AirMagnet's wireless LAN security and management solutions hold a significant position in the market, and the company has maintained its leadership through consistent growth. Among its latest offerings, the AirMagnet Spectrum Analyzer (ASA) stands out as a highly promising product. This device addresses a previous limitation of AirMagnet’s products by integrating RF (Radio Frequency) analysis capabilities, which were previously missing from their lineup.
RF analysis plays a crucial role because many packet-level tools, such as the Enterprise, Laptop, and Handheld Analyzers, rely on detecting and decoding 802.11 signals. However, wireless LAN issues can often be caused by RF interference sources that do not emit standard 802.11 signals. Common culprits include microwave ovens, cordless phones, and Bluetooth devices, though there are other less obvious sources as well. The ability to detect and analyze these non-802.11 signals makes the ASA an essential tool for network administrators seeking to identify and resolve hidden interference problems.
At the heart of the ASA is the Spectrum PC Card, a compact CardBus device designed to cover the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands used by 802.11a/b/g standards, as well as the 4.94–4.99 GHz band. This card serves as the core hardware component, enabling detailed RF spectrum analysis. The design of the Spectrum PC Card is impressive, especially when compared to competing products like those from Berkeley Varitronics Systems (BVS), which require larger, more complex components. In contrast, the ASA integrates all necessary elements into a single, portable unit.
Inside the Spectrum PC Card, the wireless transceiver detects RF signals and sends them to the Spectrum Analysis Engine (SAgE). SAgE performs Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis on the RF spectrum, providing low-level data about signal power and pulse characteristics. It also conducts on-board statistical analysis of both the spectrum and individual pulses, offering deeper insights into RF activity.
The Microcontroller Unit (MCU) runs proprietary software that processes the data streams. Key components of this system include the Measurement Engine, which normalizes SAgE data into meaningful formats, and the Classification Engine, which identifies specific types of interfering signals such as Bluetooth devices, microwaves, and cordless phones.
The engineering design of the Spectrum PC Card is well thought out, with a noise level of just 124 dBm and a deviation range of ±2.5 dBm—impressive specifications that highlight its accuracy and reliability. The card is compatible with any Windows XP SP1 or SP2 laptop or tablet that has a Type II CardBus slot. However, it cannot function as a standard 802.11a/b/g network card, meaning it cannot connect to wireless networks or run other AirMagnet software. If a Wi-Fi card is present in the device, it should be disabled during use.
For external antenna connectivity, the card features an MMCX interface, similar to older ORiNOCO and Buffalo products. AirMagnet provides a simple 2dBi dipole antenna, though the cable is short and includes a clip for easy attachment to a notebook screen.
Once installed on a Windows XP SP2 laptop, the ASA starts up without a formal setup guide, but the process is straightforward and quick. Upon launching the program, users are greeted with an initialization screen followed by a “Channel Summary†page, displaying real-time RF activity across monitored frequency bands. From here, users can customize the monitored frequency ranges, selecting from predefined options or defining their own. While the user-defined band feature offers flexibility, it lacks input validation, so incorrect values may go unnoticed and have no effect.
Overall, the AirMagnet Spectrum Analyzer is a powerful and innovative tool for identifying RF interference in wireless environments, making it a valuable asset for IT professionals and network engineers.
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