A device can be close to the Hub and still have a difficult wireless path. A reinforced-concrete floor, a metal cabinet, or several dense walls may sit between them, while another device farther away may have a clearer route. That is why a wireless alarm site survey starts with the building path, not with straight-line distance alone.
Before drilling or fixing equipment, read the path between the proposed Hub and every device, choose a small number of practical locations, and test communication there temporarily. Adjust the Hub or device position where needed, mount the equipment, then recheck and record every final position. This sequence helps the installer find weak locations while they can still be changed.
Read the building path before comparing distance
Begin with the route the radio signal must travel, not just the distance shown on a plan. Mark the proposed Hub position and each device position, then trace the walls, floors, doors, cabinets, shutters, and other structures between them.
Pay particular attention to reinforced-concrete floors or walls, dense masonry, metal cabinets, metal doors or shutters, and routes that cross several storeys. These conditions can change the wireless path, so they should become priorities for on-site checking rather than inputs to a fixed loss calculation.
In a multi-storey property, for example, a detector directly above the Hub may have a short line on the floor plan but a path through a reinforced-concrete slab. A device farther along an open corridor may have a clearer route. The survey should identify both paths and verify them at their proposed positions instead of assuming the nearer device is easier.
Catalogue range figures can support early planning, but the building and final positions complete the decision. For the wider system context, see how wireless alarm communication works.
Choose practical Hub and device candidates
Select a few Hub positions that can serve the planned device layout while remaining practical for power, connectivity, installation, and later service. A central position can be useful, but the best candidate is the one that creates workable paths to the actual device locations—not simply the geometric centre of the building.
For a Roombanker installation, the recommended Hub mounting height is 1.5–2.0 metres. The Hub must also remain at least 50 centimetres from large metal objects. Apply this recommended height and required clearance while comparing practical positions; height and clearance do not replace the need to assess power, connectivity, service access, and the real path to the devices.
Look at the shared paths from each Hub candidate. If several devices in one area would all communicate through the same reinforced wall, floor, or metal obstruction, that common path deserves attention before anything is mounted. Moving the Hub candidate may improve the overall layout more effectively than changing several device positions one by one.
Choose device candidates in the same way. The position still needs to perform the device’s security role, allow correct physical installation, and provide a path that can be checked. Avoid placing the Hub or a wireless device inside or directly against obvious metal obstructions when another practical position is available.
Test the proposed positions before drilling
Temporarily place the Hub at the first candidate position and bring each intended Hub-paired device to its proposed installation point. Pairing establishes the Hub–device relationship; the survey check then evaluates that relationship along the proposed building path.
Work through the planned device locations in a consistent order. Use a simple field sequence:
1. Use the device planned for that location.
2. Hold or temporarily secure it as close as practical to its final mounting position and orientation.
3. With the site in its normal working state, confirm that the device communicates with the intended Hub.
4. Record the result as pass or needs adjustment.
If more than one Hub candidate is practical, repeat the same route so each option is compared against the same device layout.
Consider a detector that pairs successfully while it is beside the Hub. After it is moved to a back room, its path may include dense walls and a metal storage cabinet. The useful survey result comes from checking the detector where it is expected to operate, while the position can still be adjusted.
Keep this stage temporary. A small change in Hub position, device position, or orientation may create a more practical route, and it is easier to compare those options before holes are drilled and equipment is fixed.
Use RB Link RSSI to compare positions
RB Link displays an accurate received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value in dBm for every Hub and its paired devices. Read the value while the Hub and device are at their proposed positions, then use the same view again after final mounting.
An RSSI value closer to 0 dBm generally represents a stronger received signal. Its most useful role during a survey is comparison: it helps the installer see how the reading changes when the Hub or device moves, and whether a proposed adjustment improves or worsens the path.
Use the reading together with the building path and the device’s communication check. For project acceptance, treat RSSI as a comparative field measurement rather than a universal pass/fail threshold. Compare the candidate and final-position readings, confirm the installed device communicates with its intended Hub, and record the result for the project.
Separate a single weak position from an area problem
When one proposed position appears weak, start with that device’s individual path. Recheck its exact location, nearby metal, the structures between it and the Hub, and whether a nearby practical position still meets the device’s security purpose.
When several proposed devices in the same area appear weak, look for a shared cause first. Reassess the Hub candidate and the common wall, floor, metal structure, or route used by those devices. This keeps the installer focused on the layout decision that can affect the whole area.
For example, if one detector near a metal cabinet needs attention while other devices in the area check normally, treat it as a single-position question. If several devices beyond the same floor or dense wall need attention, compare the Hub candidates and the shared path before relocating every device separately.
This first decision is qualitative: it shows whether to review one device path or a shared area path before the layout is fixed.
Adjust the layout, then mount the equipment
Use the temporary checks to choose the Hub and device positions that best balance the security design, installation requirements, service access, and wireless paths. Record any position that changed and the reason for the change so the final layout remains clear to the installation team.
Once the candidate layout is accepted, install each product according to its specified mounting instructions. Keep the Hub accessible for power, connectivity, and service, and keep each detector where it can perform its intended security function.
When frequency choice is still open, use Sub-GHz vs 2.4 GHz for wireless alarm systems to compare that part of the design before finalising the layout.
Recheck every device at its final installed position
Permanent mounting can change the conditions seen during a temporary check. The final enclosure position, mounting surface, angle, nearby furniture or cabinets, and the completed building path can all affect the installed result.
Return to every device after mounting, read its RSSI value in RB Link, and confirm that it communicates with the intended Hub from its final position. Compare the final reading with the proposed-position result. If a location appears weak, adjust it or escalate it for support before handover.
Use the final-position result—not the earlier near-Hub or temporary result—to close the installation decision for that device.
Record the result before handover
A concise survey and commissioning record gives the next installer or service team a clear view of the final layout and the work completed at each device.
Record:
• the selected Hub and its final position;
• each Hub-paired device and its final position;
• the main building or metal conditions that shaped the layout;
• confirmation that each device was checked at its final position;
• the final-position RSSI reading shown in RB Link;
• positions that were adjusted and the reason;
• any unresolved position that was escalated before handover.
The completed record should answer a simple question: can the project team see what was planned, what changed, and what was verified at the installed positions?
Use the survey to make the installation decision
Four judgements keep the survey practical:
1. The real building path matters more than straight-line distance alone.
2. Compare practical Hub and device candidates before permanent mounting.
3. Check communication both at the proposed position and after final mounting.
4. When a position is weak, first decide whether it is a single-device path or a shared area problem.
Complete the survey and final-position checks before handover. If a complex building still has a route that cannot be resolved through practical Hub or device placement, record the condition and contact Roombanker Support for placement or installation guidance.