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Wireless Manager (FortiWLM) 8.6.1 Administration Guide

Network Heat Maps

7.0.0
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Network Heat Maps

The Network Heat Maps dashboard provides a visualization feature allowing you to check the coverage and performance of APs in the wireless network. The dashboard displays actual AP statistics retrieved from the controller, extrapolated into graphic files known as Heat Maps. Heat maps can be generated for historical data.

You can access the Network Heat Maps dashboard through Monitor > Overview > Heat Maps.
Network Heat Maps Dashboard

By default, heat maps are displayed for the current time. The Date/Time field allows you to choose a custom date/time.

Select a floor from the left tree menu on the dashboard to view the heat map associated to that floor. The Heat Map Type selection allows you to view the following five types of heat maps:

  • Throughput: The Throughput heat map uses different colors for regions around APs corresponding to the AP Throughput value.
  • Loss: The Loss heat map uses different colors for regions around APs corresponding to the AP Loss value.
  • Channel Utilization: The Channel Utilization heat map uses different colors for regions around APs corresponding to the AP channel utilization value.
  • Number of Stations: The Number of Stations heat map uses different colors for regions around APs corresponding to the number of stations per AP.
  • Signal Strength: The Signal Strength heat map shows the availability of signal over any area represented by the floor map. Select different Coverage Cut Off values to view the corresponding signal coverage.
Note

To represent accurate signal values for all the APs located on the floor, FortiWLM MEA displays a Signal Strength heat map for all the APs, irrespective of whether the logged in user has access rights for those APs or not.

You can control the visibility of a heat map by selecting an option from the Floor Visibility drop-down list. Select or deselect the Show Heat Map checkbox to toggle the display of the selected heat map.

By default, data from all the channels is used to generate heat maps. To view heat maps from specific channels:

  1. Click on the Select Channels button in the upper-right section of the panel. The Select Channels dialog appears.
  2. Select an option from the available options:
    1. All. This option is selected by default.
    2. 2.4 GHz (Channels <= 11)
    3. 5 GHz (Channels >= 36)
    4. Selected. If you choose this option, select the required checkboxes for the available channels below it.
  3. Click Save. The Select Channels dialog disappears.
  4. Click on the The Refresh button. button next to the Select Channels button to refresh the heat map view.

Network Heat Maps

The Network Heat Maps dashboard provides a visualization feature allowing you to check the coverage and performance of APs in the wireless network. The dashboard displays actual AP statistics retrieved from the controller, extrapolated into graphic files known as Heat Maps. Heat maps can be generated for historical data.

You can access the Network Heat Maps dashboard through Monitor > Overview > Heat Maps.
Network Heat Maps Dashboard

By default, heat maps are displayed for the current time. The Date/Time field allows you to choose a custom date/time.

Select a floor from the left tree menu on the dashboard to view the heat map associated to that floor. The Heat Map Type selection allows you to view the following five types of heat maps:

  • Throughput: The Throughput heat map uses different colors for regions around APs corresponding to the AP Throughput value.
  • Loss: The Loss heat map uses different colors for regions around APs corresponding to the AP Loss value.
  • Channel Utilization: The Channel Utilization heat map uses different colors for regions around APs corresponding to the AP channel utilization value.
  • Number of Stations: The Number of Stations heat map uses different colors for regions around APs corresponding to the number of stations per AP.
  • Signal Strength: The Signal Strength heat map shows the availability of signal over any area represented by the floor map. Select different Coverage Cut Off values to view the corresponding signal coverage.
Note

To represent accurate signal values for all the APs located on the floor, FortiWLM MEA displays a Signal Strength heat map for all the APs, irrespective of whether the logged in user has access rights for those APs or not.

You can control the visibility of a heat map by selecting an option from the Floor Visibility drop-down list. Select or deselect the Show Heat Map checkbox to toggle the display of the selected heat map.

By default, data from all the channels is used to generate heat maps. To view heat maps from specific channels:

  1. Click on the Select Channels button in the upper-right section of the panel. The Select Channels dialog appears.
  2. Select an option from the available options:
    1. All. This option is selected by default.
    2. 2.4 GHz (Channels <= 11)
    3. 5 GHz (Channels >= 36)
    4. Selected. If you choose this option, select the required checkboxes for the available channels below it.
  3. Click Save. The Select Channels dialog disappears.
  4. Click on the The Refresh button. button next to the Select Channels button to refresh the heat map view.