Installing Beacons

Beacons need to be installed inside and outside every location where attendance tracking is required.

Beacon Checklist

Start at registration, and work from there to the furthest area, checking for network connection as you go.

Linking areas

Start from a beacon in an area with network connection
To link to another floor, install a beacon on the next floor directly above or below.
If that doesn’t connect, extend the network horizontally to an opening eg stairs, escalator, mezzanine
If that doesn’t connect, install an additional gateway on the next floor
When linking horizontally, keep beacon links within 10m with line of sight
For each beacon in the link, check it’s online in the console before installing the next one
Continue linking until you have a beacon in the next area

For each area

Create a link from an already connected area.
Install a beacon every 7m around the perimeter. Minimum one in each corner
For rooms over 15m across, install additional beacons so that everyone will be within 7m of at least 2 beacons.
Check every beacon in the place is showing online in the console

For each surrounding area

For each beacon

Use a minimum of 4 beacons per room, one in each corner.
For larger rooms, put a beacon every 8m around the perimeter of the room.
For very large rooms, install additional beacons in the middle of the room, so that the maximum distance between adjacent beacons is 10m.

For every entrance / exit from these rooms, treat the area immediately outside (eg foyer, corridor) as room, and install the required number of beacons

You can also use beacons to join together areas into a single mesh, reducing the number of gateways required. The range is approximately 8m with line of sight.

Beacons have no power switch. They are supplied without batteries in.
Don't move beacons powered up - it can disrupt the network. Only put batteries in once the beacons are at the installation location, and remove the batteries before taking them away.
Put batteries in correctly before installing them. Check carefully whether you have beacons that take 3V lithium cells or standard AA alkaline cells. They're the same shape and size. Lithium cells are inserted the same way round. AA alkaline cells go opposite ways.
Take the batteries out again when taking them down.

You don't need to indicate beacon positions on a map. But you do need to associate each beacon with the name of the place (room) that it's in.
You can use the scanning app or the web console.
It's helpful to create a sketch map of beacons, noting their number, while installing. If there's a problem with a beacon later, you'll know where to find it.

Install the quick scanner app from the app store on each device (https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/quick-scanner/id6444652479)
Generate a login barcode from the web console: Positioning Configuration -> Wirepas -> Places -> Scanning App
Scan the QR code on the front of the beacon
Select an existing place, or enter a new place name

The best position for beacons is on walls, just above head height.
We normally supply 3M command strips with beacons. Using them, beacons can easily be installed, without causing any damage when they're removed.

You can check if beacons are are working (powered on, and with a connection, via other beacons, to a gateway) using the web console.
Each beacon that has been assigned to a place (room) is listed.
If you hover the mouse over the signal icon, it displays when the beacon last sent data. A beacon that is working (powered up and connected) will have sent data in the last few minutes.
Battery level updates are infrequent, so a connected beacon may not send battery levels for many hours.

Moving a beacon during an event would cause errors in the data being gathered.
As a general rule, leave all beacons and gateways in place until the entire event has ended.
If you need to move a beacon before the event has ended, make sure the batteries are removed before it is moved.