“Everyone understands that 802.11n will significantly increase reach, reliability and throughput associated with WLANs, yet many IT managers are struggling with the impact this standard will have on new or existing networks,” said Chia-Chee Kuan, CTO at AirMagnet. “AirMagnet Survey and Analyzer are already the leading mobile tools for planning and troubleshooting WLANs. This latest release addresses the two universal challenges that face all 802.11n deployments: getting true 11n performance versus theoretical performance, and phasing 11n gear into an established WLAN without doing a forklift upgrade.”
AirMagnet Laptop Analyzer PRO and AirMagnet Survey PRO have been updated for educating users on the impact of 11n, simulating deployment scenarios, and optimizing ongoing security and performance management. Both products have been updated with new AirWISE® (AirMagnet’s proprietary intelligence engine) educational features that explain and advise on some of the most common problems facing 802.11n network users. Additionally, the products have been updated with a variety of modeling tools that can streamline the planning process and can help answer questions such as, “What throughput changes can I expect as I deploy new APs or STAs in the environment?” or “What is the overhead in supporting legacy devices?”
“For any organization looking to leverage the enhancements associated with 802.11n, it is imperative to first model how the new standard will affect the environment. Then after deployment, ongoing management for performance and security is key to ensure operational efficiencies and a healthy 11n network,” said Stan Schatt, vice president and research director at ABI Research. “AirMagnet’s new 11n suite fills a definite gap in the marketplace. I think most network managers now are realizing that a ‘set and forget’ approach doesn’t work with a wireless office because it’s such a dynamic RF environment. Decision making as to optimal coverage is an ongoing process.”