craig mathias
Principal

Motorola SiteScanner: For analytical measurement

reviews
Jun 22, 20091 min

Company: MotorolaProduct: SiteScannerVerdict: Analytical analog to LANPlanner

SiteScanner is a cousin of Motorola’s LANPlanner, with a very similar layout and user interface, but designed just for analytical measurement and visualization. Like LANPlanner, however, work begins with importing a drawing of the building in question, and the manually placing access points in the model.

The user then proceeds to gather data by walking around, and it’s possible to both grab packets from all access points within range, or to test performance with a single specific access point. Samples correspond to markers set by the user (or automatically over continuous linear runs), with resulting data (SSID, RSSI, channel, SNR, and more) displayed tabularly.

Rogue access points can be identified easily, and overall performance (including IP-layer data) evaluated via active scanning and even automatically recorded on a server via a “Sitespy” feature. Gathered data can be visualized in numerous ways, including by channel and SSID, with detailed color heatmaps to evaluate coverage, SNR, cell overlap and more. Expected (anticipated under sampled operating conditions, based on RSSI) connection rates along with measured data rates can also be displayed.

Return to test

craig mathias

Craig J. Mathias is a principal with Farpoint Group, an advisory firm specializing in wireless networking and mobile computing. Founded in 1991, Farpoint Group works with technology developers, manufacturers, carriers and operators, enterprises, and the financial community. Craig is an internationally-recognized industry and technology analyst, consultant, conference speaker, author, columnist, and blogger. He regularly writes for Network World, CIO.com, and TechTarget. Craig holds an Sc.B. degree in Computer Science from Brown University, and is a member of the Society of Sigma Xi and the IEEE.

More from this author