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RollOut: Ekahau's Site Survey 2.2: Page 3 of 4

However, Site Survey cannot meaningfully identify non Wi-Fi interference sources, such as microwave ovens, so users need another utility for spectrum analysis. A $3,500 suite should include at least some of this capability, which can be found in separate products, such as Wi-Spy's $99 MetaGeek and Cognio's $3,995 Spectrum Analyzer.

See It, Save It

Site Survey performs interactive surveys with any laptop that runs Windows XP or 2000. The user shows up onscreen as a dynamic line that moves across the electronic plan as she walks the area and clicks at locations of direction or speed changes. As this exercise continues, Site Survey gathers and assimilates data from the laptop's wireless NIC into a powerful collection of information, accessed over the simple user interface. You can survey existing APs or position any number of new ones in the environment. Each step can be recorded to form a cumulative survey as you move APs around.

These surveys show what is happening from the RF perspective in a given area, and allow all sorts of "what-ifs" to be exercised. What if I add an AP over there? What if a rogue AP on a specific channel pops up on the floor above? What if my network is under heavy user load? How does 802.11g coverage compare to 802.1a for an area? Ekahau and its competitors all answer these questions, but Site Survey's uncluttered GUI panels and well-placed windows make those answers easier to find, even when interfacing to a GPS unit for mapping large outdoor areas.