WLAN and Ethernet Network Protocol Analyzers and Test Tools

Isolate and Describe Network Problems
Capture - Decode - Measure - Analyze - Detect - Plan

• Specialized RF measurement circuitry detects electromagnetic radiation
• RF characteristics are directly measured by the specialized circuitry
• Detailed, instantaneous waveform, frequency, wavelength, and signal strength measurements are available
• Designed for use by an RF engineer for complex, specific RF signal analysis
• Packet-level network data is not captured or decoded
• Presentation of information centers around an oscilloscope-like display of the real-time waveform

• Specialized RF measurement circuitry detects electromagnetic radiation
• RF characteristics are directly measured by the specialized circuitry
• Limited, and generalized waveform display
• Designed for field use by an RF engineer needing to know about signal transmissions in a particular location
• Packet-level network data is not captured or decoded
• Presentation of information centers around numeric and graphic representations of basic RF measurements

• Standard 802.11 or Ethernet hardware acquired data, control, and management packets
• RF characteristics are reported by the 802.11 chipset and read by the analyzer in packet-level data
• General signal strength, noise, and channel usage information is available
• Designed for use by a network engineer for troubleshooting, performance, and site survey analysis
• Packet-level network data is captured, decoded, and (often, as with AirMagnet) automatically analyzed by an expert system
• Presentation of information centers around graphs, tables, reports, and decodes of packet-level information

• Standard 802.11 or Ethernet hardware acquired data, control, and management packets
• RF characteristics are reported by the 802.11 chipset and read by the analyzer in packet-level data
• General signal strength, noise, and channel usage information is available
• Designed for field use by a network engineer needing quick, general information about a particular location
• Presentation of information is limited by the small size of the display screen on a handheld device

• The functionality of a Protocol Analyzer is distributed to multiple locations throughout a building and corporate campus
• An ideal system pushes analysis and processing out towards the remote devices
• A worst-case system simply pulls data traffic back to a central system for local analysis
• Pulling traffic back for local analysis creates a potentially significant extra load on the network
• Intelligent correlation of distributed events is a key capability for automated distributed analysis
• Remote probes may be software agents or dedicated hardware devices

The design goal for our Connect EZ Solution Suite product and service packages is to minimize or eliminate the need for on-going maintenance and management of the wireless network system after it's installed and configured. For many wireless networks the requirement for on-going performance assessment, confirmation of system operational status, and security monitoring demands the implementation of tools and equipment for network analysis. Connect802 makes these tools available and provides technical support services to make them effective.

Connect802 Corporation is an AirMagnet Technology Partner, providing of 802.11 wireless test and analysis equipment. These tools help network engineers quickly isolate and describe network problems, identify security exposures, and monitor network performance.

Protocol Analysis Tools

A protocol analyzer is a tool that captures data packets from the network and helps a support engineer understand the behavior and performance of the devices that are communicating. By reading the flow of conversations between machines on the network an evaluation can be made as to the rate of data transfer (throughput), "correctness" of the system configuration, and identification of potential security or intrusion issues.

Management Consoles

When a network has a number of access points or other pieces of equipment spread out throughout a large building, a corporate campus, or in multiple cities or states, it isn't practical to have a service technician or network engineer physically walk, drive, or fly to each location for configuration, troubleshooting, or system maintenance. A central control and management console system allows all of the remote devices to be configured and monitored from a central location.

Intrusion Detection Systems

Wi-Fi networks, when properly configured, provide protection against unauthorized access or the revealing of private information. Detecting attempts to break in to a network, or situations where misconfigurations or unauthorized equipment may be present is the job of an intrusion detection system. Since any network user could potentially buy a low-cost access point at their local computer store and plug it in to the network the possibility exists that physical network security measures could be circumvented. Of course, the more important privacy is to a particular network, the more "levels" of security will be added to augment physical system security. In any case, an intrusion detection system monitors the network, looking for unauthorized access attempts or exposed private information. The network administrator is notified when a security breach occurs.