| Slideshow: Cisco, Fluke, AirMagnet sweep WLAN analysis tools test All seven products tested offer enterprise-level spectral analysis. How we tested the WLAN spectrum analyzers Our test procedures included the installation/configuration and feature comparison of all products, and well as evaluation of the capabilities of each product when exposed to both Wi-Fi (a competing connection on the same channel) and non-Wi-Fi (microwave ovens and cordless phones) interference. As is typically the case, products were rated on installation, ease-of-use, features, and documentation. Cisco Spectrum Expert sets pace for affordable spectrum analysis tools Spectrum Expert is easy to install (load the software, and insert the PC-card sensor), and information is presented logically in multiple customizable tiled windows. A broad range of configuration possibilities exists, with each window being easily settable to display particular information via a simple menu system Berkeley analyzers tuned for daily use BVS has been building mobile spectrum analyzers of many forms for quite some time, and today offers a broad product line covering both WLAN and WWAN technologies. Nuts About Nets' AirSleuth is a strong low-end contender AirSleuth Pro defines the low end of notebook-based spectrum analyzers today. At only $395 (with even less expensive - and less capable - versions available), this product, which is available in both USB and PC card versions, will get you basic 2.4 GHz. (no 5 GHz. capability is included) analysis. Metageek defines low-end WLAN analyzer space Metageek's Chanalyzer application is geared towards casual users. Three key "views" are presented: Spectral, which shows energy over time; Topographic, which displays waveforms by frequency ("popularity" indicated by color); and Planar, which shows instantaneous, average and maximum energy by frequency. Fluke Networks AnalyzeAir, based on Cognio wares, shines in WLAN spectral analysis Fluke's product is also based on the Cisco technology, and the functionality is almost identical. Installation is easy, and two antennas are included, including the same dipole that Cisco and AirMagnet use, plus a directional antenna. AirMagnet Spectrum Analyzer fills out top quality WLAN management suite Spectrum Analyzer suffers from the installation complexity we noted in our review of the packet capture and analysis capabilities in the company's Wi-Fi Analyzer product, although the fact that we'd already registered with AirMagnet simplified matters somewhat. Beware, though, that the installation process binds the product to a particular PC, which may not be convenient in every case. Days may be numbered for standalone spectrum analyzers Spectral analysis can involve a significant investment in time and money, and the result is the availability of a tool that is carried from location to location as part of normal operations. | 
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