aircheck um us - techni-tool shall not be liable for any special, indirect, incidental or...

01/2010, Rev. 4, 08/2013 ©2010-2013 Fluke Corporation. All product names are trademarks of their respective companies.Wi-Fi® is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

AirCheck™

Wi-Fi Tester

Users Manual

LIMITED WARRANTY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITYEach Fluke Networks product is warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service. The warranty period for the mainframe is one year and begins on the date of purchase. Parts, accessories, product repairs and services are warranted for 90 days, unless otherwise stated. Ni-Cad, Ni-MH and Li-Ion batteries, cables or other peripherals are all considered parts or accessories. The warranty extends only to the original buyer or end user customer of a Fluke Networks authorized reseller, and does not apply to any product which, in Fluke Networks’ opinion, has been misused, abused, altered, neglected, contaminated, or damaged by accident or abnormal conditions of operation or handling. Fluke Networks warrants that software will operate substantially in accordance with its functional specifications for 90 days and that it has been properly recorded on non-defective media. Fluke Networks does not warrant that software will be error free or operate without interruption.Fluke Networks authorized resellers shall extend this warranty on new and unused products to end-user customers only but have no authority to extend a greater or different warranty on behalf of Fluke Networks. Warranty support is available only if product is purchased through a Fluke Networks authorized sales outlet or Buyer has paid the applicable international price. Fluke Networks reserves the right to invoice Buyer for importation costs of repair/replacement parts when product purchased in one country is submitted for repair in another country.Fluke Networks warranty obligation is limited, at Fluke Networks option, to refund of the purchase price, free of charge repair, or replacement of a defective product which is returned to a Fluke Networks authorized service center within the warranty period.To obtain warranty service, contact your nearest Fluke Networks authorized service center to obtain return authorization information, then send the product to that service center, with a description of the difficulty, postage and insurance prepaid (FOB destination). Fluke Networks assumes no risk for damage in transit. Following warranty repair, the product will be returned to Buyer, transportation prepaid (FOB destination). If Fluke Networks determines that failure was caused by neglect, misuse, contamination, alteration, accident or abnormal condition of operation or handling, or normal wear and tear of mechanical components, Fluke Networks will provide an estimate of repair costs and obtain authorization before commencing the work. Following repair, the product will be returned to the Buyer transportation prepaid and the Buyer will be billed for the repair and return transportation charges (FOB Shipping point).THIS WARRANTY IS BUYER’S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY AND IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OR MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. FLUKE NETWORKS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES, INCLUDING LOSS OF DATA, ARISING FROM ANY CAUSE OR THEORY.Since some countries or states do not allow limitation of the term of an implied warranty, or exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, the limitations and exclusions of this warranty may not apply to every buyer. If any provision of this Warranty is held invalid or unenforceable by a court or other decision-maker of competent jurisdiction, such holding will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision.

4/04

Fluke NetworksPO Box 777Everett, WA 98206-0777USA

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Contents

Title PageIntroduction .......................................................................................................................................................................... 1Registering Your Product ..................................................................................................................................................... 1The Fluke Networks Knowledge Base ................................................................................................................................. 2Contact Fluke Networks ....................................................................................................................................................... 2Safety Information ................................................................................................................................................................ 2Unpacking ............................................................................................................................................................................. 3

AirCheck Wi-Fi Tester .................................................................................................................................................... 3AirCheck Frontline Troubleshooting Kit ...................................................................................................................... 4

Physical Features ................................................................................................................................................................... 5Battery Charging and Life .................................................................................................................................................... 7Use the AirCheck Manager PC Application for the Best Performance .............................................................................. 8What You Can Learn About Your Network ........................................................................................................................ 9

What is the Health of My Network? ............................................................................................................................. 9What is in the Wireless LAN? ........................................................................................................................................ 12Can Devices Connect to My Network? ......................................................................................................................... 14What Causes Slow Network Performance or Dropped Connections? ........................................................................ 15Are There Security Risks in My Network? ..................................................................................................................... 16How Can I Document My Network and My Test Session? ........................................................................................... 18How Can I Erase Everything on my AirCheck? ............................................................................................................. 18

AirCheck Wi-Fi TesterUsers Manual

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Where is an Access Point? .............................................................................................................................................. 18What Networks or Access Points Come into Range as I Move? .................................................................................. 18

The Home Screen ................................................................................................................................................................... 19Using AutoTest to Diagnose Your Network Health ............................................................................................................ 20

Air Quality ...................................................................................................................................................................... 21802.11 Channel Utilization ..................................................................................................................................... 21Non-802.11 Channel Utilization ............................................................................................................................. 22Co-Channel Interference ........................................................................................................................................ 23

Rogue Access Points ....................................................................................................................................................... 24Network Quality ............................................................................................................................................................. 25

Set Up the Tester ................................................................................................................................................................... 26Change the Language and Country Settings ............................................................................................................... 26Make a Profile to Connect to Secure Networks ........................................................................................................... 26Settings ........................................................................................................................................................................... 29802.11d Operation ......................................................................................................................................................... 36Change the Thresholds for the Colors in Bar Graphs ................................................................................................... 37Give Access Points an Authorization Status ................................................................................................................. 38

Discover Networks and Access Points ................................................................................................................................... 39Notes for Networks and Access Points ................................................................................................................................. 51If the Tester Does Not Discover an Access Point .................................................................................................................. 54Channel Usage ....................................................................................................................................................................... 54Verify Connectivity ................................................................................................................................................................ 57

Connect to a Network or Access Point .......................................................................................................................... 57Entering Security Credentials Using “Connect” ........................................................................................................... 58Ping a Device or Application Server .............................................................................................................................. 63

Discover Clients ...................................................................................................................................................................... 65Discovering Clients through Meru APs ......................................................................................................................... 66

If the Tester Does Not Discover a Client .............................................................................................................................. 70

Contents

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Locate an Access Point or a Client ....................................................................................................................................... 70The External Directional Antenna ....................................................................................................................................... 74Adjust Signal Strength Measurements to Agree with Other Devices ................................................................................ 78Save a Test Session ................................................................................................................................................................ 79Manage Files on the Tester .................................................................................................................................................. 80

About Files on the Tester .............................................................................................................................................. 81Transfer Files to a PC ..................................................................................................................................................... 82

Maintenance ......................................................................................................................................................................... 82Clean the Tester ............................................................................................................................................................. 83Update the Software in the Tester ............................................................................................................................... 83Restore Factory Defaults ............................................................................................................................................... 84Erase All Data ................................................................................................................................................................. 84Device Information ........................................................................................................................................................ 84If the Tester Will Not Turn Off ...................................................................................................................................... 84

Options and Accessories ....................................................................................................................................................... 85Specifications ......................................................................................................................................................................... 86

Environmental Specifications ........................................................................................................................................ 86General Specifications ................................................................................................................................................... 88Wireless Specifications ................................................................................................................................................... 89

Federal Communication Commission and Industry Canada Interference Statement ....................................................... 92Important Note: FCC and IC Radiation Exposure Statement ...................................................................................... 92Europe-EU Declaration of Conformity ......................................................................................................................... 93


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List of Figures

Figure Page1. Physical Features ................................................................................................................................................... 52. How to Remove the Battery................................................................................................................................. 73. AutoTest Results Viewed in AirCheck Manager.................................................................................................. 84. The Home Screen ................................................................................................................................................. 195. AutoTest Results Screen........................................................................................................................................ 216. 802.11 Channel Utilization Default Thresholds .................................................................................................. 217. Non-802.11 Channel Utilization Default Thresholds .......................................................................................... 228. Air Quality Co-channel Default Threshold .......................................................................................................... 239. Signal Level Default Threshold ............................................................................................................................ 2310. Main AutoTest Display.......................................................................................................................................... 2511. Examining the Network Quality of an SSID ........................................................................................................ 2512. Change the Thresholds for the Colors in a Bar Graph........................................................................................ 3713. Networks (SSIDs) List ............................................................................................................................................. 4014. Access Points List ................................................................................................................................................... 4415. Access Point Details Screen................................................................................................................................... 4916. Channel Usage Screen .......................................................................................................................................... 5417. Channel Usage Details Screen .............................................................................................................................. 5618. The Connection Screen ......................................................................................................................................... 6119. The Connection Log.............................................................................................................................................. 6220. The Ping Screen..................................................................................................................................................... 64


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21. Clients Screen ........................................................................................................................................................6622. Client Details Screen .............................................................................................................................................6823. Locate Access Point Screen ...................................................................................................................................7124. Locate Client Screen..............................................................................................................................................7225. Search Pattern for the Omnidirectional Antenna in the Tester .........................................................................7326. Search Pattern for the External Antenna ............................................................................................................7627. How to Point the External Antenna.....................................................................................................................7728. oui_abbr.txt File ....................................................................................................................................................81

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Wi-Fi AirCheck™ Wi-Fi Tester

Introduction

The AirCheck™ Wi-Fi Tester lets you make sure that 802.11 wireless LANs are available to mobile users, examine the usage of channels to help you do an analysis of network health, and find the source of connection problems. The tester operates on 802.11 b/g/n networks in the 2.4 GHz band and 802.11 a/n networks in the 5 GHz band. It has the capability of detecting 802.11 ac access points and networks.

The optional PoE detector shows you if Power over Ethernet voltage from 802.3af and higher-power 802.3at devices is available on twisted pair network cabling.

You can save the test results and use AirCheck™ Manager software to transfer the results to a PC and make professional-quality reports. You can use AirCheck Manager to compare information from different test sessions to see changes in a wireless LAN.

Registering Your Product

Registering your product with Fluke Networks gives you access to valuable information on product updates, troubleshooting procedures, and other services. To register, fill out the online form on the Fluke Networks website at www.flukenetworks.com/registration.

http://www.flukenetworks.com


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The Fluke Networks Knowledge Base

The Fluke Networks Knowledge Base gives answers to common questions about Fluke Networks products and includes information on technology and procedures for network and cable tests. To see the Knowledge Base, go to www.flukenetworks.com, then click Support > Knowledge Base.

Contact Fluke Networks

www.flukenetworks.com

[email protected]

+1-425-446-4519

• Australia: 61 (2) 8850-3333 or 61 (3) 9329 0244

• Beijing: 86 (10) 6512-3435

• Brazil: 11 3759 7600

• Canada: 1-800-363-5853

• Europe: +31-(0) 40 2675 600

• Hong Kong: 852 2721-3228

• Japan: 03-6714-3117

• Korea: 82 2 539-6311

• Singapore: +65-6799-5566

• Taiwan: (886) 2-227-83199

• USA: 1-800-283-5853

For more phone numbers, go to our website.

Safety Information

Table 1 gives descriptions of the safety symbols used on the tester and in this manual.

Table 1. Safety Symbols

Warning or Caution: risk of damage to or destruction of equipment or software. See explanations in the manual.

Warning: Risk of electrical shock.


Safety Information

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WarningRead all safety information before you use the Product.

Use the Product only as specified, or the protection supplied by the Product can be compromised.

Carefully read all instructions.

Use only Fluke approved power adapters to charge the battery.

Do not use the Product around explosive gas, vapor, or in damp or wet environments.

Examine the case before you use the Product. Look for cracks or missing plastic. Carefully look at the insulation around the terminals.

Batteries contain hazardous chemicals that can cause burns or explode. If exposure to chemicals occurs, clean with water and get medical aid.

Remove the batteries if the Product is not used for an extended period of time, or if stored in temperatures above 50 °C. If the batteries are not removed, battery leakage can damage the Product.

Do not put products that contain circuit boards into waste containers. Refer to local regulations for disposal procedures.

This equipment contains a Class 2 radio.


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Do not short the battery terminals together.

Do not disassemble or crush battery cells and battery packs. Do not put battery cells and battery packs near heat or fire. Do not put in sunlight.

Caution

If you use an external antenna, use only the antenna that Fluke Networks makes for the AirCheck tester. The tester will not operate correctly with other antennas and may violate local regulations.

Unpacking

The AirCheck Wi-Fi Tester comes with the accessories in the list below. If something is damaged or missing, tell the dealer where you purchased the product.

AirCheck Wi-Fi Tester

• AirCheck with rechargeable battery pack

• AC adapter

• USB cable

• Carrying case

• Getting Started Guide

• Product manuals CD

• AirCheck Manager Software CD

AirCheck Frontline Troubleshooting Kit

• AirCheck with rechargeable battery pack

• Extra battery pack

• LinkRunner™ Pro

• External directional antenna with RSMA connector

• PoE detector

• AC adapter

• USB cable

• Carrying case

• Getting Started Guide

• Product manuals CD

• AirCheck Manager Software CD

Physical Features

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Physical Features

ffy01.eps

Figure 1. Physical Features

F1 F2

SELECT

A

B

C

D

E

F

G H

J

E

I

K

L

M

N

O


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On/off key.

Makes a selection on the screen.

Navigation keys.

Shows the previous screen.

Softkeys. The function of the softkey is shown above the key.

Full-color LCD.

The LED blinks when the tester tries to connect to a wireless LAN. The LED is on when the tester is connected to a wireless LAN.

The LED blinks when the tester transmits data.

Shows the home screen.

O: Erases all data collected during the current sequence of tests. This does not erase the results saved in memory. P: Saves all data in a session file. See page 82.

The LED turns on when you connect the ac adapter. The LED is red when the battery charges and green when the battery is fully charged.

Connector for the ac adapter.

USB port for connection to a PC. AirCheck will appear as a mass storage device.

Connector for the external directional antenna. See page 77.

Screw for the battery pack.

Battery Charging and Life

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Battery Charging and Life

Charge the battery for 4 hours before you use it for the first time.

To charge the battery, connect the ac adapter to the battery connector ( in Figure 1). You can use the tester while you charge the battery.

Figure 2 shows how to replace the battery.

When the tester is off, the battery charges in approximately 3 hours.

Note

The battery will not charge if the internal temperature of the tester is above 113ºF (45ºC).

The battery life is approximately 5.5 hours during typical operation. An icon in the upper-left corner of the screen shows the battery status. See Figure 4 on page 19.

ffy14.eps

Figure 2. How to Remove the Battery


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Use the AirCheck Manager PC Application for the Best Performance

To get the most performance from your tester, use AirCheck Manager to upgrade the AirCheck tester firmware, view measurement results saved as session files, generate reports on session files, setup the tester configuration and save it to a profile, and transfer the profile to the tester. A profile lets the tester do these tasks:

• Connect to networks that require security credentials. Security credentials can be entered on the tester or through the AirCheck Manager software.

• Show the correct authorization status for each access point. This lets you quickly see which access points are authorized parts of the network.

• Setup key network devices to Ping and run a TCP Port Connect test. You should configure security credentials for the network(s) containing any key devices that you are pinging.

See “Using AutoTest to Diagnose Your Network Health” on page 20. Also use the AirCheck Manager online Help for instructions.

ffy29.bmp

Figure 3. AutoTest Results Viewed in AirCheck Manager

What You Can Learn About Your Network

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What is the Health of My Network?


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How is my Wi-Fi Air Quality?Are my channels overloaded with access points and Wi-Fi traffic? Are any of my channels too noisy?

Select AutoTest - After the AutoTest has run, select Air Quality to view the results of 802.11 Channel Utilization, Non-802.11 Channel Utilization, and Co-Channel Interference health assessment.

The 802.11 Channel Utilization results include the top three channels having the most Wi-Fi traffic. The channel utilization value along with the rating of

Pass, Warning, or Fail, is displayed. The test rating is based on a comparison of the actual value to user settable thresholds. These thresholds are configured in the Tools > Thresholds / AutoTest Settings.

To see the current AutoTest thresholds used to grade results, press Thresholds on the AutoTest (results) screen.

The Non-802.11 Channel Utilization results include the top three channels with the most non-802.11 interference and noise. The channel utilization value along with the rating of Pass, Warning, or Fail, is displayed.

The Co-Channel Interference results include the top three channels with the most APs with a minimum signal strength. The AP count along with the rating of Pass, Warning, or Fail is displayed.

See Using AutoTest to Diagnose Your Network Health, on page 39.


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How is my Wi-Fi Network Quality?Can I hear any access points that support my networks? Are there coverage holes in this area? Are there too many close APs using the same channel making my network slow? Can I connect?

Select AutoTest - After the AutoTest has run, select Network Quality to view the results of Coverage, Co-Channel Interference, Security, and Connection health assessment.

The Coverage results include the number of APs with good signal quality supporting a network (SSID) along with the rating of Pass, Warning, or Fail. The test rating is based on a comparison of the actual values to user settable thresholds. The AP count and signal quality thresholds of signal level and signal-to-noise are set in the Tools > Thresholds / AutoTest Settings > Network Coverage, Signal level and Signal-to-noise Threshold screens.

The Co-Channel Interference results include the number of overlapping APs for a network along with the rating of Pass, Warning, or Fail. This is based on single network (SSID) comparison to thresholds. Thresholds for this test are set in the Tools > Thresholds / AutoTest Settings > Network Quality co-channel thresholds screen.

The Security results report whether all APs on the SSID use the same security credentials along with a rating of Pass, Warning, or Fail.

The Connection test attempts to link to each network configured in your profile (see page 59). Test results indicate whether or not you can connect at your current location. The health of you connection, e.g., tx rate, packet retries, and if you can reach other devices on the network, e.g., ping. The results are presented along with a rating of Pass, Warning, or Fail.


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What unauthorized or unknown access points are connected to my Wi-Fi network? Are they a security risk?

The Rogue Access Points test, an optional part of AutoTest, indicates whether unauthorized or unknown access points are detected with a rating of Pass,

Warning, or Fail grading. Results include a list of all rogue access points heard at your location. Identification of rogue access points requires configuration of an Access Control List (ACL). ACL configuration is available from the AutoTest screen by selecting Rogue Access Points > ACL or Home> Access Points > ACL.

By default, the Rogue Access Point test is not enabled. To enable the test and allow it to run as part of AutoTest, select Tools > Thresholds / AutoTest Settings > Rogue Access Point AutoTest.

See Using AutoTest to Diagnose Your Network Health, on page 39.

What is in the Wireless LAN?

What wireless LANs are available? Select Networks to see a list of wireless LANs and the access points that connect to each network. To see all access points that are available at your location, select Access Points. See page 41.

What access points are available?Are the signal strengths sufficient?

Select Access Points to see a list of access points available at your location and the signal strength of the access points. To see bar graphs of the signal strength and noise for an access point, highlight the access point, then press L.

Is the access point configured correctly?

Select Access Points, highlight an access point, then press L. See page 45.


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Are there new access points in the area? Are they your access points, your neighbors, or a rogue?

Use the device authorization status (ACL) feature to automatically report when new access points are discovered at your location. To make use of this feature, configure access point authorization status for each access point (e.g. authorized or neighbor), next, set the default authorization status to

Unknown. As a result, the default authorization status of Unknown will be assigned to any access points not previously discovered. Lastly, select Access Points from the home screen to see any access points marked as Unknown.

Alternatively, save the test session which includes the list of discovered access points. Use AirCheck Manager to compare the access point list to a previously saved session file to see if additional access points have been discovered.

To specify a default device authorization of either unknown or authorized, select Tools > Set Device Authorization (ACL) default.

What wireless clients use the network?

From the home screen, select Networks, select a network and drill into the Access Point Details screen, then select Clients. You can also drill into the Access Point Details screen from many locations to see the clients associated with any specific access point.

To see all clients, includes those connected and probing on all networks within tester range: select Clients from the home screen.


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Can Devices Connect to My Network?

Use the tester to verify connectivity.

Note

To connect to a secure network, the tester must have a profile that includes security credentials. If credentials are not available, the softkey shows as Connect*. See page 26.

Can a device connect as a client to my network (SSID)?

Select Networks, highlight a network, then press Connect. See page 61.

Can a device connect to an access point (BSSID)?

Select Access Points, highlight an access point, then press Connect. See page 61.

If a device cannot connect to a network or access point, where does the connection procedure fail?

Look at the connection log. See page 64.

Can a device ping a network device?

Do a ping test. See page 65.

Does the network interface card in a client operate correctly?

From the home screen, select Clients to see if the client transmits probe request frames and to see basic settings such as the channel and SSIDs the client uses in probes. See page 69.


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What Causes Slow Network Performance or Dropped Connections?

Is the signal strength sufficient? Select Access Points. The Access Points screen shows the signal strength for each access point. Select an access point to see more details about the signal strength and congestion. See page 50.

Is the network too busy? Select Channels to see an overview of channel usage and the number of access points and connected clients that use each channel. To see a graph, highlight a channel, then press L. See page 55.

Is there non-802.11 interference on a channel?

Select Channels. Non-802.11 interference is gray portion of the graph bar. This noise can interfere with WLAN connections or performance. Non-802.11 noise can come from microwave ovens, wireless telephones, Bluetooth® devices, motion detectors, wireless cameras and other wireless devices. See page 57.


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Are There Security Risks in My Network?

Do networks have the expected level of security?

Select Networks. Networks that have unsecured access points show a red open lock ( ). See page 41.

Are there any ad hoc networks in the area?

Select Networks. Networks that have ad hoc clients show the ad hoc icon ( ) in the SSID column. Ad hoc clients can be risks to network security or can violate network policies. See page 41.

Are there rogue access points in the area? Where are they?

AirCheck can be used to help track the authorization status of discovered access points. By default, when access points are discovered, they are assigned an authorization status of Unknown. You may change the status of individual or groups of access points to reflect their relationship to your network e.g., authorized, neighbor, unauthorized.

You also have the option of changing the default device status from Unknown to Authorized. Once changed, all discovered access points will

be identified as Authorized. You may then review the list and assign status to individual access points accordingly. For example, if you know that an access point is a rogue, you may give it the status of Flagged device or

Unauthorized device. See page 38.


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Note

AutoTest optionally includes a Rogue Access Point Test which detects and reports rogue access points. To enable this functionality, go to Tools > Thresholds/AutoTest Settings > Rogue Access Point AutoTest. For accurate and meaningful test results, you must configure access point ACLs prior to running AutoTest.

When you save your profile, the assigned ACLs will also be saved as part of that profile.

You can also set a series of APs to authorized or unauthorized based on the AP BSSID/MAC or a Vendor MAC prefix by selecting Set AP series to Authorized or Set AP series to Unauthorized. These options may save you configuration time and provide quick visibility into potential issues. For example, if a specific vendor's equipment is not allowed per your network policy, use the vendor MAC prefix to set the ACL to unauthorized. When those access points are detected, they will automatically be reported as unauthorized.


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Where is an Access Point?

Select Access Points, select one access point, then press Locate on the Access Point Details screen. See page 73. You may also use the optional Fluke Networks external directional antenna to help you find access points faster. See page 73.

What Networks or Access Points Come into Range as I Move?

Sort the list in descending sequence for the timestamp column ( ). Press O, then move through an area. Networks or access points that come into range are added to the top of the list. See page 42 or 46.

How Can I Document My Network and My Test Session?

Save the session (see page 73), then use AirCheck Manager software to transfer the data to a PC and make a report. See page 85.

How Can I Erase Everything on my AirCheck?

If you want to erase all settings, session data and profiles from the tester, select Tools > Erase All - Everything that has been saved or stored on the AirCheck tester is erased.

The Home Screen

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The Home Screen

Home.eps

Figure 4. The Home Screen

Networks: Discovers wireless LANs. See page 39.

Access Points: Discovers access points. See page 39.

Channels: Shows usage of WLAN channels. See page 55. The name of the profile the tester uses. The profile is Default if you have not loaded a different profile. The name shows an asterisk if you have changed a setting on the tester since you loaded or saved the profile. See page 84.

AutoTest: Automatically checks the health of your network by looking at air quality (channel usage and interference), network quality (network coverage and connectivity), and the presence of ad hoc networks. Rogue access point detection is optional and requires ACL configuration.

Clients: Discovers associated and un-associated (e.g., probing) clients.

Tools: Lets you manage files and settings.

Shows the battery status. When the battery charge is low, the icon blinks. Connect the ac adapter to charge the battery and to make sure the tester continues to operate.

Indicates that the ac adapter is connected.

511

2

3

4

6

7

8

1

99

10

Indicates that the external antenna is connected.

Note

AirCheck will not transmit or connect to an access point when the external antenna is connected.


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Profile: Allows you to load or save a profile. From the Home screen, press Profile.

Left: The channel the tester is currently monitoring. The color of the bars shows the status of the country code for the regulatory domain. A red icon can indicate the operation of an illegal channel for the current country setting and/or the receipt of a different country code. See “802.11d Operation” on page 36. Right: The number of access points the tester has heard. This number is a count of physical access points when Group virtual access points is enabled. See page 32. Up to 500 access points can be stored in the access point database on the tester. When the access point icon turns yellow, this indicates that greater than or equal to 400 access points have been discovered. When the icon turns red, this indicates that 500 or more access points have been discovered and the access point database is full. Any new access points seen will not be included in the list.

Using AutoTest to Diagnose Your Network Health

AutoTest automatically checks the health of your network by looking at Air Quality, Ad Hoc Networks, Network Quality, and the potential threat of Rogue Access Points, if configured.

Note

If no SSIDs have been configured, i.e., added on AirCheck, AutoTest will run against all SSIDs. If SSIDs have been added, only those SSIDs will be tested. The Connection test will run for only those SSIDs that have been configured with security credentials.


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ffy34.bmp

Figure 5. AutoTest Results Screen

Air Quality

The Air Quality measurement displays 802.11 Channel Utilization, Non-802.11 Channel Utilization, and Co-channel Interference.

802.11 Channel UtilizationThe 802.11 Channel Utilization results include three Wi-Fi channels with the highest 802.11 utilization and are displayed with the measured value and rating symbol: Pass, Warning, or Fail.

Save the profile so settings are not lost when the tester is powered off. From the home screen, press Profiles, highlight and select Save profile. Alternately, save profiles in Tools > Manage profiles / network passwords > Save profile.

This measurement is based on the thresholds set in the Tools > Thresholds / AutoTest Settings > 802.11 channel utilization thresholds screen shown in the next figure.

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Figure 6. 802.11 Channel Utilization Default Thresholds

Press Thresholds to view the AutoTest threshold values used to report your network health.


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Change thresholds in Tools > Thresholds /AutoTest Settings screen.

Non-802.11 Channel Utilization

The Non-802.11 Channel Utilization results include the top three channels with the most non-802.11 interference, e.g., noise. The channel utilization value along with the rating of Pass, Warning, or Fail.

The usage will vary depending on the time of day, the number of clients that have transitioned from the wired side of the network to the wireless side, or the amount of interference from devices such as microwaves or video cameras, etc.

This measurement is based on the thresholds set in the Tools > Thresholds / AutoTest Settings > Non-802.11 channel utilization thresholds screen.

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Figure 7. Non-802.11 Channel Utilization Default Thresholds


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Co-Channel Interference

The Co-Channel Interference results include the number of overlapping APs that exceed the signal quality threshold and is seen with a rating of Pass, Warning, or Fail. Thresholds for this test are set in the Tools > Thresholds / AutoTest Settings > Network Quality co-channel thresholds screen, and the channel signal strength threshold is set in the Tools > Thresholds / AutoTest Settings > Signal level thresholds screen.

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Figure 8. Air Quality Co-channel Default Threshold

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Figure 9. Signal Level Default Threshold

This measurement is independent of SSIDs and solely looks at the number of APs using the same channel and their signal quality.

Ad Hoc Networks

The Ad Hoc Networks test results indicate the presence of client devices with a rating of Pass, Warning, or

Fail. Results include a list of all ad hoc stations heard at your location.


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Ad hoc client devices communicate directly with other clients, not through an access point. These devices can give hackers access to data transmitted on the network. (Some IT policies for networks allow ad hoc devices.)

Rogue Access Points

The Rogue Access Points test indicates whether unauthorized access points are detected with a rating of

Pass, Warning, or Fail. Results include a list of all rogue access points heard at your location. Identification of rogue access points requires configuration of Access Control List (ACL). The Rogue Access Point Test is disabled by default. However, when it is enabled, it runs as part of AutoTest. To enable the Rogue Access Point Test, select Tools > Threshold /AutoTest Settings > Rogue AccessPoint Test.

Initially, all access points are set to a default status of Unknown, but may also be set to Authorized. See page 39.

To set the ACL status, go to the home screen, and select the Access Points screen. Then select ACL, and edit each access point. Select Set all APs to Authorized to set the status of all access points discovered to “Authorized.” This can also be done in the AutoTest > Rogue Access Points screen by selecting ACL, highlighting the access point, and selecting ACL again. Place a check next to the following authorization type and press the back button .

Note

If you change the ACL in AutoTest, you must rerun AutoTest for the changes to apply.

Unauthorized device

Authorized device

Neighbor device

Unknown device

Flagged device

Set all APs to Authorized

Set all AP Series to Authorized

Set all AP Series to Unauthorized


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Network Quality

The Network Quality measurements check for network availability provided, the existence of interference from access points using the same channel which may cause network slowness, AP use of consistent security methods for a network, and the ability to connect and use the network (access to services, other devices) and provide network quality.

ffy26.bmp

Figure 10. Main AutoTest Display

Network security can be set up from the home screen by selecting Networks > Connect and walking through the security set up screens. See Entering Security Credentials on page 59 for Connect procedures.

Network Quality tests are run for each SSID in the current profile with results reported on the Network Quality screen. All discovered SSIDs will be tested against if no SSIDs are set up in the profile.

The Connection test results indicate whether or not you can connect at your current location. The health of your connection, e.g., packet tx rate, packet retries, and if you can reach other devices on the network, e.g., ping.

The results are presented along with a rating of Pass, Warning, or Fail. In order to run the Connect test, the SSID security must be setup, otherwise you will see:

ffy27.bmp

Figure 11. Examining the Network Quality of an SSID


26

Set Up the Tester

To change settings on the tester, select Tools from the home screen. See Table 2 on page 30.

Change the Language and Country Settings

1 Select Tools.

2 To change the language for the screens, select Set language. Highlight a language, then press Save.

3 To change the country, select Set country, select the country where you will use the tester, then press Save. See page 35.

Make a Profile to Connect to Secure Networks

Profiles are files that contain security settings for networks and configuration settings for the tester. The network settings include security credentials. Security credentials let the tester connect to networks and perform Ping tests, discover DNS servers, DHCP servers, and the default Router.

Profiles contain network security credentials/settings for the tester to be able to connect to networks. The profile can be password protected so that unauthorized users cannot use the tester to connect to secure networks, and do not have access to network security credentials on the AirCheck Manager PC application.

You can save the settings from the tester as a profile or use AirCheck Manager to make a profile on a PC.

The home screen shows the name of the profile the tester uses. The name shows an asterisk if you have changed a setting on the tester since you loaded or saved the profile. The tester saves the changes in a temporary file. The tester uses the temporary file as the current profile. When you save the profile, the tester copies the changes into the profile shown on the home screen.

Profiles that you make in AirCheck Manager include these settings:

• A password for the profile

• Security credentials for networks (encryption, user name, password, etc.)

• Authorization status of networks (SSIDs) and access points

• IP addresses used for ping or TCP Port Connect tests

Set Up the Tester

27

• All 802.11 settings (For example, Enable 2.4 GHz band and Enable 5 GHz band. See page 32.)

• Country

• AutoTest settings

• Threshold settings for bar graphs

If you save the profile while you use it on the tester, the tester adds these settings to the profile:

• The sound setting for the locate function

• The auto shutoff setting

• Sequences for the sort order for lists of networks, access points, and clients

To transfer a profile from a PC to the tester

1 Use the Profile Setup in AirCheck Manager to make a profile.

2 Use the USB cable supplied with the tester to connect the tester to the PC.

3 Use the transfer function in the Profile Setup to transfer the profile to the tester.

To load a profile that is in the tester

1 From the home screen, press Profiles.

2 Highlight and press L Load profile.

3 Highlight a profile and then press Load

Or

1 Select Tools > Manage profiles / network passwords, then select Load profile.

2 Highlight a profile, press L, then press Load.

Note

If the file is not a valid profile, or if the extension is not “.ACP”, the tester shows the message “Unable to load selected profile”.

3 Enter the password for the profile, if necessary.

Note

You only need to enter the password the first time you load a profile on the tester. To put password protection on all profiles again, select Tools > Restore factory defaults.

To save the current settings as a profile


28

1 Select Tools > Manage profiles / network passwords, then select Save profile.

• To save the profile with the filename shown, press Save. The tester saves the profile in the “PROFILES” folder.

• To overwrite a profile that is saved on the tester, highlight the profile, press L, press Save, then press OK.

• To edit the filename, press Edit.

Note

File names can have a maximum of 8 characters with an extension of 3 characters. The extension must be “.ACP” if you want to see the profile in AirCheck Manager.

• To delete characters in the filename, press Delete.

• To add characters to the filename, use to highlight a character, then press L.

• To move the cursor in the filename, highlight the filename, then press .

• To save the profile with the edited filename, press Save. The tester saves the profile in the “PROFILES” folder.

Set Up the Tester

29

To delete a profile

1 Select Tools > Manage files.

2 Select Delete file.

3 Select the PROFILES folder.

4 Highlight the profile and press L.

5 Press Delete.

Settings

Table 2 describes the different settings and the screens they affect. Settings are accessed from the Tools screen.

When you change a setting, press Save to save your changes. To exit and not save your settings, press Cancel.

Note

To save your settings in a profile, select Tools > Manage profiles / network passwords > Save profile or press Profile from the home screen and then Save profile. The profile name is displayed in the upper-right corner of the home screen. If it displays with an asterisk *, this indicates a setting change has been made and the profile has not been saved.


30

Table 2. Settings on the Tools Menu

Thresholds /AutoTest Settings

Lets you set the thresholds used for the AutoTest and for other measurements throughout the tester. See page 37. Measurements can display Pass, Warning, or Fail based on these thresholds.

AutoTest does not connect to open SSIDs unless they are manually added in AirCheck Manager and saved into the AirCheck profile.

Connect to networks in a profile - When checked, connectivity to SSIDs in the current profile will be tested as part of the Network Quality AutoTest. SSIDs with configured security and open/unsecured SSIDs are included.

Rogue AccessPoint AutoTest - When checked, enables the Rogue Access Point test to run as part of AutoTest. For accurate test results, you must configure the ACL prior to running the test. See page 24.

Signal level threshold - Indicates relative distance to AP/client. Seen in the AutoTest > Network Quality test and in the Client Details screen. Used globally, not just in AutoTest.

Noise threshold - Detected noise level. Seen in NetWork Quality > CoChannel Interference/Security > by drilling into the AP Details screen. Used globally, not just in AutoTest.

Signal-to-noise threshold - Measures/predicts quality of signal for client’s connection. Seen in the AutoTest > Network Quality Coverage screen. Used globally, not just in AutoTest.

Network coverage threshold - The number of APs in an SSID required to pass the coverage portion of the AutoTest > Network Quality test under Coverage.

802.11 utilization threshold - Percent of time the channel has 802.11 packets while AutoTest was collecting the results. Seen in the Air Quality screen.

Non 802.11 utilization threshold - Percent of time the channel has excessive noise while AutoTest was collecting the results. Seen in the Air Quality screen.

Set Up the Tester

31

Thresholds /AutoTest Settings(continued)

Air Quality co-Channel Interference threshold - Multiple APs on same channel interfere. Seen in the Air Quality screen.

Network Quality co-channel threshold - APs matching SSID overlap on channel. Seen in the Network Quality screen under Connection Details.

Retry rate threshold - Percent of ping packets resent during the ping test. Seen in the Network Quality screen under Connection Details.

Connected Packet Rate Level threshold - Packet rate percent of the AP maximum supported rate, i.e., actual/max = %. Seen in the Network Quality screen in Connection Details.

Minimum signal threshold - Co-channel interference tests ignore APs below this signal level. Seen in the Network Quality screen under Connection Details and Air Quality Co-Channel Interference results.

Manage Files Rename file - Allows you to rename Profiles and Session files.

Delete file - Allows you to delete Profiles and Session files.

Note

Current measurements are saved to a session file by pressing P.

Table 2. Settings on the Tools Menu (continued)


32

Manage 802.11 settings

Note

These settings change how the tester finds and displays access points. Make sure that you know what these settings do before you use the tester.

Lets you set options for channels and access point lists.

• Enable 2.4 GHz band, Enable 5 GHz band: Select one or both frequency bands to see networks and access points from one or both bands.

• Transmit probes: To discover access points, the tester listens for SSID broadcasts on each channel. The tester can discover only access points that broadcast their SSID while the tester is on the same channel. For faster discovery, the tester transmits probe request frames by default to get responses from access points.

Because probes increase channel usage, the tester does not transmit them when you look at the channel usage screens or when you connect the external antenna.

• Group virtual access points: When an access point broadcasts multiple SSIDs and/or MAC addresses (BSSIDs), the MACs are virtual access points. Virtual access points can support different networks from the same physical access point. An access point that uses two radios to broadcast multiple MACs can support networks on different channels.

When Group virtual access points is enabled, virtual access points show as one access point in the Access Points list. If the access point broadcasts a name (shown in the Name/MAC column), the number of SSIDs it supports shows in the SSID column. For example, “2 SSIDs” shows in the column.

If the access point does not broadcast a name, it has an asterisk in the column or columns where the BSID is different from one virtual access point to another. To see the MAC addresses and SSIDs for the virtual access points, select the access point in the Access Points list.

By default, this setting is enabled.


Set Up the Tester

33

Manage 802.11 settings (continued)

• Gray inaudible access points: If the tester has not heard an access point for four cycles through all channels, the access point is gray in the Access Points list. This is the default setting.

• Delete inaudible access points: If the tester has not heard an access point for four cycles through all channels, it deletes the access point from the Access Points list.

• Use custom signal adjustments: Signal strength measurements from different models of wireless testers or from clients used as a reference do not always agree with each other. The differences are caused mainly by differences in the antennas. To make the devices agree, you can add an offset to the AirCheck measurements in this screen.



34

Manage profiles / network passwords

Allows you to change the profile password (set to none by default), and edit network security credentials/settings you have previously configured. The profile password prevents unauthorized access to the previously entered network security credentials. To change the profile password, select Change profile password, enter the password and select Change. Or select Delete to remove the password.

To change the network security credentials, select Edit Networks, and select the network to edit. AirCheck supports the following encryption format: Open, WEP, Legacy 802.1X, WPA Personal, WPA2 Personal, WPA Enterprise, and WPA2 Enterprise.

Note

AirCheck does not support Cisco LEAP authentication or Cisco PPK (Per-Packet Keying).

Load profile - Loads a previously saved profile. Profiles contain all the tester configuration settings including SSID security credentials.

Save Profile - Saves the current settings to a profile file. You can change the default name shown at the bottom of the screen by pressing Edit.

Edit Targets - Allows you to select or deselect pinged targets when running AutoTest. The available targets are: Default Gateway, DHCP Server, Primary and Secondary DNS. The default gateway and the DHCP server are selected by default.

You have the ability to add your own IP targets. Select Add to provide a hostname or an IP address directly on the tester. AirCheck Manager also allows you to add a designated port number. See the AirCheck online help for additional information.


Set Up the Tester

35

Set time and date Lets you set the time and date. Use to select a setting, then use to change the setting the tester includes with saved results.

Set country Channels that are illegal in the country you select are red on the Channel Usage, Channel Usage Details, and Access Point Details screens. See “802.11d Operation” on page 36. Access points that transmit a country code that does not agree with this setting have red bars in the 802.11 column.

Set language Sets the language for the user interface.

View AirCheck information

Displays the tester serial number, MAC address, software version, USB version, and radio version.

Brightness and Auto-Shutoff

Dim display brightness - Allows you to set the display brightness for low light use. Check the box and select Save to change the setting Auto-shutoff enabled - When enabled, the tester turns off automatically after 10 minutes of inactivity (no key pressed). The tester does not save the test session when it turns off automatically. It does save changes you made to the profile. The tester does not turn off automatically if the ac adapter is connected. To save your setting, press Save.

To exit and not save your setting, press Cancel.

Restore factory defaults Makes all settings go back to default values. See Appendix B.

Erase All Clears all data on the tester including profiles and saved session data.



36

802.11d Operation

If an access point uses the 802.11d standard, it transmits an ISO country code in its beacons and probe responses. When the tester receives this code, it transmits only on channels that are legal in the country, and uses only power levels that are legal.

If the tester does not receive a country code, the tester operates in “world mode”:

• The tester uses only channels and power levels that are legal in all countries. The channels are 1 to 11 in the 2.4 GHz band.

• The tester will not transmit probes on channels 12, 13, and 14 in the 2.4 GHz band.

• The tester will not transmit in the 5 GHz band unless it sees access points that operate in that band.

• The tester uses the lowest transmission power that is legal in all countries.

The bars at the bottom of the display and icons on the networks and access point displays show the status of the country code:

Green bars: The tester received a country code from one or more access points. All country codes received are the same, and they all agree with the setting in Tools > Set country. The tester operates on channels and uses power levels that are legal in that country.

White bars: The tester has not received a country code. The tester operates in world mode.

Red bars: The tester received a country code that is different from the setting in Tools > Set country. To identify the network or access point that transmits the code, select Networks or Access Points, then look for the red bars in the 802.11 column.

The Access Point Details screen shows the 802.11d country code that the access point transmits. Appendix C shows the countries for the codes.

Set Up the Tester

37

Change the Thresholds for the Colors in Bar Graphs

The bar graphs show you if the signal strength, noise, Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), etc. are above or below specified thresholds. They are represented as red, yellow, or green. You can change the thresholds to meet the requirements of your network.

To change thresholds

1 Select Tools.

2 Select Thresholds / AutoTest Settings.

3 Select an item. Figure 12 shows how to change the thresholds for the colors.

Note

In AutoTest, results that are green or better pass, results that are red and below fail, and results in between red and green produce a warning.

ffy05.eps

Figure 12. Change the Thresholds for the Colors in a Bar Graph

Use to select a color. Use to increase or decrease the measured value for the color.

The vertical lines show where the value you set is on the bar graph.

To save your settings, press Save. To exit and not save your settings, press Cancel.

A

B

CC C


38

Give Access Points an Authorization Status

When you set the authorization status for each access point, you can quickly see if an access point is an authorized part of the network. Access points have Unknown ( ) in the access control list column (ACL) until you change the status. You can select one access point at a time and change its status. You can also select Set all APs to Authorized and then work backwards identifying each access point that does not have an authorization status.

To give an access point an authorization status

1 Select Access Points.

2 If an access point has more than one MAC address and you want to give the MACs different authorization statuses, select the access point.

3 Highlight an access point, then press ACL.

4 Highlight a status on the Authorization Status screen, press L, then press .

Unauthorized device: The access point does not have an authorization status.

Authorized device: The access point is authorized to connect to the network.

Neighbor device: Discovered Access Points that are owned by a neighboring business or individual.

Unknown device: The access point has not been previously discovered, or authorization status has not has not been set to reflect the relationship to your network.

Flagged device: You can use this symbol for access points you want to monitor. For example, if you think that an access point is a rogue, you can put a flag on it until you learn more about it.

Set all APs to Authorized: Sets all APs on the tester to Authorized.

Set all AP Series to Authorized: Allows you to set an AP series to authorized based on BSSID/MAC address or Vendor MAC prefix.

Set all AP Series to Unauthorized: Allows you to set an AP series to Unauthorized based on BSSID/MAC prefix or Vendor MAC prefix. Use this option when you need to exclude (unauthorize) a specific vendor or BSSID from your network.

Discover Networks and Access Points

39

The options to set a series of APs saves you configuration time and provides quick visibility into potential security or policy issues. For example, if a specific vendor equipment is not allowed per your network policy, use the vendor MAC prefix to set the ACL to Unauthorized or Flagged. When detected, those APs will be reported as such.

To set a default authorization status

1 Select Tools.

2 Select Set device authorization (ACL) default

3 Choose Set status to “Unknown” or Set Status to “Authorized”, then press Save.

Note

If an access point does not transmit, but you know its MAC address, you can use AirCheck Manager to give the access point an authorization status. Save the status in a profile on the PC, then transfer the profile to the tester.


Note

By default, the tester hears wireless signals on the 2.4 GHz (b/g/n) and 5 GHz (a/n/ac) frequency bands. To change this setting, select Tools, then select Manage 802.11 settings.

To discover networks or access points

1 From the home screen, select Networks or Access Points. The tester shows the Networks list or Access Points list (Figures 13 and 14).

2 To see details about an access point (Figure 15), use to highlight the access point, then press L.

Notes

An SSID is in black text if the network (or access point) is in range. An SSIDs text turns gray to indicate that a network (or access point) has not been heard recently, or is now out of range (if Gray inaudible access points is enabled). An SSIDs text turns purple to indicate that there is a note to the right with additional information about the status of the network (or access point).


40

Searching for a Specific Device

You can search for a specific access point in the discovered access point list.

To search for a specific access point

1 On the home screen, highlight the Access Points icon and press Search.

2 Highlight and select BSSID/MAC, Vendor MAC, or Name

3 Enter the information and press Search.

If the search device is within the discovered range area, the device will be highlighted on the Access Points screen.

To search for a specific client

1 On the home screen, highlight the Clients icon and press Search.

2 Highlight and select BSSID/MAC or Vendor MAC.


If the search device has been discovered, the device will be highlighted on the Access Points screen.


41

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Figure 13. Networks (SSIDs) List

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42

: The time when the tester first heard the network. To see networks that come into range as you move through an area, sort the list in descending sequence for the timestamp column.

Press O, then move through an area. Networks that come into range are added to the top of the list. Networks that become out of range become gray if Gray inaudible access points is enabled.

ACL: The authorization status of the access point. The default status is Unknown but can be changed to

Authorized. Change the status of each access point to show how it is related to your network. See page 38.

(...): All access points in the network do not have the same authorization status.

: The maximum signal strength of all the access points for a network SSID. You can change the thresholds for the colors in the bar graphs. See page 37.

SNR: Signal to Noise Ratio is a measure of signal strength relative to noise; an indication of signal quality for a reliable client’s connection. The ratio is measured in decibels (dB). The same thresholds are used both here and in AutoTest, and are adjusted in the Tools > Thresholds / AutoTest Settings screen.

: The security status of the network:

Red open lock: The network does not have security enabled.

Yellow closed lock: One or more access points use WEP or Cisco LEAP security protocol. These are less secure than other protocols.

Green closed lock: All access points use security protocols that are more secure than WEP, for example, WPA or WPA2.

(...): All access points in the network do not use the same type of security. For example, one uses WEP and another uses WPA.

: The number of access points the tester hears at your location.

SSID: Service Set Identifier. The name of the wireless network.

Networks that the tester has not heard recently are gray if Gray inaudible access points is enabled (see page 33).


43

: The network has ad hoc devices. These are devices that communicate directly with other devices, not through an access point that is part of the network. Ad hoc devices can give hackers access to data transmitted on the network. (Some IT policies for networks allow ad hoc devices.)

[Hidden]: The network does not broadcast its SSID.

If an SSID shows in square brackets, the tester found the hidden SSID in packets from other wireless clients. In AirCheck Manager, these SSIDs show without square brackets.

802.11: The 802.11 standards that the access points in the network use:

802.11a: Uses the 5 GHz band.

802.11b: Uses the 2.4 GHz band.

802.11g: Uses the 2.4 GHz band.

802.11n: Can be used in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands.

802.11ac: Uses the 5 GHz band.

Red bars: The tester received a 802.11d country code from the access point. The country does not agree with the country selected in Tools > Set country in the tester.

: One or more access points use a bonded channel. Access points that use the 802.11n standard can bond a channel with an extension channel above ( ) or below it ( ) to make one 40 MHz channel. This wider channel gives the network higher throughput.

(...): All access points in the network do not use the same 802.11 standard.

Notes: Press to scroll to the notes field. The tester adds notes automatically. See page 52. Networks that have notes are purple.

(...): The network has multiple notes. To see all notes, highlight the network, then press L twice to go to the Access Point Details screen.

: Sort 1, descending and ascending sequences


Note

The larger arrow indicates Sort 1. The smaller arrow indicates Sort 2.


44

To sort the list in ascending or descending sequence, use and to highlight a column heading, then press L or Sort 1. For example, to quickly find the access point that has the strongest signal, highlight

at the top of the column, then press L or Sort 1. This puts the access point with the strongest signal at the top of the list.

To sort in a secondary sequence, highlight a different column heading, then press Sort 2.

Press Connect to connect to the highlighted network. See page 61.

The connect button shows as “Connect*” if the tester cannot connect to the highlighted network. See page 61.

The channel the tester currently monitors. The color of the bars shows the status of the country code for the regulatory domain. See “802.11d Operation” on page 36.

The number of access points the tester hears at your location. This number does not include virtual access points if Group virtual access points is selected. See page 32. Up to 500 access points can be stored in the access point database on the tester. When the access point icon turns yellow, this indicates that greater than or equal to 400 access points have been discovered. When the icon turns red, this indicates that 500 or more access points have been discovered and the access point database is full. Any new access points seen will not be included in the list.

To see descriptions of the icons on the Networks screen, press Legend.

To see details about the access points in a network, use to highlight a network, then press L See Figure 14.


45

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Figure 14. Access Points List

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O


46

: The time when the tester first heard the access point. To see access points that come into range as you move through an area, sort the list in descending sequence for the timestamp column.

Press O, then move through an area. Access points that come into range are added to the top of the list. Access points that go out of range become gray if Gray inaudible access points is enabled.

ACL: The authorization status of the access point. The default status is Unknown but may be changed to

Authorized to suit your needs. Change the status of each access point to show how it is related to your network. See page 38.

(...): Virtual access points or MACs from the same access point have different authorization status settings. Usually, you give them the same authorization status.

: The channel that the access point uses.

SNR: Signal to Noise Ratio is a measure of signal strength relative to noise. The ratio is measured in decibels (dB).

: The strength of the signal. For multiple APs, this column shows the strength of the strongest signal. You can change the thresholds for the colors in the bar graphs. See page 37.

Name/MAC: The name or MAC address of the access point. The address starts with a vendor abbreviation prefix, if the prefix is available. See “oui_abbr.txt” on page 84.

*: The access point broadcasts more than one MAC address (BSSID). To see the MAC addresses, select the access point. See “Group virtual access points” on page 33.

Access points that the tester has not heard recently are gray if Gray inaudible access points is enabled (see page 33).

SSID: Service Set Identifier. The name of the wireless network.

If the access point supports more than one SSID, select the access point to see the SSIDs. See “Group virtual access points” on page 33.

If you came to this screen from the Networks screen, the screen shows the SSID at the top.

Networks that the tester has not heard recently are gray if Gray inaudible access points is enabled (see page 33).


47

: Ad hoc networks are created when clients communicate directly and not through an access point. This type of network may be considered a security risk be making it easier for unauthorized access to data on the network.



: The security status of the access point:

Red open lock: The access point does not have security enabled.

Yellow closed lock: The access point uses WEP security protocol.

Green closed lock: The access point uses a security protocol that is more secure than WEP, for example, WPA or WPA2.

: A client device operating in ad hoc mode is included in the access point list. The other client devices connected to the ad hoc network will be listed under the “clients” tab.

(...): All access points do not use the same type of security. For example, one uses WEP and another uses WPA.

802.11: The 802.11 standards that the access point uses:

: 802.11a: Uses the 5 GHz band.

: 802.11b: Uses the 2.4 GHz band.

: 802.11g: Uses the 2.4 GHz band.

: 802.11n: Can be used in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands.

802.11ac: Uses the 5 GHz band.

Red bars: The tester received a 802.11d country code from the access point. The country is different from the country selected in Tools > Set country in the tester.


48

: Access points that use the 802.11n standard can bond a channel with an extension channel above ( ) or below it ( ) to make one 40 MHz channel. This wider channel gives the network higher throughput.

(...): All access points do not use the same 802.11 standard.

Notes: Press to scroll to the notes field. The tester adds notes automatically. See page 52. Access points that have notes are purple.

(...): The access point has multiple notes. To see all notes, go to the Access Point Details screen.



To sort the list in ascending or descending sequence, use and to highlight a column heading, then press L or Sort 1. For example, to quickly find the access point that has the strongest signal, highlight

at the top of the column, then press L or Sort 1. This puts the access point with the strongest signal at the top of the list.


Press Connect to connect to the highlighted access point. See page 61.

The connect button shows as “Connect*” if the tester cannot connect to the highlighted access point. See page 61.

To connect to a secure access point, the tester must have a profile that includes security credentials. See page 26.

The channel that the tester currently monitors. The color of the bars shows the status of the country code for the regulatory domain. See “802.11d Operation” on page 36

The number of access points that the tester hears at your location. This number does not include virtual access points if Group virtual access points is selected. See page 33. Up to 500 access points can be stored in the access point database on the tester. When the access point icon turns yellow, this indicates that greater than or equal to 400 access points have been discovered. When the icon turns red, this indicates that 500 or more access points have been discovered and the access point database is full. Any new access points seen will not be included in the list.


49

Press ACL to change the authorization status for the highlighted access point. See page 38.

To see details for an access point, highlight the access point, then press L. See Figure 15.


50

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Figure 15. Access Point Details Screen

The channel and frequency of the access point. The number is red if the channel is illegal for the country selected in Tools > Set country.

: The primary channel () is bonded with an extension channel above ( ) or below it ( ) to make one 40 MHz channel. This wider channel gives the network higher throughput. The extension channel shows under 802.11n capabilities ().

The signal strength (S), noise strength (N), and Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). You can change the thresholds for the colors in the bar graphs. The bars are gray if the tester cannot hear the access point. See page 37.

Name: The name of the access point, if a name is included in the beacon frames and probe response frames.

SSID: Service Set Identifier. The name of the network that uses the access points.

BSSID: Basic Service Set Identifier. The MAC address of the access point.

Note

Some access points have different MAC addresses for their wired and wireless interfaces.

The authorization status for the access point.

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51

The security status of the access point.

The 802.11 standards that the access point can use.

802.11n capabilities: Notes for access points that can use the 802.11n standard. See Table 4 on page 53.

AP country setting: The country code that the access point transmits. If the AP country setting does not agree with the AirCheck country setting, the access point has red bars in the 802.11 column. See “802.11d Operation” on page 36. Appendix C shows the countries for the codes.

AirCheck country setting: The code for the country selected in Tools > Set country. See “802.11d Operation” on page 36. Appendix C shows the countries for the codes.

Discovered clients: XX, AP reports: XX: The number of clients that currently are discovered and the amount of clients the access point reports. “--” is displayed if the access point does not report the number of clients it has.

Seconds since last heard: The number of seconds since the tester heard the access point.

Notes for the access point. See Table 3 on page 52.

Press Clients to connect to the access point. See page 61.

The channel the tester currently monitors. The color of the bars shows the status of the country code for the regulatory domain. See “802.11d Operation” on page 36

The number of access points the tester hears at your location. This number does not include virtual access points if Group virtual access points is selected. See page 32. Up to 500 access points can be stored in the access point database on the tester. When the access point icon turns yellow, this indicates that greater than or equal to 400 access points have been discovered. When the icon turns red, this indicates that 500 or more access points have been discovered and the access point database is full. Any new access points seen will not be included in the list.

Press Locate to locate the access point. See page 73.


52

Notes for Networks and Access Points

Tables 3 and 4 give descriptions for the notes that the tester can add to networks and access points.

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Table 3. Notes for Networks and Access Points

Ad hoc network operating This SSID is an ad hoc network. Operating in ad hoc mode allows wireless devices (clients) within range of each other to discover and communicate in peer-to-peer fashion without using an access point. Ad hoc networks can pose a security threat. They usually have little or no protection and create a “bridge” for unauthorized users to access corporate data. Some IT network policies allow ad hoc networks, e.g., temporary use, e.g., a small group file sharing when mobile.

Channel is not legal for this country

The access point uses a channel that is not legal in the country selected in Tools > Set country. Make sure that the country selected in Tools > Set country is correct.

Possible Interference - overlaps standard channels

The access point uses a channel in the 2.4 GHz band that can have overlap with adjacent channels. This can cause interference on the adjacent channels.

Note

In the United States, the channels that do not have overlap with each other are 1, 6, and 11.

Network has mixed security types

All access points for this SSID do not use the same type of security.

Notes for Networks and Access Points

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40 MHz 802.11n is not recommended on 2.4 GHz

You should not bond channels in the 2.4 GHz band because that band has only three channels that have no overlap with each other. If you bond two channels, then only one channel is available for other devices to use.

Unexpected country from access point

The country code from the access point does not agree with the country selected in Tools > Set country in the tester.

Table 3. Notes for Networks and Access Points (continued)

Table 4. 802.11n Capabilities (shown on the Access Points Details screen)

AP will use 40 MHz channels if possible

In some situations, the access point will not use 40 MHz channels. Examples:

• The access point has heard other access points or clients that use channels that have overlap with 40 MHz channels.

• A client that uses the access point has heard such access points or clients and told the access point not to use 40 MHz channels.

See the 802.11n standard for all the situations where access points will not use 40 MHz channels.

AP is set to use only 20 MHz channels

The user has set the access point to use only 20 MHz channels.

AP accepts 802.11n Greenfield packets

The access point can increase speed if it uses Greenfield packets.


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AP does not accept 802.11n Greenfield packets

The access point will not accept 802.11n Greenfield packets. The user has set the access point to never use Greenfield packets or the access point hears a, b, or g clients and will not operate Greenfield 802.11n mode.

AP has detected 802.11a, b, g devices

The access point must use protection so that it does not cause problems with a, b, or g transmissions. Protection procedures decrease the speed of the 802.11n network.

• The access point has heard 802.11a, b, or g access points or clients.

• A client that uses the access point has heard 802.11a, b, or g access points or clients.

AP has not detected 802.11a, b, g devices

It is not necessary for the access point to use protection to prevent problems with a, b, or g transmissions. The access point can operate at maximum speed.

Max Rx Rate The maximum rate of data reception for the access point at this time. The rate can change as the access point adjusts for changes in wireless traffic in the area.

• 20 MHz or 40 MHz: The width of the channel that is necessary to get the maximum rate.

• X streams: The number of data streams that the access point uses to get the maximum rate.

• 1/2 GI: The access point uses a short guard interval (400 ns instead of 800 ns) to get the maximum rate. For example, a short guard interval can increase the rate of reception from 270 to 300 .

Table 4. 802.11n Capabilities (shown on the Access Points Details screen) (continued)

If the Tester Does Not Discover an Access Point

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If the Tester Does Not Discover an Access Point

In some situations, the tester will not discover an access point:

• The tester cannot hear the access point because you are too far away.

• The access point does not beacon when the tester listens to the channel that the access point uses.

• The tester cannot hear the access point because the signal cannot go through a wall or some other barrier.

• There is too much interference on the channel that the access point uses. Select Channels to see the interference from non-802.11 sources on the channel.

Channel Usage

The channel usage function shows you how much wireless traffic is on each channel. It also shows interference from non-802.11 sources. Figure 16 shows the Channel Usage screen.

To see details for a channel (Figure 17), use to highlight a channel, then press L

To select the bands for this function, select Tools, then select Manage 802.11 settings. See Table 2 on page 30.

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Figure 16. Channel Usage Screen

The bar graphs show how much of the channel capacity is used by 802.11 devices (blue) and by non-802.11 devices (gray). The taller the bar, the busier the channel.

The rings in the bar graphs show how many access points use the channel. When you highlight the channel, the number of active access points shows above the bar graph.

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Channels that do not have access points can show 802.11 usage because of overlap from access points on adjacent channels.

By default, the tester shows channels on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. To see only one band, change the setting in Tools > Manage 802.11 settings.

Press AP List to see the access points that use the highlighted channel.

The channel that the tester currently monitors. The color of the bars shows the status of the country code for the regulatory domain. See “802.11d Operation” on page 36

The number of access points that the tester hears at your location. This shows the number of physical access points if Group virtual access points is selected. See page 32. Up to 500 access points can be stored in the access point database on the tester. When the access point icon turns yellow, this indicates that greater than or equal to 400 access points have been discovered. When the icon turns red, this indicates that 500 or more access points have been discovered and the access point database is full. Any new access points seen will not be included in the list.

To see descriptions of the icons on the Channel Usage screen, press Legend.

Channel Usage

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Figure 17. Channel Usage Details Screen

The channel number and frequency of the channel that is monitored. The number is red if the channel is illegal for the country selected in Tools > Set country.

To change the channel, press .

A graph of the 802.11 usage and non-802.11 interference of the selected channel over time in seconds.The more the usage, the busier the channel. Very busy channels can make the network slow or affect connectivity

Interference, e.g., from a microwave oven.

Non-802.11, 802.11: The percentage of signals on the channel that are not from 802.11 devices (gray) and that are from 802.11 devices (blue).

Non-802.11 noise can come from microwave ovens, wireless telephones, Bluetooth® devices, motion detectors, wireless cameras and other wireless devices. This noise can interfere with WLAN connections or performance.

Press AP List to see the access points that use the channel. See Figure 14.

The channel that the access point uses. The color of the bars shows the status of the country code for the regulatory domain. The bars are red if the tester has received different country codes from two or more access points. See “802.11d Operation” on page 36.

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The number of access points the tester hears at your location. This shows the number of physical access points if Group virtual access points is selected. See page 33. Up to 500 access points can be stored in the access point database on the tester. When the access point icon turns yellow, this indicates that greater than or equal to 400 access points have been discovered. When the icon turns red, this indicates that 500 or more access points have been discovered and the access point database is full. Any new access points seen will not be included in the list.

Press Clients to view client details.

Access Points: The number of access points that use the channel. This shows the number of physical access points if Group virtual access points is selected. See page 33.

Duplicate SSIDs: The number of access points in the same area that use the same channel and support the same network. This can be a problem because the access points can interfere with each other.

Verify Connectivity

Use connectivity tests to verify the operation of these wireless network functions:

• Clients can connect to the network.

• Clients have access to network services (for example, DHCP, DNS, and routers).

• Clients can communicate with other devices in a reasonable amount of time.

• The range for client connections is satisfactory.

The tests also measure performance parameters that can show you if the network has a problem.

Connect to a Network or Access Point

The tester can connect to a network (SSID) or to a specified access point (BSSID) to make sure that the network or access point is available to wireless clients.

You can also use the tester to connect to a secure network to verify that security credentials are correct.

The tester shows the steps in the connection procedure, and gives a log of events that occur (Figures 18 and 19).

Verify Connectivity

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The connect button shows as “Connect*” if the tester cannot connect to the highlighted network or access point. This occurs because the network uses security credentials that are not included in the profile that is loaded.

Entering Security Credentials Using “Connect”

The tester must have the correct security credentials to connect to a secure network. Secure networks have a green or yellow closed lock ( ) in the security column.

To enter security credentials, use the AirCheck Connect* button and you are guided into the security credentials configuration screens. You can also use AirCheck Manager to make a profile that includes the security credentials. If using AirCheck Manager, you will need to transfer the profile to the tester and load it. See page 26.

To enter security credentials:

Note

You can also add an SSID and set up its security credentials by going to Tools > Manage profiles / network passwords > Edit networks > Add.

1 From the Networks or Access Points screen, highlight an access point/SSID and select the Connect button. In the Channels screen, select AP List, and then select the Connect button.

2 Press the Connect* button. The popup “This network is not configured - Configure Now?” is displayed. If Connect does not have an asterisk, it is either an open network or the security credentials have already been entered.

3 Press OK to continue to the next screen. The popup “Creating new network in current profile” is displayed followed by the Select Authentication screen.

4 Highlight the appropriate encryption type and press Select.

5 Press Next . Depending on the authentication type that was selected, either the WEP > WEP Key Setup, Legacy 802.1X > EAP Type Selection, or the WPA/WPA2 > Set Encryption screen is displayed.


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Note

The WPA/WPA2 encryption type was selected for steps 6 through 11. WEP and 802.1X have slightly different screens.

6 Highlight the encryption type, press Select, and then press Next. The EAP Type Selection screen is displayed.

7 Highlight the EAP type and press Select.

8 Press Next. The Setup Username/Password screen is displayed.

Note

Select Done only after you have finished entering the username and password. If you select Done and have not finished entering the settings, the connection will fail. You will then have to select Tools > Manage profiles / network passwords, select Edit networks, select the network, and finish entering the security settings.

9 Press Set username, enter the username using the on-screen keyboard, and Press Save.

10 Press Set password, enter the password, and press Save.

11 Press Done and the Connect to Network screen is displayed. AirCheck will then try to connect to the network and run a series of tests.

Note

AirCheck can only use one set of security credentials per SSID, even if a SSID has multiple Access Points with different security settings. Therefore, you may encounter pressing Connect (no asterisk) and the connection fails.

To Save the profile with your security credentials

A profile is a file which contains the settings you configure for the tester. Most settings are configured in the Tools screen. You can have multiple profiles on the tester, but only use one at a time. Once you enter security credentials for an SSID (or multiple SSIDs), save them to a profile to avoid losing these settings when the tester is turned off.

1 From the home screen, select Tools, then select Manage profiles / network passwords.

2 Select Save profile. The profile name displays at the bottom of the screen.

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3 Either select Save or select Edit and change the profile filename.

To load a profile

1 From the home screen, select Tools, then select Manage profiles / network passwords.

2 Select Load profile, highlight the correct profile, press L, then press Load.

Or

3 Press Profile from the home screen and then Load profile.

To connect to a network

1 If the network is secure, you must load a configuration profile that has security credentials for the network. See page 26.

2 From the home screen, select Networks.

3 Highlight the network in the Networks (SSIDs) list, then press Connect.

To connect to a specified access point

1 If the access point is secure, you must use a configuration profile that has security credentials for the access point. See page 26.

2 From the home screen, select Access Points.

3 Highlight the access point in the Access Points list, then press Connect.

To do a ping or a TCP Port Connect test

1 Connect to a network or access point, then press Start tests.

Note

Ping or TCP Port Connect test targets can be added by selecting Tools > Manage profiles / network passwords > Edit targets > Add. You can add a target with an IP address or hostname (URL).

If an * is on the right of Connect, this indicates security has not been configured on the tester for that network. Press Connect* and you are guided through entering the security settings.


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Review Connection Results

Once Connect is pressed, the process to connect to a network or a specific access point begins and the results are presented as they become available.

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Figure 18. The Connection Screen

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SSID, BSSID: The name of the network and the MAC address of the access point that the tester uses for the connection. When you connect to a network, the tester usually connects through the access point that has the highest Signal to Noise Ratio. If the network includes secure and unsecure access points and security credentials are available, the tester tries to connect to the secure access point that has the highest Signal to Noise Ratio. Some networks use a controller that connects you to the access point that has the least amount of traffic.

The steps in the connection procedure. The list for each step collapses when the step is completed. To expand or collapse the list for a step, highlight the step then press L.

As part of the connection test, the tester pings devices that support the connection (for example, the DHCP and DNS servers), runs the TCP Port Connect test (user provided hostname or IP address), and IP addresses that are included in the profile. The tester shows a green checkmark ( )if the device responded or a red X ( ) if it did not respond. To ping other devices, do a ping test. See page 65.

, SNR: The channel number and Signal to Noise Ratio for the access point. You can change the thresholds for the colors in the bar graphs. See page 37.

Press Start tests to do a ping or a TCP Port Connect test, which includes the Connection range test. This test provides visibility into the range of your connection and AP coverage. See page 66.

The channel that the access point uses. The color of the bars shows the status of the country code for the regulatory domain. See “802.11d Operation” on page 36.

The number of access points that the tester hears at your location. This shows the number of physical access points if Group virtual access points is selected. See page 33.

Press Log to see details about the connection procedure. See Figure 19.

A connection that failed. The tester stops the connection process after the third attempt.

Appendix A describes log messages that show when the connection fails.


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Note

On the connection log screen, press to scroll to see the timestamps for each entry in the log. The timestamps are in seconds.

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Figure 19. The Connection Log

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Ping a Device or Application Server

You can enter addresses to ping other devices or application servers (e.g. web servers). This makes sure that other network devices are accessible and measures the response time.

1 Connect to a network or access point. See page 61.

2 When the connection is completed, press Start tests.

Select an IP address from the list or enter a new address.

To enter a new address

a. Select Enter IP address.

b. Use to select a value to change.

c. Use to increase or decrease the highlighted value.

d. To save the address, press Done.

Note

Up to 10 ping targets can be configured on the tester.

The ping screen (Figure 20) shows the results of the ping test. To ping a different address, press twice, then select or enter a different address.


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Figure 20. The Ping Screen

SSID, BSSID: Network name and access point name for the ping target.

Pinging or Connecting (HTTP, FTP): IP address for the ping or the TCP Port Connect target and the percentage of responses not received.

The minimum (Min), average (avg), and maximum (max) periods of time for ping responses from the device and the number of packets sent, received, and lost during the ping test.

Connection range: The connection range shows the probability of the best possible connection to the access point from your location. The best possible connection gives a ping response rate of 100% and the maximum possible data rate. The connection range value decreases as you move farther away from the access point. First, the data rate decreases. As you continue to move away from the access point, the ping response rate decreases and the connection becomes unreliable

This test provides visibility into the connected APs Network coverage and your connection range. When connected to a network, the test results graph will indicate when you roam to a different AP.

A graph of the connection range for the last 120 seconds.

Rate: The data transfer rate.

SNR: The channel number of the access point and the Signal to Noise Ratio. You can change the thresholds for the colors in the bar graph. See page 37.

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Received: The ping response rate (pings responses received divided by pings sent).

Press Stop tests to stop the ping or TCP Port Connect test(s).

The channel that the access point uses. The color of the bars shows the status of the country code for the regulatory domain. See “802.11d Operation” on page 36

The number of access points that the tester hears at your location. This shows the number of physical access points if Group virtual access points is selected. See page 33.

Press Log to see details about the connection procedure. See Figure 19.

Discover Clients

When the tester is on, it monitors each channel for probe request frames to discover client devices. To see these clients, use the Clients button on the home screen.

In addition to the client MAC address, information such as channels used, data rate, probed SSIDs, the connected SSID and access point of an associated client are shown.

The client screens include a Locate function to help you find clients. See page 73.

When an associated client is highlighted in the test. Press Access Point Details to see the details of the associated Access Point.

When you use the Clients function, the tester monitors each channel for a longer time than when you use other functions. This lets the tester find more clients on each channel.

To discover clients

From the home screen, select Clients. Figure 21 shows the Clients screen.

To see details about a client, highlight the client, then press L. See Figure 22.

Note

The tester shows the most recent information for a client only when the client transmits data while the tester monitors the channel that the client uses. To collect client information quickly, go to Tools > Manage 802.11 settings and enable only one band. This decreases the number of tester monitored channels.


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To search for a specific client

1 On the home screen, highlight the Clients icon and press Search.

2 Highlight and select BSSID/MAC or Vendor MAC.


If the search device has been discovered, the device will be highlighted on the Clients screen.

Discovering Clients through Meru APs

The tester can discover clients no matter how many Meru APs are configured. If the SSID is configured for virtual port, or virtual cell is disabled, the tester can connect to the correct virtual AP.

If the AP is in virtual cell only mode, the tester will show a client as being connected to all virtual APs supporting the connected SSID on the channel being used by a client.

Discover Clients

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Figure 21. Clients Screen


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Ch: The channel that the client uses.

: The strength of the signal. You can change the thresholds for the colors in the bar graphs. See page 37.

MAC: The MAC address of the client. The address starts with a vendor abbreviation prefix, if the prefix is available. See “oui_abbr.txt” on page 84.

SSID: Service Set Identifier. The client is connected to this network.



: The maximum and minimum client connect rates last seen by the tester.

: The security status of the access point:

Red open lock: The access point does not have security enabled.

Yellow closed lock: The access point uses WEP security protocol.

Green closed lock: The access point uses a security protocol that is more secure than WEP, for example, WPA or WPA2.

AP: The name or BSSID of the access point that the client uses for the network connection.



To sort the list in ascending or descending sequence, use and to highlight a column heading, then press L or Sort 1. For example, to quickly find the client that has the strongest signal, highlight at the top of the column, then press L or Sort 1. This puts the client with the strongest signal at the top of the list.



Discover Clients

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The number of access points the tester hears at your location. This number does not include virtual access points if Group virtual access points is selected. See page 33.

Press Locate to locate the client. See page 73.

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Figure 22. Client Details Screen

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The MAC address of the client. The address starts with a vendor abbreviation prefix, if the prefix is available. See “oui_abbr.txt” on page 84.

Signal: The signal strength of the last transmission from the client and the time since the tester heard the transmission. After 120 seconds, the units change to minutes. After 120 minutes, the units change to hours.

Connected to: If the client is or was connected to a network or recently tried to connect, this section shows information about the access point that the client used. If this section shows only the BSSID and channel for the access point, the tester needs more time to collect information.

Client probes on: The channels that the client probes.Client probes for: SSIDs the client uses for probes. When a client connects to a network, it sometimes does not probe for other networks, so the list does not always show all the SSIDs the client can use. More SSIDs will show if the client roams.


The number of access points the tester hears at your location. This number does not include virtual access points if Group virtual access points is selected. See page 33.

Press Locate to locate the client. See page 73.

If the Tester Does Not Discover a Client

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If the Tester Does Not Discover a Client

In some situations, the tester will not discover a client:

• The wireless card in the client is disabled.

• The tester cannot hear the client because you are too far away from the client.

• The tester cannot hear the client because the signal cannot go through a wall or some other barrier.

• There is too much interference on the channel that the client uses. Select Channels to see the interference from non-802.11 sources on the channel.

• The tester does not scan the band that the client uses. See the setting in Tools > Manage 802.11 settings.

• The client does not transmit a probe when the tester listens to the channel that the client uses.

Locate an Access Point or a Client

1 To locate an access point: Select Access Points, then use and L to go to the Access Point Details screen for the access point you want to locate.

To locate a client: From the home screen, select Clients. Use to highlight the client you want to locate.

2 Press Locate. Figure 23 shows the Locate Access Point screen. Figure 24 shows the Locate Client screen.

3 Divide the area you want to search into four sections, as shown in Figure 25. Go to one corner of the area.

4 Make a note of the signal strength.

5 Go to the other three corners of the area and make a note of the signal strength at each corner.

6 Go to the first corner of the section that has the strongest signal.

7 Do steps 4, 5, and 6 again until you find the access point or client.


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Notes

If you do not find the access point or client, look on the floor above or below you.

If you cannot find a client, and the client shows a connection to the network, first find the access point that the client used, then look for the client.

In large, open areas the optional external antenna can help you locate access points or clients more quickly. See page 77.

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Figure 23. Locate Access Point Screen

Network name (SSID) and access point MAC address (BSSID).

The strength of the signal from the access point. The display shows “---” if the tester cannot hear the access point.

A graph of the signal strength over time. If the tester cannot hear the access point, the line does not show.

A gauge that shows the signal strength at the current time. The bar is gray if the tester cannot hear the access point.

The channel that the access point uses. The color of the bars shows the status of the country code for the regulatory domain. See “802.11d Operation” on page 36

The number of access points that the tester has found. This number does not include virtual access points if Group virtual access points is selected. See page 32.

Press Mute to turn off the sound.

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Figure 24. Locate Client Screen

The MAC address of the client. The address starts with a vendor abbreviation prefix, if the prefix is available. See “oui_abbr.txt” on page 84.

The name, channel, and frequency of the access point that the client uses for the network connection.

The strength of the signal from the client. The display shows “---” if the tester cannot hear the client.

The channel that the tester is monitoring for locating.

To change this channel, press .

A graph of the signal strength over time. If the tester cannot hear the client, the line does not show.

A gauge that shows the signal strength at the current time. The bar is gray if the tester cannot hear the client.

The channel that the tester monitors. See .

The color of the bars shows the status of the country code for the regulatory domain. See “802.11d Operation” on page 36

The number of access points that the tester has found. This number does not include virtual access points if Group virtual access points is selected. See page 32.

Press Mute to turn off the sound.

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Figure 25. Search Pattern for the Omnidirectional Antenna in the Tester

Make a note of the signal strength.

? Go to the first corner of the section that had the strongest signal.

The External Directional Antenna

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In large, open areas, the external directional antenna can show you the direction of a signal source more precisely than the omnidirectional antenna in the tester.

Note

In areas that have many rooms, for example in schools and hospitals, use the internal omnidirectional antenna to locate access points.

To use the external antenna

1 Connect the antenna to the antenna jack on the rear of the tester. The screen shows the antenna icon ( ) when you connect the antenna. The tester uses only the external antenna when the antenna is connected.

Note

When the external antenna is connected, the tester will not transmit, so it will not connect to a network or access point.

2 Divide the area into four sections, as shown in Figure 26. Go to the center of the area.

3 To locate an access point: Select Networks or Access Points, then use and L to go to the Access Point Details screen for the access point you want to locate.

To locate a client: From the home screen, select Clients. Use to highlight the client you want to locate.

4 Press Locate.

5 Point the antenna to each corner of the area. Figure 27 shows how to point the antenna.

6 Go to the middle of the section that has the strongest signal.

7 Repeat steps 2, 5, and 6 until you find the access point or client.

Note

If you do not find the access point or client, look on the floor above or below you.

Use these guidelines when you use the external antenna:

• Hold the antenna at a constant height. You can get more stable measurements if you hold the antenna above cubicle walls.


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• When you point the antenna in different directions, do not move your arm. Hold the tester and antenna in one position while you turn your body.


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Figure 26. Search Pattern for the External Antenna

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The signal can be stronger above or below you.

Go to the middle of the section that has the strongest signal until you find the access point.


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Figure 27. How to Point the External Antenna

Adjust Signal Strength Measurements to Agree with Other Devices

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Adjust Signal Strength Measurements to Agree with Other Devices

Signal strength measurements from different models of wireless testers or from clients used as a reference do not always agree with each other. The differences are caused mainly by differences in the antennas. To make the devices agree, you can add an offset to the AirCheck measurements.

To add an offset to signal strength measurements

1 Find the offset value:

Use the AirCheck tester and the other device to measure the signal strength in the same location. Record the difference in the measurement for each channel that is important to you.

2 Select Tools.

3 Select Manage 802.11 settings, then select Use custom signal adjustment.

4 On the User Offsets screen, use to select a channel, then use . to select an offset value.

5 Repeat step 4 as necessary for other channels.

6 To save the offset values, press Save.

When you turn off the tester, it saves the offsets in the profile. The offsets also show in reports you make with AirCheck Manager.

Caution

To prevent inconsistent measurements later, be sure to remember that you adjusted the offsets.


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Save a Test Session

You can save the information the tester has collected since you turned it on or since the last time you saved a session, pressed O, or disconnected the USB cable. A session includes this information:

• AutoTest results (if saved when exiting AutoTest).

• Network, access point, client, and channel information (does not include graphs)

• A list of clients that transmitted probes

• Results for the last connection you made

• Results for the last ping test you did

• The connection log

To save the data from a test session

1 Press P. The tester shows a default, sequential filename at the bottom of the screen.

• To save the session with the filename shown, press Save. The tester saves the session in the “SESSIONS” folder.

• To overwrite a test session that is saved on the tester, highlight the test session, press L, press Save, then press OK.

• To edit the filename, press Edit.

Note

Session names can have a maximum of 8 characters with an extension of 3 characters. The extension must be “.ACS” if you want to see the session in AirCheck Manager.




• To save the session with the edited filename, press Done, then press Save.

To see the session file, open it in AirCheck Manager. See page 85.

Manage Files on the Tester

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Manage Files on the Tester

To rename a file

1 Select Tools, then select Manage files.

2 Select Rename file.

3 Highlight a file, then press L.

4 To edit the filename, press Edit.

Note

Sessions must have the extension “.ACS” and profiles must have the extension “.ACP” if you want to see them in AirCheck Manager.




5 To rename the file with the name you made, press Done, then press Rename.

To delete a file

1 Select Tools, then select Manage files.

2 Select Delete file.

3 Highlight a file, then press L.

4 Press Delete.

To see how much space is available in memory

1 Select Tools > View AirCheck information.

2 View Memory Used %.

or

Use the USB cable supplied with the tester to connect the tester to the PC, then use one of these procedures:

• Start AirCheck Manager, select AirCheck > View Information, then look at the Memory Used graph.

• Use the file browser in the PC operating system to see how much memory space is available on the tester.

If memory is full, the tester shows Memory full when you try to save a file.


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About Files on the Tester

The tester saves data in XML (Extensible Markup Language) format. The data in XML files includes identification tags. Software that can read the tags can use the data. For example, a web browser that can read the tags can show XML files on a web page.

The tester makes these types of XML files (default filenames):

• DEVICE.XML: This file contains the information shown when you select Tools > View AirCheck Information.

• CURRENT.ACP: This file contains a copy of the current profile. It also contains changes you made to settings on the tester since you saved or loaded the profile.

• SNXXXXXX.ACS: Session files contain information about wireless networks. See “Locate an Access Point or a Client” on page 73. AirCheck Manager uses session files to create session reports.

The text file oui_abbr.txt contains abbreviations for the names of manufacturers who make interface devices for networks. The tester uses the abbreviations as prefixes for MAC addresses.

To load the latest list of vendor prefixes into the tester

1 Start the latest version of AirCheck Manager on your PC, then connect the tester to the PC.

2 Select AirCheck > Update Software, then select the Vendor MAC Prefix File tab.

3 Click Update from file, select the prefix file (oui_abbr.txt), then click Open.

If there is a newer list on the Fluke Networks website that is not included in the latest version of AirCheck Manager, copy the file to the “VendorPrefix” folder under AirCheck Manager (on your PC). Then, do the steps given above to load the list into the tester.

If you wish to manually add vendor prefixes into the oui_abbr.txt file, use Microsoft WordPad, and preserve the tab delimited fields.

ffy44.bmp

Figure 28. oui_abbr.txt File

Maintenance

85

Transfer Files to a PC

To use AirCheck Manager to look at test sessions or profiles that are saved on the tester

1 Install the latest version of AirCheck Manager software on your PC. Start the software.

2 Turn on the tester.

3 Use the USB cable supplied with the tester to connect the tester to the PC. The AirCheck pane shows session files that are on the tester.

To use the PC operating system to transfer files


2 Use the USB cable supplied with the tester to connect the tester to the PC. The PC operating system shows the tester as a disk drive.

3 Use the PC operating system to copy files from the tester to a disk drive on the PC.

Maintenance

WarningTo prevent possible fire, electrical shock, personal injury, or damage to the tester:

• Do not open the case. You cannot repair or replace parts in the case.

• Use only replacement parts that are approved by Fluke Networks.

• If you replace parts that are not specified as replacement parts, the warranty will not apply to the product and you can make the product dangerous to use.

• Use only service centers that are approved by Fluke Networks.


86

Clean the Tester

To clean the display, use lens cleaner and a soft, lint-free cloth. To clean the case, use a soft cloth that is moist with water or water and a weak soap.

Caution

To prevent damage to the display or the case, do not use solvents or abrasive materials.

Update the Software in the Tester

1 Download the AirCheck update file from the Fluke Networks website, or contact Fluke Networks to get the update by other means. Save the file to your hard disk.

2 Get the latest version of AirCheck Manager from the Fluke Networks website.

3 Start AirCheck Manager on your PC.


5 Use the USB cable supplied with the tester to connect the tester to the PC.

6 In AirCheck Manager, select AirCheck > Update Software

Note

You can also update the vendor MAC prefix file (oui_abbr.txt) used to resolve vendor MACs in the AirCheck device list.

7 Click Select, find and select the update file (.xlf extension), then click Open.

8 Click Update.

9 When the transfer is completed, disconnect the USB cable from the tester.

10 The screen on the tester is blank and the tester ticks while it installs the update file. When the update is completed, the home screen shows on the tester.

Note

The power key is disabled during a software update. If you remove the battery before the update completes, the update starts again when you turn on the tester.

Maintenance

87

Restore Factory DefaultsAppendix B gives a list of the default settings for the tester.

To restore factory defaults

1 From the home screen, select Tools, select Restore factory defaults, then press OK.

2 To complete the process, press L, then turn the tester back on.

Erase All Data

Erase All Data does everything that Restore Factory Defaults does, plus deleted all the files in the file system.

To totally erase all session data and profiles

1 From the home screen, select Tools, select Erase All, then press OK.

2 To complete the process, press L, and then turn the tester back on.

Device InformationTo see information about the tester

1 From the home screen, select Tools > View AirCheck information.

2 View Memory Used %.

• Serial Number: The serial number is also shown under the battery pack.

• MAC Address: Media Access Control address. The unique address of the tester.

• SW Version: The version of software in the tester.

• Radio Version: The version of the radio in the tester.

• USB Version: The version of the USB driver in the tester.

If the Tester Will Not Turn Off

If the tester will not turn off, hold down the green power button for approximately 10 seconds.

If the tester still does not turn off, remove the battery pack and install it again.


88

Options and Accessories

Table 5 shows options and accessories available for the AirCheck Wi-Fi Tester.

For a complete list of options and accessories visit the Fluke Networks website at www.flukenetworks.com.

Table 5. Options and Accessories

Option or AccessoryFluke Networks Model Number

External directional antenna with RSMA connector EXTANT-RPSMA

Lithium ion battery pack for the AirCheck tester WBP-LION

Power over Ethernet detector POE-DETECTOR

Adapter/charger for connection to an automobile cigarette lighter MS-Auto-Chg

AC adapter/charger, universal, 120-240 Vac DTX-ACUN


Specifications

89

Specifications

Environmental Specifications

Operating temperature and relative humidity

32ºF to 113ºF (0ºC to +45ºC)

Note

The battery will not charge if the internal temperature of the tester is above 113ºF (45ºC).

Operating relative humidity (% RH without condensation)

90% (50ºF to 95ºF; 10ºC to 35ºC) 75% (95ºF to 113ºF; 35ºC to 45ºC)

Storage temperature -4ºF to 140ºF (-20ºC to +60ºC)

Shock and vibration Random, 2 g, 5 Hz-500 Hz (Class 2) 1 m drop test

Safety IEC 61010-1: CAT none, Pollution degree 2

Altitude 4,000 m; Storage: 12,000 m

EMC FCC Part 15 Class A, IEC 61326-1: Portable


90

Certifications and compliance Conforms to relevant European Union directives

Conforms to relevant Australian standards

Listed by the Canadian Standards Association

Conforms to FCC Rules, Parts 15.107, 15.109

Note Changes or modifications to the wireless radio not expressly approved by Fluke Corporation will void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the two conditions that follow: (1) this device can not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that can cause undesired operation of the device. Class B digital device: A digital device that is marketed for operation in a residential environment notwithstanding use in commercial, business and industrial environments. Examples of such devices include, but are not limited to, personal computers, calculators, and equivalent electronic devices that are marketed for operation by the general public. The Meter was tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, can cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television

Specifications

91

reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the measures that follow: • Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. • Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. • Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. The term “IC:” before the radio certification number only signifies the device meets Industry’s Canada specifications.

Certified by the National Agency of Telecommunications (Anatel)

Conforms to relevant South Korean EMC Standards.

Additional South Korean EMC Standards Information

Electromagnetic Compatibility. Applies to use in Korea only. Class A Equipment (Industrial Broadcasting & Communications Equipment) [1]

[1] This product meets requirements for industrial (Class A) electromagnetic wave equipment and the seller or user should take notice of it. This equipment is intended for use in business environments and is not to be used in homes.


92

General Specifications

Dimensions 3.5 in x 7.8 in x 1.9 in (8.9 cm x 19.8 cm x 4.8 cm)

Weight 14 oz (0.4 kg)

Battery Removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack (18.5 Watt-hrs)

Battery life Typical operating life is 5.5 hours. Typical charge time is 3 hours.

External AC adapter/charger AC input 90-264 Vac 48-62 Hz input power DC output 15 Vdc at 1.2 amps

Display 2.8 in color LCD (320 x 240 pixels)

Keypad 12-key elastomeric

LEDs 2 LEDs (transmit and link Indicators)

Host interface USB 5-pin mini-B

Wireless antenna Internal

External antenna port Input only. Reverse-polarity SMA connector.

Specifications

93

Wireless Specifications

Specification compliance IEEE 802.11a, 11b, 11g, 11n

Wi-Fi Connectivity 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac (802.11n rates or lower)


94

Operating frequencies

Note

These are the center frequencies of the channels that the AirCheck tester supports.

Frequencies of channels received

Note

The tester receives on all of the frequencies in every country.

2.4 GHz band: 2.412 GHz to 2.484 GHz (channel 1 to channel 14)

5 GHz band: 5.170 GHz to 5.320 GHz, 5.500 GHz to 5.700 GHz, 5.745 GHz to 5.825 GHz (channels 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 52, 56, 60, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 128, 132, 136, 140, 149, 153, 157, 161, 165)

Frequencies of channels transmitted

Note

The tester transmits only on the frequencies allowed in the country where it is operating.

2.4 GHz band

802.11b: 2.412 GHz to 2.484 GHz (channel 1 to channel 14)

802.11 g/n 20 MHz BW (HT20): 2.412 GHz to 2.472 GHz (channel 1 to channel 13)

802.11 n 40 MHz BW (HT40): 2.422 GHz to 2.462 GHz (includes all combinations of legal, bonded pairs of channels)

Specifications

95

Frequencies of channels transmitted (continued)

5GHz band

802.11 a /n 20 MHz BW (HT20): 5.180 GHz to 5.320 GHz, 5.500 GHz to 5.700 GHz, 5.745 GHz to 5.825 GHz (channels 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 128, 132, 1, 36, 140, 149, 153, 157, 161, 165)

802.11 n 40 MHz BW (HT40): 5.190 GHz to 5.310 GHz, 5.510 GHz to 5.670 GHz, 5.755 GHz to 5.795 GHz (includes all combinations of legal, bonded pairs of channels)

Regulatory Domain World Mode, 802.11d compliant

External Directional Antenna

Frequencies

Connector

Frequency range 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz and 4.9 to 5.9 GHz Minimum gain 5.0 dBi in the 2.4 GHz band and 7.0 dBi in the 5 GHz band Reverse-polarity SMA plug


96

ffy20.eps

Figure 29. Antenna Patterns for the External Antenna (magnitude (dBi)) vs. azimuth (degrees)

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

0 10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170180-170

-160

-150

-140

-130

-120

-110

-100

-90

-80

-70

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

0 10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170180-170

-160

-150

-140

-130

-120

-110

-100

-90

-80

-70

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

2.400 GHz 2.450 GHz 2.500 GHz

4.900 GHz 5.200 GHz 5.500 GHz 5.700 GHz 5.875 GHz

Federal Communication Commission and Industry Canada Interference Statement

97


This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC and IC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio or TV technician for help.

FCC Caution: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate this equipment.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC and IC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Important Note: FCC and IC Radiation Exposure Statement

This equipment complies with FCC and IC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance 20 cm between the radiator and your body.

This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.

Operations in the 5.15 GHz to 5.25 GHz band are restricted to indoor usage only.


98

The availability of some specific channels and/or operational frequency bands are country dependent and not accessible by the end user.

Europe-EU Declaration of Conformity

This device complies with the essential requirements of the R&TTE Directive 1999/5/EC. The following test methods have been applied in order to prove presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the R&TTE Directive 1999/5/EC:

• EN50385: (2002-08)

Product standard to demonstrate the compliance of radio base stations and fixed terminal stations for wireless telecommunication systems with the basic restrictions or the reference levels related to human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields (110 MHz to 40 GHz) -General public

• EN 300328 V1.7.1: (2006-10)

Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio spectrum Matters (ERM); Wideband Transmission systems; Data transmission equipment operating in the 2.4 GHz ISM band and using spread spectrum modulation techniques; Harmonized EN covering essential requirements under article 3.2 of the R&TTE Directive

• EN 301 893 V1.4.1: (2007-07)

Broadband Radio Access Networks (BRAN);5 GHz high performance RLAN; Harmonized EN covering essential requirements of article 3.2 of the R&TTE Directive

• EN 301 489-1 V1.6.1: (2005-09)

Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio Spectrum Matters (ERM); Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) standard for radio equipment and services; Part 1: Common technical requirements

• EN 301 489-17 V1.2.1 (2002-08)

Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio spectrum Matters (ERM); ElectroMagnetic Compatibility (EMC) standard for radio equipment and services; Part 17: Specific conditions for 2.4 GHz wideband transmission systems and 5 GHz high performance RLAN equipment


99

This device is a 2.4 GHz wideband transmission system (transceiver), intended for use in all EU member states and EFTA countries, except in France and Italy where restrictive use applies.

In Italy the end-user should apply for a license at the national spectrum authorities in order to obtain authorization to use the device for setting up outdoor radio links and/or for supplying public access to telecommunications and/or network services.

This device may not be used for setting up outdoor radio links in France and in some areas the RF output power may be limited to 10 mW EIRP in the frequency range of 2454 MHz to 2483.5 MHz. For detailed information the end-user should contact the national spectrum authority in France.


100

95

Appendix A: Log Messages for Connections that Fail

The connection log can help you understand why a device cannot connect to a network. This appendix gives reasons for log messages that show when a connection fails.

Message Possible Reasons for the Connection Failure

802.11: Found no access points The access point is out of range, disabled, or someone changed the frequency band.

802.11: Warning: Found access point with SSID, but security configurations mismatch

The tester does not have the correct types of 802.1X authentication/encryption.


96

Authentication failed The access control list and MAC filter on the access point rejected the MAC of the tester.

The access point uses WEP security, and the low-level 802.11 authentication (open/shared) that the tester uses is different from the type of authentication that the access point uses.

802.11: Received de-authentication packet When this follows the message 802.1X: Sending EAP 4-way key with client nonce and info elements, it is frequently caused by an incorrect pre-shared key (passphrase).

Connect: Fail expected during automatic PAC provision (phase 0)

The tester always shows this message when it uses EAP-FAST authentication to try to connect to an access point. Multiple phases are necessary for an EAP-FAST connection, and there is usually a failure during the initial phase.

802.1X: Received EAP fail • When this follows the message 802.1X TLS: Sending client key exchange, it is frequently caused by an incorrect client certificate.

• When this follows the message 802.1X EAP-MSCHAPv2: Responding to challenge, it is frequently caused by an incorrect user name or password.

• When this follows the message 802.1X: NAK, it frequently occurs because the RADIUS server does not support the EAP type.


Appendix A: Log Messages for Connections that Fail

97

802.1X: Server certificate unverified Ignore this message if you did not select the option Check Server Certificate in the profile in AirCheck Manager.

802.1X: Server certificate is bad The option Check Server Certificate was selected in the profile in AirCheck Manager, but an incorrect certificate was loaded into the tester.

DHCP: Timeout occurred (without the message DHCP: Success after this one)

• The access point could not communicate with the external DHCP server.

• The access point has an internal DHCP server, but it is disabled.

• The DHCP server is at its limit for the number of users.

• The tester and the access point are both configured for WEP security, but they have different key settings.

DHCP: No offer received When this follows the message DHCP: Timeout occurred, see the causes above.

Static IP: ARP received. Address already in use The option Manual (Static) was selected in the profile in AirCheck Manager, but a duplicate IP address was found on the network.



98

99

Appendix B: Default Settings

This appendix shows the default settings for the tester when you select Tools > Restore factory defaults.

Function Default Setting

Profile that the tester uses Default

Auto shutoff On

Language The language that was selected last

Country US

Sound for the AP Locate function On

Thresholds for Bar Graphs

Signal Level: Red -85 dBm

Signal Level: Yellow -75 dBm

Signal Level: Green -65 dBm

Noise Level: Red -65 dBm

Noise Level: Yellow -72 dBm

Noise Level: Green -80 dBm

Signal-to-Noise Level: Red 10 dB

Signal-to-Noise Level: Yellow 17 dB

Signal-to-Noise Level: Green 25 dB

Network coverage: 2 APs

802.11 Utilization level: Green 40%

802.11 Utilization level: Yellow 55%

802.11 Utilization level: Red 70%


100

Non-802.11 Utilization level: Green 20%

Non-802.11 Utilization level: Yellow 30%

Non-802.11 Utilization level: Red 40%

Air Quality Co-channel level: Green 3 APs

Air Quality Co-channel level: Yellow 4 APs

Air Quality Co-channel level: Red 6 APs

Network Quality Co-channel level: Green 2 APs

Network Quality Co-channel level: Yellow 3 APs

Network Quality Co-channel level: Red 4 APs

Packet Retry Rate level: Green 10%

Packet Retry Rate level: Yellow 17%

Packet Retry Rate level: Red 25%

Connected Packet Rate level: Red 10%

Connected Packet Rate level: Yellow 20%

Connected Packet Rate level: Green 30%

Minimum Signal Threshold -85dBm

802.11 Settings

Bands 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz

Transmit probes Enable

Group virtual access points Enable

Gray inaudible access points Enabled

Delete inaudible access points Disabled

User offsets for custom signal adjustments 0 dB

Network (SSIDs) List

Sort 1 SSID

Sort 2 SSID

Appendix B: Default Settings

101

Individual Networks

Sort 1 Name/MAC

Sort 2 Name/MAC

Access Points on a Channel

Sort 1 Name/MAC

Sort 2 Name/MAC

Access Points List

Sort 1 Name/MAC

Sort 2 Name/MAC

Virtual Access Points List

Sort 1 SSID

Sort 2 SSID

Clients List

Sort 1 SSID

Sort 2 MAC


102

103

Appendix C: 802.11d Country Codes

This appendix shows the countries for the country codes that the tester shows on the Access Point Details screen.

Countries shown in bold text are the countries you can select in Tools > Set country.

Note

The tester can show a third character in the country code. You can ignore that character when you look for the country code in the table below.

AD Andorra

AE United Arab Emirates

AF Afghanistan

AG Antigua and Barbuda

AI Anguilla

AL Albania

AM Armenia

AN Netherlands Antilles

AO Angola

AQ Antarctica

AR Argentina


104

AS American Samoa

AT Austria

AU Australia

AW Aruba

AX Aland

AZ Azerbaijan

BA Bosnia and Herzegovina

BB Barbados

BD Bangladesh

BE Belgium

BF Burkina Faso

BG Bulgaria

BH Bahrain

BI Burundi

BJ Benin

BL Saint Barthelemy

BM Bermuda

BN Brunei Darussalam

BO Bolivia

BR Brazil

BS Bahamas

BT Bhutan

BU Burma (transitional)

BV Bouvet Island

BW Botswana

BY Belarus

BZ Belize

CA Canada

CC Cocos Islands

CD Congo, Democratic Republic of

CF Central African Republic

CG Congo

CH Switzerland

CI Cote d'Ivoire


105

CK Cook Islands

CL Chile

CM Cameroon

CN China

CO Colombia

CR Costa Rica

CS Serbia and Montenegro (transitional)

CU Cuba

CV Cape Verde

CX Christmas Island

CY Cyprus

CZ Czech Republic

DE Germany

DJ Djibouti

DK Denmark

DM Dominica

DO Dominican Republic

DZ Algeria

EC Ecuador

EE Estonia

EG Egypt

EH Western Sahara

ER Eritrea

ES Spain

ET Ethiopia

EU European Union

FI Finland

FJ Fiji

FK Falkland Islands (Malvinas)

FM Micronesia

FO Faroe Islands

FR France

FX France, Metropolitan

GA Gabon


106

GB United Kingdom

GD Grenada

GE Georgia

GF French Guiana

GG Guernsey

GH Ghana

GI Gibraltar

GL Greenland

GM Gambia

GN Guinea

GP Guadeloupe

GQ Equatorial Guinea

GR Greece

GS South Georgia

GT Guatemala

GU Guam

GW Guinea-Bissau

GY Guyana

HK Hong Kong

HM Heard and McDonald Islands

HN Honduras

HR Croatia

HT Haiti

HU Hungary

ID Indonesia

IE Ireland

II International (Cisco only)

IL Israel

IM Isle of Man

IN India

IO British Indian Ocean

IQ Iraq

IR Iran

IS Iceland


107

IT Italy

JE Jersey

JM Jamaica

JO Jordan

JP Japan

KE Kenya

KG Kyrgyzstan

KH Cambodia

KI Kiribati

KM Comoros

KN Saint Kitts and Nevis

KP Korea, D.P.R. (north)

KR Korea, Republic (south)

KW Kuwait

KY Cayman Islands

KZ Kazakhstan

LA Lao

LB Lebanon

LC Saint Lucia

LI Liechtenstein

LK Sri Lanka

LR Liberia

LS Lesotho

LT Lithuania

LU Luxembourg

LV Latvia

LY Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

MA Morocco

MC Monaco

MD Moldova, Republic of

ME Montenegro

MF Saint Martin

MG Madagascar

MH Marshall Islands


108

MK Macedonia

ML Mali

MM Myanmar

MN Mongolia

MO Macau

MP Northern Mariana Islands

MQ Martinique

MR Mauritania

MS Montserrat

MT Malta

MU Mauritius

MV Maldives

MW Malawi

MX Mexico

MY Malaysia

MZ Mozambique

NA No country is selected (special situation for some access points)

NC New Caledonia

NE Niger

NF Norfolk Island

NG Nigeria

NI Nicaragua

NL Netherlands

NO Norway

NP Nepal

NR Nauru

NT Neutral Zone (transitional)

NU Niue

NZ New Zealand

OM Oman

PA Panama

PE Peru


109

PF French Polynesia

PG Papua New Guinea

PH Philippines

PK Pakistan

PL Poland

PM Saint Pierre and Miquelon

PN Pitcairn

PR Puerto Rico

PS Palestinian Territory

PS United States (public safety)

PT Portugal

PW Palau

PY Paraguay

QA Qatar

RE Reunion

RO Romania

RS Serbia

RU Russian Federation

RW Rwanda

SA Saudi Arabia

SB Solomon Islands

SC Seychelles

SD Sudan

SE Sweden

SF Finland (unofficial)

SG Singapore

SH Saint Helena

SI Slovenia

SJ Svalbard and Jan Mayen

SK Slovakia

SL Sierra Leone

SM San Marino

SN Senegal

SO Somalia


110

SR Suriname

ST Sao Tome and Principe

SU USSR (formerly)

SV El Salvador

SY Syrian Arab Republic

SZ Swaziland

TC Turks and Caicos Islands

TD Chad

TF French Southern Territories

TG Togo

TH Thailand

TJ Tajikistan

TK Tokelau

TL Timor-Leste

TM Turkmenistan

TN Tunisia

TO Tonga

TP East Timor (transitional)

TR Turkey

TT Trinidad and Tobago

TV Tuvalu

TW Taiwan

TZ Tanzania

UA Ukraine

UG Uganda

UK United Kingdom (unofficial)

UM U.S. Minor Outlying Islands

US United States

UY Uruguay

UZ Uzbekistan

VA Vatican City (Holy See)

VC Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

VE Venezuela

VG Virgin Islands, British


111

VI Virgin Islands, U.S.

VN Viet Nam

VU Vanuatu

WF Wallis and Futuna Is.

WS Samoa

YE Yemen

YT Mayotte

YU Yugoslavia (transitional)

ZA South Africa

ZM Zambia

ZR Zaire (transitional)

ZW Zimbabwe


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113

Index

Symbols(...)

access points list802.11, 47ACL, 45notes, 47security, 46

networks list802.11, 42ACL, 41notes, 42security, 41

*access point, 45Connect, 58profile name, 19, 26

Numbers802.11 settings, 32

802.11d, 36802.11n capabilities, 52

–A–a, 42, 46Access Point Details, 49access points

802.11d country, 50ACL (authorization status), 38connect to an access point, 57details screen, 49list, 44locate an access point, 70, 74ping, 63

accessoriesoptional, 85standard, 3

ACL, 38ACP files, 81ACS files, 81


114

ad hoc devicenetworks list, 24, 42

AirCheck Manageroverview, 1profile, 26transfer files to a PC, 82update the software in the tester, 83

antennaexternal, 74internal, 73

authorization status, 38authorized device, 38auto shutoff, 35

–B–b, 42bar graph colors, 37battery, 7

–C–certifications and compliance, 89channels

channel usage, 54channel usage details, 56default, 36frequency bands, 32

interferencenote, 51on usage graph, 56

cleaning, 83clients, 65compliance statement, 92connect to a network or access point, 57connection range, 64country, 35

code from access points, 36codes, 103setting, 35

CURRENT.ACP, 81custom signal adjustment, 78customer support, 2

–D–date, 35default settings, 99Delete inaudible access points, 33DEVICE.XML, 81discover devices

cannot discover a client, 70cannot discover an access point, 54clients, 65networks or access points, 39

Index

115

–E–enable 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band, 32

–F–files

ACP, 81ACS, 81delete, 80profiles, 26rename, 80sessions, 79transfer to a PC, 82XML, 81

flagged device, 38Fluke Networks

contact, 2Knowledge Base, 2

frequency bands, 32

–G–g, 42Gray inaudible access points, 33Group virtual access points, 32guard interval, 53guest device, 38

–H–help (contact Fluke Networks), 2Hidden, 42, 46, 67home screen, 19

–I–interference

note, 51on usage graph, 56

–K–keys, 6Knowledge Base, 2

–L–Language, 35LEDs, 6locate an access point or client

use the internal antenna, 70lock icons

access points screen, 46, 67networks screen, 41

logscreen, 62


116

–M–maintenance, 82Manage 802.11 settings, 30, 31, 32, 33memory, 80

–N–n, 42n40+, n40-, 42neighbor device, 38networks

connect to a network, 57list, 41ping, 63security credentials, 26

notes, 51(...), 42, 47

–O–options, 85

–P–password

network, 26profiles, 26

ping

any address, 63default addresses, 61

powerauto shutoff, 35battery, 7cannot turn off, 84

power levels for transmission, 36probe request frames

from network clients, 65from the tester, 32

profile, 26

–R–registration, 1

–S–safety information, 2, 82save a file

profile, 27, 29test session, 79

security credentials, 26, 58session files

save, 79settings, 26

802.11, 32minimum, 8

Index

117

restore defaults, 84, 99SNR, 62SNXXXXXX.ACS, 81software update, 83sort a list, 43, 67specifications, 86streams, 53

–T–Thresholds, 12, 17, 23, 30, 31, 37thresholds, 10, 11, 21, 22, 41, 45, 49, 62, 64, 67thresholds for bar graph colors, 37time, 35timestamp

access points list, 45networks list, 41

transfer files to a PC, 82Transmit probes, 32

–U–unauthorized device, 38update the software, 83User Offsets, 78

–V–virtual access point, 32

–W–world mode, 36

–X–XML files, 81


118

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