AirMagnet's multi-adapter Wi-Fi analysis tools
Working out why your site's wireless coverage is rubbish falls squarely into the 'dull but worthy' category of tasks. But with the increasing use of Wi-Fi networks for mission-critical applications, it's also one that can't be put off.
Fluke-owned AirMagnet claims that the new 8.0 release of AirMagnet Survey PRO 8.0 and WiFi Analyzer PRO 9.0 can halve the time needed to troubleshoot wireless coverage and throughput problems. It also introduces the ability to perform advanced analysis of client roaming problems, which according to AirMagnet's customer research is one of the most common root causes of poor user experience.
Key to many of the new abilities in this release (which is a free update for existing users with support contracts) is AirMagnet's new multi-adapter wireless hardware. This is a five-port USB hub that can accept two or three Proxim 8494 Wi-Fi adapters, in addition to an AirMagnet Spectrum XT RF analyser if needed.
With multiple adapters, a multi-channel approach can be used in walkabout surveys with WiFi Analyzer PRO, allowing the detection and analysis of problems that would otherwise be difficult to spot, in particular performance problems caused by mobile clients failing to roam (or roaming too slowly) between access points. WiFi Analyzer PRO has a new Roaming Analysis module that allows users to drill down into every roaming event on a network.
This 'root cause' approach is seen as being a much more effective way of troubleshooting than simply bombarding users with traffic data. A new Wireless Dashboard screen gives a quick graphical overview of all major network health parameters, with the ability to drill down as needed. Another handy feature is the one-touch connection test. This allows a user to perform on-the-spot connectivity and throughput tests, for example in a conference room, in order to verify that everything is working correctly.
Uniquely, WiFi Survey PRO tool can now also utilise two wireless adapters in order to perform simultaneous active and passive walkabout surveys. In a passive survey, the adapter is simply mapping signal strengths, whereas in an active survey the adapter associates with the network to measure client throughput. The result is that WiFi Survey PRO can now quickly produce a wireless throughput coverage map in order to identify problem areas.
Both packages now support 64-bit versions of Windows 7. AirMagnet WiFi Analyser PRO 8.0 and WiFi Survey PRO (which includes AirMagnet Planner) cost $3,995 (£2,496) each, and the multi-adapter kit costs $545 (£340) for Analyzer PRO and $380 (£237) for Survey PRO. Other compatible adapters are supported, with a full list available at AirMagnet's web site.
Kelvyn Taylor