CTS 244: Handheld Wi-Fi Tools with netAlly

Which tools are best to use for Wi-Fi troubleshooting? Maybe you’re using a handful of tools to complete the job. Each tool performs a specific function and in the end we need to merge the data collected into a single report or next action. For a few months, I’ve been testing the netAlly EtherScope nXG. It’s handheld tool with multiple functions. It performs tests on wired and Wi-Fi networks. So in this episode, François and I speak about how the EtherScope nXG and also the AirCheck G2 can help Wi-Fi engineers in their day to day jobs. But the handheld tools are much more powerful than that. We could have others perform these tests, others who may not be networking experts. The functions are intuitive, especially when it comes to netAlly’s AutoTest feature. These handheld tools can help us analyze roaming. A connect log is captured and documented along with other statistics such as signal strength, SNR, and retry rates. Being able to view this information in detail down to specific channel or even the BSSID helps us troubleshoot or analyze Wi-Fi with ease. Now, netAlly provides a validation survey capability. In this episode, we talk about AirMapper and how easy it is to use with a single handheld device. And we’re impressed with how the results can be uploaded to Link-Live and viewed on a web page. That could be our future of validation surveys. There’s a lot of potential there. Take a listen to this episode and let us know what your thoughts are on using netAlly EtherScope nXG or the AirCheck G2. Resources * Rowell’s blog reviewing 3 features of netAlly EtherScope nXG* Rowell’s video highlighting 3 features of the EtherScope nXG* netAlly