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Customer Guide

Completing the NACE MikroTik Solution Design & Site Survey

Purpose of This Guide

This guide explains each section of the NACE MikroTik Solution Design & Site Survey in detail. It is designed for customers with little or no networking background and provides step‑by‑step guidance, real-world examples, and best practices.

Providing complete and accurate survey information allows NACE to:

  • Design a reliable and scalable network architecture
  • Recommend appropriate MikroTik routers, switches, and wireless access points
  • Estimate equipment quantities and placement accurately
  • Prevent installation delays and change orders
  • Improve overall system performance and user experience

Before Completing the Survey

Preparing the following information will significantly improve survey accuracy:

  • User and device estimates
  • Include residents/guests, staff devices, cameras, TVs, IoT devices, etc.
  • Internet service details
  • Provider name
  • Speed (download and upload)
  • Fiber, cable, DSL, or wireless service type
  • Property layout and Wi-Fi coverage expectations
  • Photos or documentation of network closets or telecom rooms
  • Notes describing current network complaints or limitations

 

Tip: If exact values are unavailable, provide your best estimate. Estimates are extremely helpful for preliminary design.

Required Attachment – Property Floor Plans

Floor plans are the single most important input for wireless network design. They allow NACE engineers to model signal coverage, calculate access point placement, and anticipate installation challenges.

Acceptable Floor Plan Types

  • Architectural or construction drawings
  • Fire evacuation maps
  • Marketing or leasing layout drawings
  • Hand-drawn diagrams with measurements (last resort)

Information Floor Plans Should Include

  • Room and unit layout
  • Hallways and stairwells
  • Common areas and amenity spaces
  • Wall construction types if known
  • Network or telecom closet locations
  • Outdoor coverage areas if applicable

 

Best Practice: Provide separate floor plans for each building and floor whenever possible.

Section 1 – Customer Information

This section establishes project ownership and communication channels.

  • Use legal business names and full property addresses
  • Select property type carefully, as it influences design assumptions
  • Choose a primary contact familiar with building operations and technology
  • Include realistic project timelines or milestone dates

 

Providing accurate timelines helps NACE allocate engineering and deployment resources appropriately.

Section 2 – Site & Building Profile

This section allows NACE to estimate network scale, complexity, and installation requirements.

Building Structure Considerations

  • Number of buildings and floors directly affects equipment counts
  • Total rooms or units determines expected user density

Construction Material Impact

  • Drywall/wood construction allows wireless signals to travel more easily
  • Concrete, brick, or metal framing significantly reduces wireless signal range
  • Older buildings may contain unknown cabling or structural barriers

Infrastructure Readiness

  • Existing network closets reduce installation complexity
  • Modern cabling may support higher performance network speeds
  • Older infrastructure may require upgrades or redesign

Coverage Challenges

  • Elevators and basements often block wireless signals
  • Long hallways or remote wings may require additional equipment
  • Outdoor areas require specialized wireless hardware

Section 3 – Network Requirements

This section describes how the network will be used and drives core network architecture decisions.

Common Network Use Cases

  • Guest or resident Wi-Fi access
  • Staff business systems and point-of-sale devices
  • Smart building IoT systems
  • IPTV or streaming video distribution
  • Security cameras and access control

Concurrent User Estimates

Concurrent users represent the maximum number of active users during peak hours.

  • Hospitality properties typically peak during evenings
  • Senior living facilities peak during evenings and staff shift transitions
  • MDU properties typically peak evenings and weekends

Bandwidth Planning

  • Provide actual ISP speeds if available
  • Describe user behavior such as video streaming, gaming, or business applications

Network Segmentation Explanation

Segmentation separates different types of devices or users for security and performance.

  • Separating guest traffic from staff networks improves security
  • Isolating cameras and IoT devices prevents unauthorized access
  • Compliance environments often require multiple segmented networks

Redundancy Planning

  • Single ISP may be acceptable for non-critical networks
  • Backup internet improves reliability for operational systems
  • Dual ISP or automatic failover supports critical uptime requirements

Section 4 – Infrastructure & Power

Infrastructure limitations are a common cause of installation delays. This section helps NACE anticipate power, cooling, and mounting requirements.

  • Identify cabling type and condition
  • Confirm rack or mounting space availability
  • Indicate battery backup availability and runtime
  • Identify environmental concerns such as heat or moisture
  • Specify outdoor networking requirements

Section 5 – Wireless Design Requirements

Wireless coverage expectations strongly influence access point placement and quantity.

  • List all required indoor and outdoor coverage areas
  • Identify high-density gathering spaces
  • Describe roaming expectations for mobile staff or large properties
  • Specify SSID naming and guest access requirements

Captive Portal Explanation

  • Terms acceptance portals
  • Voucher or password authentication
  • Integration with hotel property management systems

Section 6 – Disclaimer and Accuracy Statement

  • Survey accuracy directly impacts system design and pricing
  • Incomplete information may require redesign or additional equipment
  • Providing detailed responses ensures optimal network performance

Engineering Assessment - NACE Will Determine The Following

  • Engineering scoring accelerates preliminary equipment sizing. Customers may complete this section if comfortable.

    Scoring Overview

    • 1 represents simple or small environments
    • 5 represents complex or large-scale environments

    Scoring Categories Explained

    Site Size and Layout

    • Small single buildings score lower
    • Multi-building campuses score higher

    Wireless Density

    • Basic internet browsing requires fewer resources
    • Streaming, conferencing, or event usage increases complexity

    Segmentation Needs

    • Single network environments are simple
    • Multi-network security environments are complex

    Infrastructure Readiness

    • Modern infrastructure simplifies installation
    • Older infrastructure increases deployment complexity

    Redundancy Requirements

    • Higher uptime expectations increase network complexity
    •  

     

MikroTik Router Recommendation Guide

  • Total Score 5–8: RB5009 or CCR2004
  • Total Score 9–14: CCR2004 or CCR2116
  • Total Score 15–25: CCR2116 or CCR2216
  • Engineering Review Required: Complex routing or redundancy scenarios

 

Final equipment recommendations are always validated by NACE engineering.