News | September 12, 2007

AirMagnet Automates Wireless LAN Design And Optimization

Sunnyvale, CA - AirMagnet Inc., the leader in security, performance and compliance solutions for wireless LANs, recently announced new versions of its industry leading wireless LAN planning and deployment optimization tools – AirMagnet Survey 5.0 and AirMagnet Planner 5.0 – which are used by enterprises, integrators and solutions providers to ensure the predictable performance of wireless networks.

Available together or as standalone solutions, AirMagnet Survey and AirMagnet Planner allow enterprises to combine state-of-the-art predictive modeling with real-world performance data to provide a complete Wi-Fi "weather map," giving users the tools they need to optimize existing wireless LAN layouts, expand infrastructure footprints or plan new deployments. Key highlights in the new release include automated WLAN modeling (Planner Advisor), and views to compare separate wireless site surveys, locate areas of unusual RF spectrum traffic and unauthorized stations on a floor map.

"Wireless signals are strongly influenced by the particular characteristics of each site, from wall construction to non-Wi-Fi interference, making site surveys essential to the successful and efficient deployment or expansion of wireless networks," said Chris Roeckl, Vice President of Marketing at AirMagnet. "AirMagnet Survey and AirMagnet Planner help companies identify signal coverage, throughput requirements, interference, roaming behavior and more, allowing for better decisions on equipment purchases, placement and configuration. The new release takes this even further by automating the planning process – simply input the network requirements and AirMagnet will plan out the best deployment scenario."

"Conducting pre-deployment site planning and on-site surveys are critical to ensure predictable performance and reliability of Wireless LANs," said Greg Taylor, WLAN Services Lead at BT INS. "AirMagnet Survey and Planner has helped our consultants maximize Wi-Fi coverage, optimize our clients' networks and resolve any problems with minimal interference, as well as automating the entire process. AirMagnet products reduce our consultant's time in the field and aid in the overall design of a Wireless LAN infrastructure. "

AirMagnet Survey 5.0

AirMagnet Survey automatically gathers critical Wi-Fi and RF spectrum information using multiple data collection methods and then generates detailed Wi-Fi performance maps of the results. AirMagnet Survey 5.0 introduces key enhancements such as:

  • Diff View –Compare/contrast two separate wireless site surveys side-by-side to identify changes over time.
  • RF Spectrum Heat Map –Visualize the RF physical layer to locate areas of unusual spectrum traffic before it affects network performance.
  • Locate Stations – Utilize Survey data to locate any unauthorized or performance-intensive station detected during a survey.
  • Infrastructure Vendor Network Surveys – AirMagnet Survey is the only product that automatically and accurately identifies virtual APs to ease data analysis, with pre-defined grouping for the Cisco and Aruba infrastructure.
  • Simulation of Wireless Adapters –Take existing surveys and visualize how different vendor wireless adapters would perceive the wireless environment.

AirMagnet Planner 5.0

AirMagnet Planner takes the guesswork out of WLAN design and installation, making it easier for IT professionals to accurately plan and deploy 802.11 based wireless networks. Based on the building's architectural environment and material structure – such as walls, cubicles and obstructions, access point configurations, antenna patterns, and a host of other variables – AirMagnet Planner delivers a reliable and predictive map of Wi-Fi signal performance. Along with a number of usability enhancements in the product, AirMagnet Planner 5.0 also introduces Automated WLAN Modeling (Planner Advisor) to optimize the placement of APs on site floor maps. Users specify their coverage requirements, and the software automatically rolls out the AP placement and configuration plan.

AirMagnet Survey 5.0 is now available and priced at $1,995 for the standard edition and $3,695 for Survey PRO in the U.S. AirMagnet Planner is available for $1,000 as an addition for Survey customers, or for $2,000 as a stand-alone product. Existing customers with an active software support subscription are entitled to an upgrade at no charge.

SOURCE: AirMagnet Inc.