Frequently Asked Questions

Support and maintenance are included for as long as you have an active subscription.

Maintenance updates are occasionally released, and VisiWave Site Survey can automatically check for updates (configured from the Help menu).

You are eligible to upgrade to any major, new release as long as you have a valid subscription.

For help, email us your questions. We typically respond the same business day (or by the next business day).

No. VisiWave does not sell separate support contracts for this product. Support and maintenance are included in the purchase price.

1. The evaluation version randomizes collected signal strengths, so coverage maps are not reliable.
2. It displays evaluation notices.

We know randomized data isn’t ideal for evaluation, but it allows us to offer a trial with otherwise minimal differences.

No. Data collected with the evaluation version remains randomized, even when opened in a fully licensed version.

Yes. Email your PO to support@visiwave.com.

• US POs: once approved, we can process your order.
• International POs: we process once payment is received.

If you prefer to pay by wire transfer, let us know and we’ll provide instructions.

No. VisiWave products are delivered via download. Your license information is provided electronically.

To move VisiWave Site Survey to a new computer, release the license from the original computer first:

1. On the original computer, open the Register window.
2. Click Release License and follow the prompts.

If VisiWave is no longer installed on the original computer, reinstall it temporarily on the original computer, re-register the license, and then release it.

IMPORTANT: The first time you release a license, it is immediately available to be re-registered on a different computer. But each time a license is released it adds an additional 24 hours to the time you need to wait before the license can be re-registered. For example, after the second release you will need to wait 24 hours before you can register the license again. After the fifth release, you need to wait 4 * 24 hours (4 days or 96 hours).

No. The license is tied to the computer using a hardware signature created during registration. The wireless adapter is not part of that signature.

No. VisiWave products are licensed to a particular computer. Transferring a license to share it among multiple computers/users is not permitted.

If more than one person needs access, we recommend additional licenses or installing VisiWave on a shared laptop.

For VisiWave versions through 7.0, if the first number in the version changes (for example, v6.x to v7.x), your existing license code does not work on the new major version.

However, you can upgrade from any previous version to the latest version at any time by purchasing an upgrade from the Purchase page.

Capture speed is mostly determined by the wireless adapter. VisiWave requests an AP scan and waits for the adapter to report completion.

To reduce scan time, try a faster dual-band adapter.

Yes:

You do this using a temporary AP (or multiple temporary APs). You place the temporary AP in the survey area and then walk the area collecting measurements. Save that survey data. Then move the temporary AP to a new location and collect data again. Save that to a separate survey file. Repeat this until the entire survey area is covered. Then use the Merge Survey Files feature to combine all the individual survey files into one, comprehensive survey file. When doing that, be sure to select your temporary AP when prompted. This makes VisiWave treat each AP location as a unique AP (even though it was really the same AP just moving around).

This is usually caused by one of two settings:

1. Scale — if the map scale is incorrect, the heatmap radius may be far too small. You can change the scale any time using the Set Scale option.
2. Confidence Radius — VisiWave draws heatmaps a certain distance around each data point. In Report View, open Settings and review Confidence Radius.

Typical values are around ~3 meters (~10–16 feet) for many indoor surveys, and larger for outdoor surveys.

VisiWave supports NMEA serial GPS devices and certain Garmin-compatible USB GPS devices.

Many common GPS devices (smartphones, car navigation units, many handheld units) do not provide NMEA/USB positioning data to a Windows laptop in a compatible way.

GPS works best outdoors with a clear view of the sky; indoors it is typically unuseable.

Historically, the Globalsat BU-353 / BU-353-S4 class of devices has been a good fit: affordable and straightforward to use.

• Globalsat Install:
  

  Install the USB driver and the GPSInfo program from the CD that comes with the Globalsat device (or download them from their website). Run the GPSInfo program to make sure you have the right COM port picked out and that the GPS is functioning properly. Then CLOSE the GPSInfo program (you can't have two programs accessing the same COM port).

• Configuring VisiWave to do a Survey Using a GPS:
  

  Now start VisiWave. Under Options, set the GPS Port to the correct COM port. Load your survey file and accurately set the scale. Select "Set GPS Location" under the Survey menu. GPS devices really only work outside with direct line-of-sight views of multiple GPS satellites so be sure to do this next part outside. Press OK then click on your floor plan map on your current location. In the "Setting Latitude/Longitude Location" window, select "Use GPS Device" then press "Get Location from GPS Device".

You may want to run the GPSInfo program that comes with the device for a few minutes before using the device with VisiWave. GPS devices sometimes need a few minutes at first to accurately determine your true location.

Additionally, you can view more information in the User Manual. In particular, view "GPS Position Tracking Mode".

You have two options:

1. In-app: Help → Check for Updates → Check Now
2. Website: download the newest evaluation version and install it over your current version (it will pick up your existing license information)

SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) is typically a positive value (often 0–80 dB). Higher is better.

Signal strength is usually a negative number (often around −95 dBm to −20 dBm). Closer to zero is stronger (for example, −40 dBm is strong; −80 dBm is weak).

SNR is calculated as Signal − Noise. For example: signal −70 dBm and noise −90 dBm yields an SNR of 20 dB.

Yes. A common workflow:

1. Create a new survey, add your floor plan, and set scale accurately.
2. Collect data while walking the area in a grid-like pattern as much as practical.
3. In Report View, put a check next to "Local" and "Different Floor" under "APs in View".
4. Then look under "Filter by SSID" (also under "APs in View"). Uncheck any SSIDs that you recognize as valid.
5. You will then be left with AP icons of unrecognized APs that are located within your survey area. Verify if any of these are suspected rogue APs.

For best results, try to collect data that surrounds the rogue APs. Estimations are less accurate if the AP is outside the surveyed area.