planning tool that allows you to generate coverage of 802.11 network throughput and signal strength.

Q: Can I use WiFi Mapper when I am not connected to the Internet?

A: You need to be connected to the Internet when you load the tool in your browser and to upload floor plans. You can collect site survey data without being connected to the Internet. However, in order to save the data so that you can access it the next time you log into your Cisco Meraki Tools account, you will need to reconnect to the Internet after completion of the survey.

Q: How does WiFi Mapper work?

A: WiFi Mapper captures data about nearby wireless networks using your laptop's wireless card and displays signal strength and throughput data in an intuitive, color-coded heat map. Throughput tests for Cisco Meraki networks are conducted to the built-in web server in the AP, my.meraki.com. Throughput tests for non-Cisco Meraki networks are conducted to to the Internet.

Q: Why is WiFi Mapper a web-based tool instead of standalone, downloadable software?

A: By running in a browser, there is no need to download software to your computer. This makes it very easy to load and use since no software installation is required. It also can run on either a PC or Mac, unlike most downloadable software applications. In addition, as we will be continually adding new features to Mapper, you will automatically get the latest version of the tool each time you reload the page.  You can also get your survey results from any browser at any time.

Q: The WiFi Mapper doesn't load on my computer/in my browser. Why not?

A: WiFi Mapper requires Java support and does not currently support Linux. WiFi Mapper is currently a beta stage tool; if you encounter problems getting Mapper to load, please let us know using the "Wish" box at the bottom of the page or by sending email to [email protected].

Q: Why can't I map 802.11n networks?

A: To map 802.11n networks, your computer's wireless card must support 802.11n. Most newer laptop computers support 802.11n.

Q: I am getting an error message telling me that my browser doesn't support Java, but it does. Why isn't it working?

A: In order for WiFi Mapper to load properly, you must be using a browser that supports Java and have the necessary plug-ins installed and enabled.  You can check to see if Java is working properly by going to http://www.realapplets.com/tutorial/HelloWorld.html.  If you see the "Hello world" applet inline in the middle of the page, then Java is installed and enabled in your browser. If you do not see it, check to make sure that you have the Java plug-in installed.

If the plug-in is installed and the page will not load, then there are a few other items to check.

For Firefox: If you are running Firefox 3.5.7 and earlier, check under Tools, Options, Content (Windows) or Preferences, Content (Mac OS X). Make sure that the checkbox "Enable Java" is checked. If you are running Firefox 3.6, you will need to make sure that you have Java version 6 Update 10 or newer in order for WiFi Mapper (or any other Java-based application) to run. You can get the latest version of Java at java.com .

Q: What throughput is being displayed? I have an 802.11n network but am only seeing throughput of 10Mbps or less.

A: Throughput tests for non-Cisco Meraki networks are conducted by transferring data from the wide-area Internet, so these results will be limited by the speed of your uplink connection. If you are surveying a Cisco Meraki network, throughput from the laptop to the access point will be displayed, representing the speed of your LAN.  However, it is recommended that for surveying Cisco Meraki networks that the integrated version of WiFi Mapper available inside of Dashboard be used instead."