AirMagnet Laptop Trio 3.0 makes WLANs more manageable

For network managers burdened with increasing WLAN infrastructure, AirMagnet offers up its Laptop Trio 3.0 WLAN management system with support for 802.11a/b/g. Building upon Trio’s tried-and-true GUI interface, AirMagnet has added in Version 3.0 support for Atheros-based triple band cards, WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access), and Vivato phased array panels.

As a nice touch, instead of rewrapping a wire-based protocol analyzer, AirMagnet has purposely built this software for WLAN management with details such as identification of prestandard 802.11g devices, thrashing between 802.11b and 802.11g devices, multiple SSID(service set identifier)/encryption method profiles, and even a nifty client and AP (access point) locator. The AP locator contains two parts, which are represented by a Geiger counterlike graph. The first graph is for signal strength and the second is for noise. When approaching an AP, the signal strength graph increases and the noise graph decreases.

Most importantly, you’ll also find a well-thought-out collection of utilities that provide ongoing WLAN-connection troubleshooting. Again thinking outside the box, AirMagnet has continued its support for NMEA (National Marine Electronics Association) GPS for mapping just how far your Wi-Fi network extends beyond your wall. Just remember that GPS only works in direct view of the sky, so mapping indoors will have to be with a pen and tablet.

To receive a valid Trio 3.0 license, you need the provided serial number and the MAC (media access control) address of your wireless card. Once a valid license has been issued, the Laptop Trio 3.0 will not work with any other wireless cards. This means if you first installed it using an 802.11b card, but wish to switch to an Atheros a/b/g card, simply switching wireless cards will not work. Also, doing a reinstall will not suffice, because AirMagnet keeps your license on file.

The ANCL was managing wireless networks before 802.11 was ratified, and the problem with Wi-Fi tools has always been one of information overload. AirMagnet’s approach allows the user to organize individual tools in resizable panes, enabling him or her to visually correlate Wi-Fi parameters at a glance. For IT shops with legacy Wi-Fi installations, some of the more useful tools include rogue AP detection, antenna-signal-alignment meters, and the RF (radio-frequency) survey tools. Also very useful are the autodiscovery tools to help baseline your legacy installation.

This latest version from AirMagnet very nicely rounds out its Wi-Fi family of products, which includes distributed air monitors on one end of the spectrum and handheld analyzers at the other.