Offering helps locate and disable illegal WLAN access points Detecting rogue WLAN access points in an enterprise just got easier.On Monday, AirMagnet released Version 4.0 of its distributed WLAN security and performance platform, AirMagnet Distributed.In addition to new ways to locate and disable APs (access points) illegally set up inside an enterprise connected to a LAN, the new version also features new security alarms, an updated policy engine, and a new user interface. Rich Mironov, vice president of marketing at AirMagnet, said the enhancements were driven by input from the company’s 1,800 customers, who were requesting more than just security sweeps and performance analysis.“With 4.0 we’re doing more active things,” said Mironov. “We’re offering more ways to find rogues and do active blocking.”He explained the rogue APs can be disabled or “taken out of operation” by sending disassociate messages instructing the AP to drop all of its connections. Once it stops broadcasting, administrators can send packets to the rogue AP requesting it to forward the said packets onto another server or device over the wire, instead of through the air. Once forwarded, administrators can discover the IP address of the rogue AP, and thus its physical location.Additional features of the new version include security alerts that can be sent to administrators over e-mail, pagers, and cell phones and a new user interface that is designed to show why and how a network link is down or performing poorly.The upgrade is free for existing customers and is available today. AirMagnet competes with AirDefense and AirWave. Technology Industry