Table of Contents

Elevation Tool: Overview

Mitchell Paul-Soumis Updated by Mitchell Paul-Soumis

Read Time: 4 mins

As part of Sonar's arsenal for Internet Service Providers, we include a tool that allows you to check an Address's Line of Sight visibility to one of your Network Sites.

As a reminder, a network site is a location on your network that contains some kind of service providing hardware, whether wireless, fiber, or cable.

We call this tool the Elevation Tool, and it's available in multiple locations across Sonar. Below, we'll detail the main functionality of the Elevations tool's main components, followed by highlighting the main places this tool can be found and used.

The Elevation Tool

We'll be using the mapping interface to highlight the features of the Elevation tool. Generally, access to the Elevation Tool is hidden behind a toggle. The process to do this varies by segment, and will be highlighted in the relevant section. For the mapping interface, simply click on the Elevation Tool icon:

This allows you to draw a line between any two points on the map, and open the Elevation Profile pane:

Because the Elevation Tool on the Map is simply between two arbitrary points, the default information for all values will be used. This can be edited to reflect more accurate values on a case-by-case basis.
  1. The Client Antenna Height listed here is used to illustrate the Line of Sight and Fresnel Zone from the Network Site to the customer premises, and should be measured from the ground to the actual antenna or receiver.
  2. The Network Site Antenna Height is used to compute the Line of Sight and Fresnel Zone origin point, and should be measured from the ground to the transmitter.
  3. The Clutter Height is used to indicate the average elevation of material such as trees, houses, and other non-topographical obstructions in the area.
  4. The Frequency allows you to set the frequency in MHz or your network antenna, which will be used to calculate the Fresnel Zone.
  5. This table displays the actual topographical height data, along with visual indicators representing the Line of Sight, Fresnel Zone, and any periods of potential Interference.
    1. The Line of Sight, Fresnel Zone, and Fresnel 60% are represented by the 3 blue lines, as described in the legend, accessible by hovering over any point on the Elevation Profile.

Page-specific Elevation Tools

In this section, we'll be covering the various other locations in Sonar where the Elevation Tool can be found and highlighting key differences in functionality or access.

Serviceable Addresses

The first additional location where you can access the Elevation Tool is while adding a Serviceable Address:

  1. Click on Settings
  2. Expand Accounts
  3. Click on Serviceable Addresses
  4. Click on "Create Serviceable Address"
    1. You can also access the Elevation Profile on existing Serviceable Addresses by clicking on "Edit" for the address

With the Create Serviceable Address modal open, and an address entered, and click on the "Elevation" button, highlighted here:

This will switch the map view to a satellite view, and using the "+/-" zoom buttons, zoom out until you see your nearest network site:

Clicking on the Network Site will open the Elevation Profile, displaying the information pertaining to the connection information between the Serviceable Address and the Network Site:

Clicking on the highlighted "-" button will minimize the Elevation Profile and return you to the map, whether to select a new Network Site or simply review the area.

New Account creation

The next location where you'll find the Elevation Profile accessible is while creating a new account. To access the Elevation Profile, follow the below steps:

  1. Click on Accounts
  2. Click on "Create Account"
  3. Select any available Serviceable Address
  4. With the map showing up after selecting the address, zoom out until both the Network Site and Address appear

Clicking on the Network Site will open the Elevation Profile, displaying the information pertaining to the connection information between the Serviceable Address and the Network Site:

Clicking on the highlighted "-" button will minimize the Elevation Profile and return you to the map, whether to select a new Network Site or simply review the area.

Within the account management view

You can also view the Elevation Profile within an existing account by navigating to the Network & Inventory section of the Account Management View:

  1. Click on Accounts
  2. Click on the account's name to open the Account Management View
  3. With the Account Management View open, click on the Network & Inventory tab
  4. Click on the Elevation Profile sub-tab

This Elevation Profile functions nearly identically to the other locations where the Elevation Tool can be used. By using the "+/-" buttons and moving the map, you would locate your Network Sites, and clicking on the Network Site will display the Elevation Profile between the account's serviceable address and the Network Site.

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The Map Interface: Overview

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