With new modeling applications, toolsets, and the industry's only portable 3x3 capture and analysis capability, businesses can now leverage the first solution on the market for complete wireless lifecycle management to design and deploy 802.11ac networks and troubleshoot their problems accurately, quickly, and more cost-effectively.
As enterprise networks increasingly rely on Wi-Fi and face growing bandwidth and capacity challenges, IT is transitioning from the 802.11a/b/g/na wireless standard to Gigabit 802.11ac for more reliable connections, better performance, and greater capacity. Independent research firm Infonetics Research estimates that 802.11ac access points "...could very well account for three-quarters of all access points shipped in 2017."*
However, moving to 802.11ac will not solve all IT challenges. According to Gartner, "More bandwidth is good, and the 802.11ac standard can better support high-transaction-density environments; however, that doesn't solve the underlying problem of poorly or inadequately implemented wireless networks."
Wireless network technicians and systems integrators are already facing challenges integrating new equipment and ensuring that deployments meet and maintain Gigabit Wi-Fi standards. However, with AirMagnet tools, users are guaranteed to design and deploy networks that "just work," and with the enhanced performance these standards enable.
To address these challenges, AirMagnet Survey PRO, the industry’s most accurate wireless surveying and design solution, and AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer PRO, the leading mobile Wi-Fi auditing and troubleshooting solution, now include 802.11ac functionality to help IT teams effectively integrate new wireless infrastructure into existing WLANs without blindly replacing existing equipment piece by piece. AirMagnet tools also enable IT teams to resolve 802.11ac network issues correctly the first time, avoiding costly revisits and, more importantly, minimizing downtime.
802.11ac technology places greater demands on an organization’s wired infrastructure, making it essential to validate the capacity and quality of its Ethernet backbone before any deployment. Fluke Networks not only offers market-leading Wi-Fi solutions with its AirMagnet tools, but also wired network analysis solutions such as OptiView® XG Network Analysis Tablet, OneTouch AT Network Assistant, and LinkRunner Pro, which verify whether the wired backbone is ready for Gigabit Ethernet.
New features for 802.11ac include:
• Optimizing the migration or coexistence path with the 802.11ac standard:
o AirMagnet Survey PRO's planning capabilities allow wireless network technicians to quickly and easily design an 802.11ac network, including determining the number of access points needed, their location, and configuration parameters, before deploying any new infrastructure. This enables IT departments to estimate budgets before making investments, solidify migration strategies, and mitigate potential transition disruptions.
Users can see how to repurpose existing electrical and Ethernet infrastructure for new access points, visualize the impact of introducing new 802.11ac access points in high-performance locations, and then measure and validate the actual performance achieved (instead of relying on estimates).
AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer PRO provides users with a unique set of tools that not only predicts whether network capacity is ready for the influx of new 11ac access points and clients, but also identifies the root cause of poor connectivity performance for any network conversation.
• The industry’s first portable 802.11ac 3x3 analysis tool: Fluke Networks is the only vendor with a portable analysis tool that offers monitoring and troubleshooting for both enterprise and carrier 802.11ac 3x3 access points. By using Fluke Networks’ new 802.11ac 3x3 Wireless Capture and Analysis Adapter (or the 802.11ac 3x3 adapter built into the Apple MacBook Pro) in conjunction with AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer PRO, IT teams will miss no traffic and can troubleshoot any issues on an 11ac network.
Organizations can also avoid the systemic problems associated with troubleshooting from a fixed access point on the ceiling or providing only a one-sided view focused on the access point for performance measurement. They can also leverage the tool's ability to locate threats, classify them, and log details of unauthorized conversations as forensic evidence.
AirMagnet Survey PRO/Planner will be available later this month, and AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer PRO will be available in the fourth quarter of 2014.
"The rampant growth in mobile device usage, increased user expectations, and the growing reliance on Wi-Fi networks by businesses have spurred the 802.11ac standard," said Dilip Advani, marketing director for the AirMagnet Tools and AirCheck product lines at Fluke Networks. "Adding more 802.11ac features to our AirMagnet products will help wireless network technicians and engineers deploy Gigabit Wi-Fi networks correctly the first time, without costly redesigns or network restructuring. With Fluke Networks, they'll get the Wi-Fi performance they're paying for and be able to troubleshoot faster and more accurately than ever before."
* Infonetics Research. "Wireless LAN equipment and WiFi phones: quarterly worldwide and regional market share, size, and forecasts: 4Q13" by Matthias Machowinski, March 11, 2014.
** Gartner, Inc. "Mobile device proliferation is forcing network leaders to redesign enterprise wireless LANs" by Bjarne Munch and Christian Canales, May 19, 2014.
