May 12, 2008

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AirMagnet Survey

During a passive site survey, AirMagnet Survey automatically records RF data from all APs and stations in the area. This produces an excellent overview of the entire wireless environment including sources of noise and any wireless signals from neighboring networks. During an active site survey, AirMagnet Survey associates itself to a specific AP and exchanges data to emulate an end-user. This enables you to map out exactly how real-world clients will perform at various locations taking into account the multipath at that location in terms of connection data rates, retry rates and packet loss. Similar to the Active Survey, users can perform an Iperf Survey —open-source software tool for performance measurement— to measure real-world uplink and downlink network performance.

At the end of each site survey, you will name and save your survey data for later analysis and planning, including locating stations on the map. When it's time to analyze results, AirMagnet Survey can automatically merge any number of your active and passive site surveys to provide the most accurate, data-rich analysis possible. A dynamic map view gives you instant insight to the potential performance of your network. In one click, you can change the map view to display signal, noise, frame speeds, retry rates, packet loss, or any of the 802.11n coverage maps. Two filtering modes enable you to view and analyze site data by channel or SSID. You can also filter by individual AP selections to focus your view. The live data collected from your active and passive surveys enables you to simulate and measure network performance in the most scientific way possible—with the most accurate depiction of a real—world user experience. You can relocate APs on the map and adjust AP configurations—such as Power, Channel, SSID, and Noise Floor—to simulate changes in the network, which appear on your refreshed map. Drill-down on specific APs to analyze performance statistics, then tweak and adjust your simulations until you achieve optimal settings. You can also take an existing survey and view exactly how another adapter would view the survey environment. The WLAN Throughput Simulator tool helps optimize the network deployment by capturing the existing infrastructure environment and calculates the network throughput and overhead under user-specified conditions. It also allows the user to simulate the addition of new APs or stations with user specified capabilities and view their impact on network performance.

Note: 802.11n device simulation and the WLAN Throughput Simulator tool are available in Survey PRO ONLY. AirMagnet Survey's Diff View feature allows side-by-side visualizing of differences between two separate surveys. View how a site's wireless environment has changed over time. Likewise, users can use this feature to quickly compare Planner results with actual Survey results. Along with meeting performance requirements, AirMagnet Survey can be used to monitor for RF spillage outside the corporate building. This spillage should be kept to a minimum, unless service is to be provided in the parking lot or an outside area. Survey can also locate unauthorized stations detected during a survey on a floor map. Use AirMagnet Survey's suite of utilities to actively test the network and pinpoint problems, including a signal test tool to identify potential multipath interference, ping, DHCP tools, and a library of wireless calculators.

AirMagnet Survey PRO software version contains all the functionality of the standard Survey version plus an additional set of features tailored to the needs of the wireless expert.

With varying 802.11n access point and station capabilities, different uplink (station to access point) and downlink (access point to station) data rates are measured by AirMagnet's unique Iperf survey, which accounts for multipath and a variety of other factors that can impact end-user performance. With AirMagnet Survey, users can plan for optimal 802.11n AP placement and configuration, and also ensure quality and reliability for the 802.11n network. It assists with legacy AP/station coexistence planning and channel assignment and verifies readiness for 802.11n deployment and helps make critical deployment decisions for new networks or adding 802.11n devices to existing networks. Operating Mode coverage map: Maps the operating mode (Greenfield, Mixed-mode or legacy) of corporate APs at every location on the floor map. With this coverage map, users are now able to visualize their readiness for a Greenfield, MIxed-mode or legacy deployment.
MCS Rate coverage map: Displays the true performance of the 802.11n network by mapping the maximum Transmit and Receive Modulation Coding Scheme (MCS) capability of the 802.11n devices.
Channel Width coverage map: Maps the different channel width implementations (20 MHz legacy, 20 or 40 MHz HT) used by 802.11n devices in the network environment. Users can use this map to verify their AP configuration and see areas where 40 MHz channel bonding could be used that may either increase the throughput or cause interference. AirWISE® is your encyclopedia source for expert survey advice. AirWise displays all areas that fail to meet the design requirements of your network, and provides recommendations and procedures for problem resolution. Whether you're designing your network for voice or planning for end-user capacity, AirWISE® can guide you to the answer. Users can also set new design goals for their 802.11n network for the 802.11n Operating modes, MCS values and Channel width. For example, users can verify the percentage readiness of their floor for a Greenfield deployment. Survey PRO includes a completely integrated reporting module that instantly creates custom outputs of your site surveys and simulations. Reports include coverage, interference assessments of every channel, SSID, and AP and the new 802.11n specific reports for Operating mode, channel width and the MCS index. Reports can be generated in over 15 formats including PDF, XML, HTML, and Microsoft Excel. Survey PRO integrates with AirMagnet's Spectrum Analyzer, enabling both WiFi and spectrum analysis data to be collected in a single walkthrough. Survey Pro automatically identifies and displays the presence of non-802.11 devices that are interfering with the WLAN at the site survey locations. Your user-interface shows a location-specific FFT spectrum plot for every data point, giving you the most complete view of your wireless environment possible. Users can also use the RF spectrum heat map to visualize the average power level in the RF spectrum for each channel at any given point on the map. Survey PRO provides the ability to analyze up to 4 separate projects simultaneously. Users can load multiple floors of a single building to see if AP signals are bleeding to adjacent floors. With the combination of GPS support, 4.9 GHz support and integration with Google Earth, Microsoft® MapPoint™ and Microsoft® Virtual Earth™, AirMagnet Survey PRO provides a clear path to fast, fully automated outdoor surveys. Users can leverage their NMEA compliant GPS device to automatically collect outdoor wireless data. The results can then be analyzed in the AirMagnet user interface or exported into Google Earth. AirMagnet Planner is available as a standalone product or as a fully integrated feature of AirMagnet Survey and Survey PRO. AirMagnet Planner makes it easy to build a detailed model of any WiFi environment. Simply load in a map of your location, use the built-in library of walls, doors and windows or specify your own custom materials to precisely match the building's characteristics and mark areas where you need WiFi coverage. Your map now becomes a platform to simulate performance based on the correct number, placement and configuration of APs. Allow Planner to optimize the layout of Access Points on site plans automatically or manually tweak any number of these settings until you achieve full coverage for end-users while minimizing signal bleed into unsecured areas. Generate a full report of your wireless environment, including a bill of materials for your infrastructure purchase. For a full description of advanced features, read the AirMagnet Planner datasheet. AirMagnet Survey can be installed on a variety of platforms including Windows-based Laptops, Tablet PCs and Ultra-Mobile PCs. UMPC support enables end-users and resellers — for the first time — to plan and design all aspects of the WLAN with a PC that can fit in their pocket. Site Surveyors can now conveniently walk the corporate premises with a light-weight tool in their hand and collect live signal, speed and packet information. AirMagnet Survey is supported on the OQO Model 02/e2 UMPC running Windows XP Professional OS. Click here for more details on the OQO model 02/e2 UMPC.

Minimum System Requirements:

• Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Business/Ultimate (SP1), 2000 (SP 4) or XP™ Professional (SP 2) / Tablet PC Edition 2005 (SP 2) or MAC OS X Leopard™ (Apple® MacBook® Pro running Windows XP™ PRO/SP2 using Boot Camp®)
• Pentium® M 1.6Ghz or higher recommended
• 512MB Memory (1 GB or more recommended for large/complex projects) for Windows 2000/XP™ PRO, 1 GB Memory (2 GB or more recommended for large/complex projects) for Windows Vista™
• 800MB of free disk space
• An AirMagnet Spectrum Analyzer Adapter and license (required for viewing spectrum data and heat map)
• Microsoft® MapPoint 2004 or higher (required for running large-scale outdoor survey using the MapPoint integration feature)
• Internet connection for using Microsoft® Virtual Earth integration for outdoor surveys
• A site map in a format supported by AirMagnet Survey (supported formats are: .bmp, .dib, .dwg, .dxf, .emf, .gif, vsd, .jpg, or .wmf.)
• Google Earth must be installed in order to export the GPS data for outdoor surveys to Google Earth
• Open slot for PCMCIA or CF Type II adapters
• AirMagnet supported Wireless adapters
• For Ultra Mobile PC platform support: OQO model 02/e2: (Better, best, and best with SSD configurations supported; Windows XP™ PRO only; model e2 is for international sales only)

The following preferred adapters have been tested and verified to work with AirMagnet Survey/Survey PRO:

*** Note: Click here to get detailed information on supported
Operating Systems for each adapter. ***

The following adapters are supported to work with AirMagnet Survey/Survey PRO

*** Note: Click here to get detailed information on supported Operating Systems. ***

AirMagnet Directional Antenna (Optional): Download in PDF format

The AirMagnet Directional Antenna will enhance the RF detection and capabilities of the AirMagnet Analyzers in a single direction helping narrow down the search pattern far more effectively. It is small, light and portable.

Users need to attach the Velcro base (supplied with the directional antenna package) to the laptop and connect it to the AirMagnet card and start analyzing the wireless environment in the specific area.

Note: Supported only on Ubiquiti SRC 300mW MMCX

Connect AirMagnet supported PCMCIA cards to ExpressCard-enabled notebooks

The DuelAdapter™ converter converts input from PCMCIA cards to an Express Card compatible format. AirMagnet users can continue using AirMagnet products on laptops that only include the Express Card slots. Also laptops with both slot formats (Express Card and PCMCIA) and no internal Wi-Fi cards, can use this adapter for AirMagnet Spectrum Analyzer integration with AirMagnet Laptop Analyzer PRO and AirMagnet Survey PRO. Click here for more details and purchasing options.

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