Commercial WLAN Analyzers

IT staff looking for a commercial WLAN analyzer have plenty of options, generally offering more features than open source alternatives.

To illustrate commercial product breadth, here is a representative (non-exhaustive!) list of commercial WLAN analyzers. We’ve included manufacturer’s suggested retail prices for several of these products, but prices change and volume/site licenses are usually available, so please consult vendor websites for further information.

AirMagnet Laptop ($3,499) and Handheld ($2,995) are software products designed to perform 802.11a/b/g WLAN analysis on Windows XP/2000 or Pocket PC platforms, respectively. Companion wireless IDS (Distributed) and site survey (Surveyor) products are also available from AirMagnet.

Baseband Technologies LinkFerret Network Monitor and Protocol Analyzer ($295) is a Win32 program that supports traffic capture and analysis for Ethernet and 802.11b/g networks. A Remote Agent is also available for distributed traffic capture.

Berkeley Varitronics Systems (BVS) sells a suite of WLAN analysis products, including Yellowjacket 802.11a and Yellowjacket 802.11b/g Analysis Systems. Yellowjacket runs on a off-the-shelf or integrated IPAQ Pocket PCs; GPS, directional antenna, and Bird’s Eye indoor mapping software options are also available.

Fluke Networks OptiView Series II Integrated Network Analyzer is a portable analyzer sold in hardware form. An OptiView wireless option is available to monitor 802.11a/b/g networks.

Javvin Network Packet Analyzer ($249) is a general-purpose Win32 protocol analyzer that can be used with 802.11 adapters, but does not support RFMON mode traffic capture.

Network General (formerly NAI/McAfee) Sniffer Wireless ($6,995 perpetual license) provides 802.11a/b capture and expert analysis on both Win32 and Pocket PC platforms.

Network Instruments Observer ($995) is general-purpose protocol analyzer for Windows 2000/XP/2003 that can record and analyze local or remote 802.11a/b/g traffic. The Observer line also includes Expert ($2895) and distributed Suite products.

TamoSoft CommView for Wi-Fi ($499) is a Windows 2000/XP/2003 program that provides packet capture, monitoring, and analysis for 802.11a/b/g networks.

Tektronics WCA11G Signal Analysis Win32 software works in conjunction with the WCA300, a hardware-based Communications Analyzer, to analyze 802.11 a/b/g RF signals. This is a dedicated spectrum analyzer, but not a protocol analyzer.

WildPackets AiroPeek ($995) is a Windows XP/2000-based protocol analyzer for 802.11a/b/g networks. An “Expert” version (AiroPeekNX, $3,495) and a hardware probe (RFGrabber) are also available.

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Lisa Phifer

Lisa Phifer owns Core Competence Inc., a consultancy specializing in safe business use of emerging Internet technologies. In 1994, Lisa received a Bellcore President's Award for her work on the South Carolina Information Highway. Since joining Core Competence in 1995, she has focused on secure mobility, providing consulting services to hundreds of firms, including mobile network operators, network and wireless equipment manufacturers, EMM, WIPS, VPN, and other security software and service providers, global Internet policy-makers, large enterprises, and small businesses.

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