NetAlly AirMagnet Survey PRO (AM/A4018) Wireless Network Tester
The NetAlly AirMagnet Survey PRO (AM/A4018) Wireless Network Tester consists of two product variants: "Express" and "Pro". AirMagnet Survey Express offers a simplified version of the solution, allowing users to perform basic Wi-Fi site survey functions and view data related to signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and even user performance. AirMagnet Survey Pro includes all the features of the Express version and adds industry-leading advanced capabilities, such as 802.11n deployment, multi-floor deployment, outdoor surveys, network design validation, voice readiness verification and surveys, RF spectrum analysis, and more.
The NetAlly AirMagnet Survey PRO (AM/A4018) Wireless Network Tester is ideally suited for planning and designing 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac wireless local area networks (WLANs) to achieve optimal performance, security, and compliance. It can calculate the ideal number of access points (APs) required for a successful WLAN deployment, as well as their placement locations and configurations.
AirMagnet Survey’s capabilities extend far beyond verifying RF coverage. It can also plan actual end-user network performance based on connection speed, throughput, and data packets. The end result is a Wi-Fi "comprehensive predictive map" that includes all key RF and end-user performance metrics, enabling users to deploy the network correctly from the start and avoid time-consuming rework and IT complaints.
These advanced features allow users to integrate professional spectrum analyzers to collect Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi data in one go, simulate pre-configuration scenarios to estimate budgets and define migration strategies to new technologies, generate custom survey reports, conduct outdoor surveys using GPS devices, design voice-ready networks through Wi-Fi voice surveys, verify network requirements for end-users and applications, and perform detailed end-user capacity planning.
The NetAlly AirMagnet Survey PRO (AM/A4018) Wireless Network Tester delivers fast and accurate site surveys for all 802.11a/b/g/n/ac indoor and outdoor wireless networks. This innovative tool automatically collects critical Wi-Fi and RF spectrum information from enterprise networks using multiple data collection methods (including actual measurements) and generates detailed Wi-Fi performance result maps to facilitate network deployment, capacity planning, and optimization. With AirMagnet Survey, users can deploy networks correctly the first time, eliminating costly rework. This not only ensures maximum user satisfaction but also helps AirMagnet Survey users (such as system integrators) maintain project profitability and maximize opportunities for repeat business.
Deploying 802.11ac Networks
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NetAlly’s AirMagnet Survey is the only WLAN deployment solution in the industry that allows users to detect and evaluate the real-world experience of end-users when connecting to WLAN networks via 802.11ac adapters. AirMagnet Survey’s capabilities are not limited to verifying RF coverage; it also graphically displays end-users’ actual network performance based on factors such as throughput, PHY data rates, MIMO, and other environmental conditions/network configurations. AirMagnet Survey clearly shows the coverage of specific 802.11ac parameters that can enhance performance—such as higher MCS schemes and wider channels (20/40/80/160 MHz coverage maps)—as well as interference and original components that may impact 802.11ac performance. To make the most of 802.11ac’s extended channel widths, users can develop optimal channel allocation plans based on channel width coverage maps to achieve higher data transfer rates. Leveraging its unique overlapping heatmaps, users can visualize the overlap between primary and secondary channels, thereby mitigating channel interference and maximizing the performance of 802.11ac networks. The end result is a Wi-Fi "comprehensive predictive map" that includes all key RF and end-user performance metrics. These actual measurements enable IT staff to design and deploy WLANs correctly from the outset, avoiding end-user network complaints and costly network redesigns, thus saving time and costs.
Unique Actual Performance Evaluation
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Unlike other solutions that passively rely on collecting data such as signal strength, AirMagnet Survey allows users to perform active Iperf surveys, ensuring superior site surveys. During an active Iperf survey, the NetAlly AirMagnet Survey PRO (AM/A1150) Wireless Network Tester establishes a connection with the AP to test actual connection quality. This enables surveyors to view the client’s real performance in terms of actual WLAN throughput, connection speed, retry rate, and packet loss. This is particularly important for technical standards such as 802.11n and 802.11ac, as the only way to truly demonstrate network performance for these standards is to conduct such actual surveys that take into account multipath, device configurations, and environmental conditions. Additionally, since the properties of AP and client devices differ in uplink and downlink, measurements must be taken on both ends of the equation—and this can only be accomplished using AirMagnet Survey’s Iperf survey function. With this measurement and survey capability, network designers or installers can ensure maximum network performance during deployment, avoiding costly rework or issue escalation.
Note: Iperf is only available in the Pro version.
Comprehensive Analysis and Mapping
The NetAlly AirMagnet Survey PRO (AM/A4018) Wireless Network Tester automatically displays survey results on a map of your location, offering unlimited options for visual analysis.
Coverage and Performance Heatmaps: Measure and view the distribution of signal strength, noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), WLAN throughput, PHY data rates, retry rates, and packet loss in heatmap format.
Backup AP Heatmaps: Display the coverage and performance of backup APs in the event of primary AP loss or downtime.
Comprehensive Technology-Specific Support: Conduct survey tests and display heatmaps for the latest 802.11n and 802.11ac standards:
802.11n: Operation mode coverage maps, MCS rate transmit/receive coverage maps, and channel bandwidth (20MHz/40MHz) coverage maps.
802.11ac: Operation mode coverage maps, MCS rate transmit/receive coverage maps, channel bandwidth (20MHz/40MHz/80MHz/160MHz) coverage maps, and channel overlap heatmaps.
Interference Analysis: Measure the total accumulated interference from all sources that can impact AP performance.
View by Channel, SSID, or Device: Sort results by SSID or channel to easily balance RF issues and service level requirements in VLANs.
Overlap and Roaming Analysis: Identify areas with over-provisioning or where clients are prone to continuous roaming or "bouncing" between APs in real time.
Simulate Wireless Adapters: Conduct a single on-site survey and see how another Wi-Fi adapter would perceive the survey environment with precision.
Synchronized On-Site Surveys
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By connecting multiple adapters to the same PC, the NetAlly AirMagnet Survey PRO (AM/A4018) Wireless Network Tester gains the ability to conduct multiple surveys simultaneously. This allows users to simulate real client behavior using industry best practices (via active and Iperf surveys) while reducing on-site survey time, effort, and costs by half—since users only need to visit the site once to collect all required data. For example, users can perform passive and active surveys simultaneously, or survey across multiple frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) at the same time.
Intuitive View of Coverage and Performance Changes Over Time
Diff View: Compare Results Across Different Surveys
Wi-Fi environments are highly dynamic, so verifying changes in network coverage and performance is critical. AirMagnet Survey’s Diff View feature allows users to view differences between two sets of test results in a single interface. This reveals how the wireless environment of a location has changed over time. This view is also ideal for our system integrator clients to continuously secure repeat business for network coverage and performance verification. Similarly, users can leverage this feature to quickly compare differences between AirMagnet Planner results and actual on-site survey results. This information can then be used to fine-tune dB loss in Planner based on building materials and environmental conditions for more accurate planning.
Simulation and Optimization
Simulate "What-If" Scenarios
With AirMagnet Survey, users can simulate "what-if" scenarios to avoid or minimize the need for costly repeated survey processes. After a survey, users can simulate various changes to the network and preview their impacts—including adjusting AP transmit power, channels, SSID settings, or adding environmental noise. Users can also simulate moving APs to new locations and preview the effects of adding additional APs. The NetAlly AirMagnet Survey PRO (AM/A4018) Wireless Network Tester provides users with an automated AP channel plan to avoid interference and over-configuration.
Building Secure Networks
To ensure the highest level of WLAN security, the NetAlly AirMagnet Survey PRO (AM/A4018) Wireless Network Tester minimizes the risk of RF leakage outside enterprise buildings. Unless required for parking lots or external services, leakage risk should be kept to a minimum. Additionally, AirMagnet Survey can locate and detect unauthorized APs or APs that heavily consume performance resources during floor surveys.
802.11ac Site Surveys
AirMagnet Survey includes the industry’s most advanced 802.11ac surveys (including support for 3x3 MIMO up to 1300 Mbps) and accounts for the actual impact of multipath transmission encountered at each location. It can actively test the uplink and downlink performance of 802.11ac networks. AirMagnet Survey Pro includes built-in coverage maps specific to 802.11ac networks, such as operation mode coverage maps, MCS rate transmit/receive coverage maps, and channel bandwidth coverage maps.
WLAN Voice Surveys
Voice Call Quality Coverage Maps
AirMagnet Survey addresses the challenges faced by network installers and IT staff when deploying VoWLAN networks. It provides them with a built-in voice readiness verification system (including pre-configured support for Cisco 792X phones and Vocera badges, with the option to add profiles from other vendors), enabling users to ensure their network design complies with phone vendor recommendations and conduct actual voice surveys. Leveraging the industry’s first voice survey feature, users can verify and design voice networks on floor plans—confirming call quality, capacity, and other voice-specific parameters at any location on the floor map—to help identify and minimize issues that may cause poor call quality.
The application includes various coverage maps designed specifically for voice networks, such as WiMOS score or call quality maps, active call count maps, phone roaming area maps (with roaming statistics), channel utilization maps, and retry maps. These tools enable users to design voice networks that ensure maximum performance.
Integration with Spectrum Analyzers
Intuitive View of RF Interference and Sources
Considering RF interference from non-Wi-Fi devices is critical before making design and deployment decisions. In most cases, users need to fine-tune channel plans based on these intentional or unintentional transmitters. Users with AirMagnet Spectrum XT can collect both Wi-Fi and spectrum analysis data in a single survey. Leveraging this integration, users can intuitively view RF energy at any location and locate and display non-802.11 devices that interfere with the WLAN. At any point on the map, users can visually check the average RF spectrum level in each channel.
Note: AirMagnet Survey Pro must be installed on the same computer as your spectrum application.
Multi-Floor Deployment
AirMagnet Survey users can view multiple floors of the same building to check for AP signal leakage to adjacent floors. This feature enables users to design networks that reuse single APs across multiple floors, reducing equipment and deployment costs.
AirWISE for Site Surveys
The AirWISE engine allows users to set WLAN design/application requirements (including signal coverage, WLAN throughput, PHY data rates, 802.11n-specific parameters, etc.) and identify all problem areas in real time. Users can then see which areas of the floor plan meet requirements and which do not, and take necessary actions to resolve coverage, performance, or capacity issues. The capacity planning component helps surveyors calculate the number of WLAN end-users that need to be supported during the design and deployment phases. AirWISE also includes pre-configured profiles for verifying WLAN deployment readiness for vendor-specific applications—such as Cisco Location Services and VoWLAN for Cisco & Vocera—based on actual survey data or WLAN modeling data. Users can also create their own profiles and share them with others.
With AirWISE, users can quickly verify WLAN requirements by evaluating the pass/fail status of various deployment criteria, ensuring the WLAN network operates as required. They gain insights into floor areas that meet or fail requirements. One-click WLAN evaluation saves time, effort, and money by avoiding the high costs of WLAN redesign and helping minimize IT troubleshooting costs. Users can generate pass/fail reports to improve the efficiency of handing over survey results to installers or end clients.
Professional Reporting
Custom Survey Reports
The NetAlly AirMagnet Survey PRO (AM/A4018) Wireless Network Tester includes a fully integrated reporting module that instantly generates custom output reports for on-site surveys and simulations. Additionally, users can flexibly create reports using custom templates based on project requirements. Beyond multiple customization options, users can add/remove sections, include their own notes, customize logos, headers, and footers. Reports can be exported in more than 15 formats, including PDF, XML, HTML, Excel, and Word. AirMagnet Survey also includes report templates in the following languages: German, French, Arabic, and Russian are built into the product, and users can create templates in any other language.
Outdoor Surveys
Google Earth Integration for Outdoor Surveys
By combining GPS support with integration with Google Earth, Microsoft MapPoint, and Microsoft Bing Maps, AirMagnet Survey PRO provides a clear method for fast, fully automated outdoor surveys. Users can leverage their NMEA-compliant GPS devices to automatically collect outdoor wireless data. Results can be analyzed in the AirMagnet Survey user interface or exported to Google Earth for zooming in to view any street in a city.
Integration with WLAN Infrastructure Vendors
Automated WLAN Modeling with AirMagnet Planner
The NetAlly AirMagnet Survey PRO (AM/A4018) Wireless Network Tester is the only WLAN on-site survey tool in the industry that allows actual survey data to be exported to Cisco WCS. This is critical for calibrating Cisco’s built-in planning and modeling functions and for supporting specific applications—such as Location Services that require calibrated on-site surveys to maximize the accuracy of WLAN client or tag positioning, and VoWLAN services where on-site surveys are recommended to verify differences between actual data and the predictive capabilities of the infrastructure.
Users can leverage the built-in planning capabilities of AirMagnet Survey PRO by creating planning projects and exporting them directly to Cisco WCS. This helps users save significant time and resources required for setting up maps, AP placement locations, and other WLAN deployment modeling activities—eliminating the need to repeat these tasks in Cisco WCS. Furthermore, this greatly improves operational efficiency for AirMagnet and Cisco WCS users by eliminating redundant wireless planning and on-site survey tasks related to WLAN network deployment and ongoing management.
