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January 2010, Rev. 3, 01/122010-2012 Fluke Corporation.

All product names are trademarks of their respective companies.

Wi-Fi

is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

AirCheckWi-Fi Tester

Users Manual

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LIMITED WARRANTY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Each Fluke Networks product is warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service. Thewarranty period for the mainframe is one year and begins on the date of purchase. Parts, accessories, product repairs and services arewarranted for 90 days, unless otherwise stated. Ni-Cad, Ni-MH and Li-Ion batteries, cables or other peripherals are all considered partsor accessories. The warranty extends only to the original buyer or end user customer of a Fluke Networks authorized reseller, and doesnot 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 inaccordance with its functional specifications for 90 days and that it has been properly recorded on non-defective media. Fluke Networksdoes 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 noauthority to extend a greater or different warranty on behalf of Fluke Networks. Warranty support is available only if product ispurchased through a Fluke Networks authorized sales outlet or Buyer has paid the applicable international price. Fluke Networksreserves the right to invoice Buyer for importation costs of repair/replacement parts when product purchased in one country issubmitted 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, orreplacement 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, transportationprepaid (FOB destination). If Fluke Networks determines that failure was caused by neglect, misuse, contamination, alteration, accidentor abnormal condition of operation or handling, or normal wear and tear of mechanical components, Fluke Networks will provide anestimate of repair costs and obtain authorization before commencing the work. Following repair, the product will be returned to theBuyer transportation prepaid and the Buyer will be billed for the repair and return transportation charges (FOB Shipping point).

THIS WARRANTY IS BUYERS 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. FLUKENETWORKS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES, INCLUDINGLOSS 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 orconsequential damages, the limitations and exclusions of this warranty may not apply to every buyer. If any provision of this Warrantyis held invalid or unenforceable by a court or other decision-maker of competent jurisdiction, such holding will not affect the validity orenforceability of any other provision.

4/04

Fluke NetworksPO Box 777Everett, WA 98206-0777USA

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i

Contents

Title Page

Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................... 1Registering Your Product ..................................................................................................................................................... 1The Fluke Networks Knowledge Base ................................................................................................................................. 1Contact Fluke Networks ....................................................................................................................................................... 2

Safety Information ................................................................................................................................................................ 2Unpacking ............................................................................................................................................................................. 3

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

Physical Features ................................................................................................................................................................... 4Battery Charging and Life .................................................................................................................................................... 6Use the AirCheck Manager PC Application for the Best Performance .............................................................................. 7What You Can Learn About Your Network ........................................................................................................................ 8

What is the Health of My Network? ............................................................................................................................. 8What is in the Wireless LAN? ........................................................................................................................................ 10

Can Devices Connect to My Network? ......................................................................................................................... 11What Causes Slow Network Performance or Dropped Connections? ........................................................................ 12Are There Security Risks in My Network? ..................................................................................................................... 13How Can I Document My Network and My Test Session? ........................................................................................... 14How Can I Erase Everything on my AirCheck? ............................................................................................................. 14

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AirCheck Wi-Fi TesterUsers Manual

ii

Where is an Access Point? ..............................................................................................................................................14What Networks or Access Points Come into Range as I Move? ..................................................................................14

The Home Screen ...................................................................................................................................................................15Using AutoTest to Diagnose Your Network Health ............................................................................................................ 16

Air Quality ...................................................................................................................................................................... 17802.11 Channel Utilization .....................................................................................................................................17Non-802.11 Channel Utilization .............................................................................................................................17Co-Channel Interference ........................................................................................................................................ 18

Network Quality .............................................................................................................................................................19Rogue Access Points .......................................................................................................................................................20

Set Up the Tester ................................................................................................................................................................... 21Change the Language and Country Settings ...............................................................................................................21Make a Profile to Connect to Secure Networks ...........................................................................................................21

Settings ...........................................................................................................................................................................23802.11d Operation .........................................................................................................................................................29Change the Thresholds for the Colors in Bar Graphs ................................................................................................... 30Give Access Points an Authorization Status .................................................................................................................31

Discover Networks and Access Points ...................................................................................................................................32Notes for Networks and Access Points ................................................................................................................................. 43If the Tester Does Not Discover an Access Point .................................................................................................................. 46Channel Usage .......................................................................................................................................................................46Verify Connectivity ................................................................................................................................................................49

Connect to a Network or Access Point .......................................................................................................................... 49Entering Security Credentials Using Connect ........................................................................................................... 50Ping a Device or Web Server ......................................................................................................................................... 54

Discover Clients ......................................................................................................................................................................56Discovering Clients through Meru APs .........................................................................................................................56

If the Tester Does Not Discover a Client .............................................................................................................................. 61

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Contents

iii

Locate an Access Point or a Client ....................................................................................................................................... 61The External Directional Antenna ....................................................................................................................................... 65Adjust Signal Strength Measurements to Agree with Other Devices ................................................................................ 68Save a Test Session ................................................................................................................................................................ 69Manage Files on the Tester .................................................................................................................................................. 70

About Files on the Tester .............................................................................................................................................. 71Transfer Files to a PC ..................................................................................................................................................... 72

Maintenance ......................................................................................................................................................................... 72Clean the Tester ............................................................................................................................................................. 73Update the Software in the Tester ............................................................................................................................... 73Restore Factory Defaults ............................................................................................................................................... 74Erase All Data ................................................................................................................................................................. 74Device Information ........................................................................................................................................................ 74

If the Tester Will Not Turn Off ...................................................................................................................................... 74Options and Accessories ....................................................................................................................................................... 75Specifications ......................................................................................................................................................................... 76

Environmental Specifications ........................................................................................................................................ 76General Specifications ................................................................................................................................................... 78Wireless Specifications ................................................................................................................................................... 79

Federal Communication Commission and Industry Canada Interference Statement ....................................................... 82Important Note: FCC and IC Radiation Exposure Statement ...................................................................................... 82Europe-EU Declaration of Conformity ......................................................................................................................... 83

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v

List of Figures

Figure Page

1. Physical Features ...................................................................................................................................................42. How to Remove the Battery.................................................................................................................................63. AutoTest Results Viewed in AirCheck Manager.................................................................................................. 74. The Home Screen ................................................................................................................................................. 155. AutoTest Results Screen........................................................................................................................................ 16

6. 802.11 Channel Utilization Default Thresholds .................................................................................................. 177. Non-802.11 Channel Utilization Default Thresholds ..........................................................................................188. Air Quality Co-channel Default Threshold .......................................................................................................... 189. Signal Level Default Threshold ............................................................................................................................ 1910. Main AutoTest Display.......................................................................................................................................... 1911. Examining the Network Quality of an SSID ........................................................................................................2012. Change the Thresholds for the Colors in a Bar Graph........................................................................................ 3013. Networks (SSIDs) List .............................................................................................................................................3314. Access Points List ...................................................................................................................................................3715. Access Point Details Screen...................................................................................................................................41

16. Channel Usage Screen ..........................................................................................................................................4617. Channel Usage Details Screen..............................................................................................................................4818. The Connection Screen......................................................................................................................................... 5219. The Connection Log.............................................................................................................................................. 5420. The Ping Screen..................................................................................................................................................... 55
http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-

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21. Clients Screen ........................................................................................................................................................5722. Client Details Screen .............................................................................................................................................59

23. Locate Access Point Screen ...................................................................................................................................6224. Locate Client Screen..............................................................................................................................................6325. Search Pattern for the Omnidirectional Antenna in the Tester.........................................................................6426. Search Pattern for the External Antenna ............................................................................................................6627. How to Point the External Antenna.....................................................................................................................6728. oui_abbr.txt File ....................................................................................................................................................71

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2

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: 1-800-283-5853For more phone numbers, go to our website.

Safety Information

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

Table 1. Safety Symbols

Warning or Caution: risk of damage to ordestruction of equipment or software. Seeexplanations in the manual.

Warning: Risk of electrical shock.

Do not put products that contain circuitboards into waste containers. Refer to localregulations for disposal procedures.

This equipment contains a Class 2 radio.

W

X

~
http://www.flukenetworks.com/http://www.flukenetworks.com/

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Unpacking

3

WWarningX

Use only the ac adapter provided to charge thebattery.

WCautionIf you use an external antenna, use only theantenna that Fluke Networks makes for theAirCheck tester. The tester will not operatecorrectly with other antennas and may violate local regulations.

UnpackingThe AirCheck Wi-Fi Tester comes with the accessories in thelist below. If something is damaged or missing, tell thedealer 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

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4

Physical Features

ffy01.eps

Figure 1. Physical Features

F1 F2

SELECT

AB

C

D

E

F

G H

J

E

I

K

L

M

N

O

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Physical Features

5

On/off key.

Makes a selection on the screen.

Navigation keys.

Shows the previous screen.

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

Full-color LCD.

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

The LED blinks when the tester transmits data.

Shows the home screen.

O: Erases all data collected during the current sequenceof tests. This does not erase the results saved in memory.P: Saves all data in a session file. See page 69.

The LED turns on when you connect the ac adapter. TheLED is red when the battery charges and green whenthe 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. Seepage 65.

Screw for the battery pack.

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Battery Charging and Life

Charge the battery for 4 hours before you use it for the firsttime.

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

Figure 2 shows how to replace the battery.

When the tester is off, the battery charges in approximately3 hours.

NoteThe battery will not charge if the internaltemperature of the tester is above 113F (45C).

The battery life is approximately 5.5 hours during typicaloperation. An icon in the upper-left corner of the screenshows the battery status. See Figure 4 on page 15.

ffy14.eps

Figure 2. How to Remove the Battery

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Use the AirCheck Manager PC Application for the Best Performance

7

Use the AirCheck Manager PCApplication for the Best Performance

To get the most performance from your tester, use AirCheckManager to upgrade the AirCheck tester firmware, viewmeasurement results saved as session files, generate reportson session files, setup the tester configuration and save it toa profile, and transfer the profile to the tester. A profile letsthe tester do these tasks:

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

Show the correct authorization status for each accesspoint. This lets you quickly see which access points areauthorized parts of the network.

Setup key network devices to Ping. You shouldconfigure security credentials for the network(s)containing any key devices that you are pinging.

See Using AutoTest to Diagnose Your Network Health onpage 16. Also use the AirCheck Manager online Help for

instructions.

ffy29.bmp

Figure 3. AutoTest Results Viewed in AirCheck Manager

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What You Can Learn About YourNetwork

What is the Health of My Network?How is my Wi-Fi Air Quality?Are my channels overloaded withaccess 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 thresholdsare configured in the Tools > Thresholds / AutoTest Settings.

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 themost APs with a minimum signal strength. The AP count along with therating of Pass, Warning, or Fail is displayed.

See Using AutoTest to Diagnose Your Network Health, on page 32.

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What You Can Learn About Your Network

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How is my Wi-Fi Network Quality?Can I hear any access points thatsupport my networks?

Are there coverage holes in this area?Are there too many close APs usingthe same channel making my networkslow?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 qualitysupporting 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 settablethresholds. The AP count and signal quality thresholds of signal level andsignal-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 APsfor a network along with the rating of Pass, Warning, or Fail. This is basedon single network (SSID) comparison to thresholds. Thresholds for this test

are set in the Tools > Thresholds / AutoTest Settings > Network Qualityco-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 yourprofile (see page 50). Test results indicate whether or not you can connect atyour current location. The health of you connection, e.g., tx rate, packetretries, 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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10

What unauthorized or unknownaccess points are connected to my Wi-Fi network?

Are they a security risk?

The Rogue Access Points test indicates whether unauthorized access pointsare detected with a rating of Pass or Warning. Results include a list ofall rogue access points heard at your location. Identification of rogue access

points requires configuration of Access Control List (ACL). ACLconfiguration is available from the AutoTest screen by selecting RogueAccess Points > ACL or Home> Access Points > ACL.

See Using AutoTest to Diagnose Your Network Health, on page 32.

What is in the Wireless LAN?

Select Networks to see a list of wireless LANs and the access points that connectto each network. To see all access points that are available at your location,

select Access Points. See page 33.

Select Access Points to see a list of access points available at your location andthe signal strength of the access points. See page 37.

Select Access Points, highlight an access point, then pressL. See page 37.

Save the test session, then use AirCheck Manager to compare the access pointlist to another list saved in AirCheck Manager. See pages 61 and 72.

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

What wireless LANs are available?

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

Is the access point configured correctly?

Are there new access points in the area?Are access points inaudible?

What wireless clients use the network?

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Can Devices Connect to My Network?

NoteTo connect to a secure network, the tester must have a profile that includessecurity credentials. If credentials are not available, the softkey shows asConnect*. See page21.

Select Networks, highlight a network, then pressConnect. See page 52.

Select Access Points, highlight an access point, then pressConnect. See

page 52.

Look at the connection log. See page 54.

Do a ping test. See page 54.

From the home screen, select Clients to see if the client transmits probe requestframes and to see basic settings such as the channel and SSIDs the client uses in

probes. See page 57.


11

Use the tester to verify connectivity.

Can a device connect as a client to mynetwork (SSID)?

Can a device connect to an access point

(BSSID)?

If a device cannot connect to a networkor access point, where does theconnection procedure fail?

Can a device ping a network device?

Does the network interface card in aclient operate correctly?

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What Causes Slow Network Performance or Dropped Connections?

Select Access Points. The Access Points screen shows the signal strength for eachaccess point. Select an access point to see more details about the signal strength

and congestion. See page 41.

Select Channels to see an overview of channel usage and the number of accesspoints and connected clients that use each channel. To see a graph, highlight achannel, then pressL. See page 46.

Select Channels. Non-802.11 interference is gray portion of the graph bar. Thisnoise can interfere with WLAN connections or performance. Non-802.11 noisecan come from microwave ovens, wireless telephones, Bluetooth devices,motion detectors, wireless cameras and other wireless devices. See page 48.


12

Is the signal strength sufficient?

Is the network too busy?

Is there non-802.11 interference on achannel?

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Are There Security Risks in My Network?

Select Networks. Networks that have unsecured access points show a red openlock ( ). See page 33.

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 orcan violate network policies. See page 33.

Access points have the status Unauthorized device until you change the

status. If you give all access points in the network a status, then new access

points that can be rogues show the status . If you know that an access point

is a rogue, you can give it the status Flagged Device. See page 31.

To give an authorization status, select Access Points, highlight an access point,

then pressACL.

You can change all access points to authorized by selecting Change all APs to

Authorized. Then you can assign each devices status as guest, neighbor,

flagged, or set to unauthorized.

To locate an access point, select it, then pressLocate on the Access PointDetails screen. See page 61.


13

Do networks have the expected level ofsecurity?

Are there any ad hoc networks in thearea?

Are there rogue access points in thearea? Where are they?

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Where is an Access Point?

Select Access Points, select one access point, then pressLocate on the Access Point Details screen. See page 61. You mayalso use the optional Fluke Networks external directional antenna to help you find access points faster. See page 61.

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

Sort the list in descending sequence for the timestamp column ( ). PressO, then move through an area. Networks oraccess points that come into range are added to the top of the list. See page 34 or 38.

How Can I Document My Network and My Test Session?

Save the session (see page 61), then use AirCheck Manager software to transfer the data to a PC and make a report. See

page 72.

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 hasbeen saved or stored on the AirCheck tester is erased.

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The Home Screen

15

The Home Screen

51

2

3

4

6

7

8

9

ffy15.eps

Figure 4. The Home Screen

Shows the battery status. When the batterycharge is low, the icon blinks. Connect the acadapter to charge the battery and to makesure the tester continues to operate.

Indicates that the ac adapter is connected.

Indicates that the external antenna isconnected.

Note

Networks: Discovers wireless LANs. See page 32.

Access Points: Discovers access points. See page 32.

Channels: Shows usage of WLAN channels. See page 46.

The name of the profile the tester uses. The profile isDefaultif you have not loaded a different profile. Thename shows an asterisk if you have changed a settingon the tester since you loaded or saved the profile. Seepage 71.

AutoTest: Automatically checks the health of yournetwork by looking at channel usage and interference,i.e., Air Quality, network coverage and connectivity,i.e., Network Quality, and detecting rogue accesspoints.

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

Tools: Lets you manage files and settings.

AirCheck will not transmit or connect to anaccess point when the external antenna isconnected.

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16

Left: The channel the tester currently monitors.The color of the bars shows the status of the countrycode for the regulatory domain. See 802.11dOperation on page 29.Right: The number of access points the tester hasseen. This number is a count of physical access pointswhen Group virtual access points is enabled. See page26.Up to 500 access points can be stored in the access pointdatabase on the tester. When the access point icon turnsyellow, this indicates that greater than or equal to 400access points have been discovered. When the icon turnsred, this indicates that 500 or more access points havebeen discovered and the access point database is full.Any new access points seen will not be included in thelist.

Using AutoTest to Diagnose YourNetwork Health

The AutoTest automatically checks the health of yournetwork looking at Air Quality, Network Quality, and thepotential threat of rogue access points.

Note

If no SSIDs have been configured, i.e., added onAirCheck, AutoTest will run against all SSIDs. If SSIDshave been added, only those SSIDs will be tested.The Connection test will run for only those SSIDsthat have been configured with securitycredentials.

ffy34.bmp

Figure 5. AutoTest Results Screen

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Using AutoTest to Diagnose Your Network Health

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Air Quality

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

Interference.

802.11 Channel Utilization

The 802.11 Channel Utilization results include three Wi-Fichannels with the highest 802.11 utilization are displayedwith the measured value and rating symbol: Pass,warning, fail.

Save the profile so settings are not lost when the tester ispowered off.

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

ffy22.bmp

Figure 6. 802.11 Channel Utilization Default Thresholds

PressThresholds to view AutoTest threshold values andlearn how they are used to review your network and reportits health.

Change thresholds in Tools > Thresholds /AutoTest Settingsscreen.

Non-802.11 Channel Utilization

The Non-802.11 Channel Utilization results include thetop three channels with the most non-802.11interference, e.g., noise. The channel utilization valuealong with the rating of Pass, warning, . fail.

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The usage will vary depending on the time of day, thenumber of clients that have transitioned from the wiredside of the network to the wireless side, or the amount ofinterference from devices such as microwaves or video

cameras, etc.

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

ffy23.bmp

Figure 7. Non-802.11 Channel Utilization DefaultThresholds

Co-Channel Interference

The Co-Channel Interference results include the numberof overlapping APs that exceed the signal qualitythreshold and is seen with a rating of Pass,

Warning, or Fail. Thresholds for this test are set in theTools > Thresholds / AutoTest Settings > Network Qualityco-channel thresholdsscreen, and the channel signalstrength threshold is set in the Tools > Thresholds /AutoTest Settings > Signal level thresholds screen.

ffy24.bmpFigure 8. Air Quality Co-channel Default Threshold

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Using AutoTest to Diagnose Your Network Health

19

ffy25.bmp

Figure 9. Signal Level Default Threshold

This measurement is independent of SSIDs and solely looksat the number of APs and their signal quality.

Network Quality

The Network Quality measurements check for networkavailability provided, the existence of interference fromaccess points using the same channel which may impactnetwork slowness, AP use of consistent security methods fora network, and the ability to connect and use the network(access to services, other devices) and provide networkquality.

ffy26.bmp

Figure 10. Main AutoTest Display

Network security can be set up from the home screen byselecting Networks > Connect and walking through thesecurity set up screens. See Entering Security Credentials onpage 50 for Connect procedures.

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

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

Ai Ch k Wi Fi T t

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20

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

ffy27.bmp

Figure 11. Examining the Network Quality of an SSID

Rogue Access Points

The Rogue Access Points test indicates whether

unauthorized access points are detected with a rating ofPass, Warning, or Fail. Results include a list of

all rogue access points heard at your location.Identification of rogue access points requiresconfiguration of Access Control List (ACL).

Initially, all access points are set to unauthorized. Set theACL status, go to the home screen, and select the AccessPoints screen. Then selectACL, and edit each accesspoint. Select Change all APs to Authorized to set the status

of all access points discovered to Authorized. This canalso be done in the AutoTest > Rogue Access Points screenby selecting ACL, highlighting the access point, andselecting ACL again. Place a check next to the followingauthorization type and press the back button.

Note

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

Unauthorized device

Authorized device

Neighbor device

Guest device

Flagged device

Change all APs to Authorized

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Set Up the Tester

21

Set Up the Tester

To change settings on the tester, select Tools from the homescreen. See Table 2 on page 24.

Change the Language and Country Settings

1 Select Tools.

2 To change the language for the screens, select Setlanguage. Highlight a language, then pressSave.

3 To change the country, select Set country, select thecountry where you will use the tester, then pressSave. See page 28.

Make a Profile to Connect to Secure Networks

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

Profiles contain network security credentials/settings for thetester to be able to connect to networks. The profile can bepassword protected so that unauthorized users cannot usethe tester to connect to secure networks, and do not have

access to network security credentials on the AirCheckManager PC application.

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

The home screen shows the name of the profile the testeruses. The name shows an asterisk if you have changed asetting 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 yousave the profile, the tester copies the changes into theprofile shown on the home screen.

Profiles that you make in AirCheck Manager include thesesettings:

A password for the profile

Security credentials for networks (encryption, username, password, etc.)

Authorization status of networks (SSIDs) and accesspoints

IP addresses used for ping tests

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To overwrite a profile that is saved on the tester,highlight the profile, pressL, pressSave, thenpressOK.

To edit the filename, pressEdit.

-continued-

Note

File names can have a maximum of 8 characterswith an extension of 3 characters. The extensionmust be .ACP if you want to see the profile inAirCheck Manager.

To delete characters in the filename, press

Delete. To add characters to the filename, use to

highlight a character, then pressL.

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

To save the profile with the edited filename, presspressSave. The tester saves the profile in thePROFILES folder.

To delete a profile

1 Select Tools > Manage files.

2 Select Delete file.

3 Select the PROFILES folder.

4 Highlight the profile and pressL.

5 Press Delete.

Settings

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

When you change a setting, pressSave to save yourchanges. To exit and not save your settings, pressCancel.

Note

To save your settings in a profile, selectTools >Manage profiles / network passwords > Save

profile. The profile name is displayed in the upper-right corner of the home screen. If it displays withan asterisk *, this indicates a setting change hasbeen made and the profile has not been saved.


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Table 2. Settings on the Tools Menu

Thresholds /AutoTestSettings

Lets you set the thresholds used for the AutoTest and for other measurements throughoutthe tester. See page 30. Measurements can display Pass, Warning, or Fail basedon these thresholds.

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

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

Signal threshold - Indicates relative distance to AP/client. Seen in the AutoTest > NetworkQuality 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.S/N threshold - Measures/predicts quality of signal for clients connection. Seen in theAutoTest > Network Quality Coverage screen. Used globally, not just in AutoTest.

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

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

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

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

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

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Thresholds /AutoTestSettings(continued)

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

Connect Packet Rate Level threshold - Packet rate percent of the AP maximum supportedrate, 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-ChannelInterference results.

Manage Files Load profile - Loads a previously saved profile. Profiles contain all the tester configurationsettings including SSID security credentials.

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

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 pressingP .

Table 2. Settings on the Tools Menu (continued)


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Manage 802.11 settings

NoteThese settings changehow the tester finds anddisplays access points.Make sure that youknow what thesesettings do before youuse 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 eachchannel. The tester can discover only access points that broadcast their SSID while thetester is on the same channel. For faster discovery, the tester transmits probe requestframes by default to get responses from access points.

Because probes increase channel usage, the tester does not transmit them when youlook 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 MACaddresses (BSSIDs), the MACs are virtual access points. Virtual access points can supportdifferent networks from the same physical access point. An access point that uses tworadios to broadcast multiple MACs can support networks on different channels.

When Group virtual access points is enabled, virtual access points show as one accesspoint 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 MACaddresses and SSIDs for the virtual access points, select the access point in the AccessPoints list.

By default, this setting is enabled.


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Manage 802.11 settings(continued)

Gray inaudible access points: If the tester has not heard an access point for four cyclesthrough all channels, the access point is gray in the Access Points list. This is the defaultsetting.

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

Use custom signal adjustments: Signal strength measurements from different models ofwireless 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 devicesagree, you can add an offset to the AirCheck measurements in this screen.

Manage profiles / networkpasswords

Allows you to change the profile password (set to none by default), and edit networksecurity credentials/settings you have previously configured. The profile password prevents

unauthorized access to the previously entered network security credentials. To change theprofile password, select Change profile password, enter the password and selectChange. Or select Delete to remove the password.

To change the network security credentials, select Edit Networks, and select the networkto 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-PacketKeying).



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

Set country Channels that are illegal in the country you select are red on the Channel Usage, ChannelUsage Details, and Access Point Details screens. See 802.11d Operation on page 29.Access points that transmit a country code that does not agree with this setting have redbars 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 radioversion.

Brightness and Auto-Shutoff

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

To exit and not save your setting, pressCancel.

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.


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802.11d Operation

If an access point uses the 802.11d standard, it transmits anISO country code in its beacons and probe responses. Whenthe tester receives this code, it transmits only on channelsthat are legal in the country, and uses only power levelsthat are legal.

If the tester does not receive a country code, the testeroperates in world mode:

The tester uses only channels and power levels that arelegal in all countries. The channels are 1 to 11 in the2.4 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 itsees access points that operate in that band.

The tester uses the lowest transmission power that islegal in all countries.

The bars at the bottom of the display and icons on thenetworks and access point displays show the status of the

country code:

Green bars: The tester received a country code fromone or more access points. All country codes received arethe same, and they all agree with the setting in Tools > Setcountry. 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 isdifferent from the setting in Tools > Set country. To identifythe network or access point that transmits the code, selectNetworks or Access Points, then look for the red bars in the802.11 column.

The Access Point Details screen shows the 802.11d countrycode that the access point transmits. Appendix C shows thecountries for the codes.

AirCheck Wi-Fi TesterU M l

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Change the Thresholds for the Colors in BarGraphs

The bar graphs show you if the signal strength, noise, Signal

to Noise Ratio (SNR), etc. are above or below specifiedthresholds. They are represented as red, yellow, or green.You can change the thresholds to meet the requirements ofyour network.

To change thresholds

1 Select Tools.

2 Select Thresholds/AutoTest Settings.

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

Note

A

B

CC C

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

ffy05.eps

Figure 12. Change the Thresholds for the Colors in a BarGraph

Use to select a color. Use to increase ordecrease the measured value for the color.

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

To save your settings, pressSave. To exit and notsave your settings, pressCancel.

S t U th T t

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Give Access Points an Authorization Status

When you set the authorization status for each accesspoint, you can quickly see if an access point is an authorizedpart of the network. Access points have Unauthorized( ) in the access control list column (ACL) until you changethe status. You can select one access point at a time andchange its status. You can also select Change all APs toAuthorized and then work backwards identifying eachaccess point that will not have 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 andyou want to give the MACs different authorizationstatuses, select the access point.

3 Highlight an access point, then pressACL.

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

Unauthorized device:The access point does not have an

authorization status.

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

Neighbor device: The access point is not authorized toconnect to the network, but is not a threat to networksecurity.

Guest device:The access point is authorized to connectto the network, but has limited access.

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

When you turn off the tester, it saves the ACL settings in theprofile.

Note

If an access point does not transmit, but you knowits MAC address, you can use AirCheck Manager togive the access point an authorization status. Savethe status in a profile on the PC, then transfer theprofile to the tester.


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Discover Networks and Access Points

Note

By default, the tester looks for wireless signals on

the 2.4 GHz (b/g/n) and 5 GHz (a/n) frequencybands to identify wireless access points. To changethis setting, selectTools, then selectManage 802.11settings.

To discover networks or access points

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

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

Notes

An SSID is black if the network (or access point) is inrange.

An SSID that turns gray indicates that a network (oraccess point) has not been heard recently, or is nowout of range (if Gray inaudible access points isenabled).

An SSID that turns purple indicates there is a note tothe right with additional information about thestatus of the network (or access point).


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ffy03.eps

Figure 13. Networks (SSIDs) List

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I


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

PressO, then move through an area. Networks thatcome into range are added to the top of the list.Networks that become out of range become gray ifGray inaudible access points is enabled.

ACL: The authorization status of the access point. Thedefault status is Unauthorized device. Change thestatus of each access point to show how it is related toyour network. See page 31.

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

: The maximum signal strength of all the accesspoints for a network SSID. You can change thethresholds for the colors in the bar graphs. See page 30.

SNR: Signal to Noise Ratio is a measure of signalstrength relative to noise; an indication of signalquality for a reliable clients connection. The ratio ismeasured in decibels (dB). The same thresholds are

used both here and in AutoTest, and are adjusted inthe Tools > Thresholds / AutoTest Settingsscreen.

: The security status of the network:

Red open lock: The network does not have securityenabled.

Yellow closed lock: One or more access points useWEP or Cisco LEAP security protocol. These are lesssecure than other protocols.

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

(...): All access points in the network do not use the sametype 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 wirelessnetwork.

Networks that the tester has not heard recently are grayif Gray inaudible access points is enabled (see page 27).


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: The network has ad hoc devices. These aredevices 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 datatransmitted on the network. (Some IT policies fornetworks allow ad hoc devices.)

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

If an SSID shows in square brackets, the tester found thehidden SSID in packets from other wireless clients. InAirCheck Manager, these SSIDs show without squarebrackets.

802.11: The 802.11 standards that the access points inthe 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.

Red bars: The tester received a 802.11d country

code from the access point. The country does not agreewith the country selected in Tools > Set country in thetester.

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

(...): All access points in the network do not use the same802.11 standard.

Notes: Press to scroll to the notes field. The tester addsnotes automatically. See page 43. Networks that havenotes are purple.

(...): The network has multiple notes. To see all notes,

highlight the network, then pressL twice to go to theAccess Point Details screen.

: Sort 1, descending and ascending sequences

: Sort 2, descending and ascending sequences

Note

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


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To sort the list in ascending or descending sequence, useand to highlight a column heading, then pressLorSort 1. For example, to quickly find the accesspoint that has the strongest signal, highlight atthe top of the column, then pressLorSort 1. Thisputs the access point with the strongest signal at the topof the list.

To sort in a secondary sequence, highlight a differentcolumn heading, then pressSort 2.

PressConnect to connect to the highlightednetwork. See page 52.

The connect button shows as Connect* if the tester

cannot connect to the highlighted network. See page52.

The channel the tester currently monitors. Thecolor of the bars shows the status of the country codefor the regulatory domain. See 802.11d Operation onpage 29.

The number of access points the tester hears atyour location. This number does not include virtualaccess points if Group virtual access points is selected.See page 26.Up to 500 access points can be stored in the access pointdatabase on the tester. When the access point icon turnsyellow, this indicates that greater than or equal to 400access points have been discovered. When the icon turns red, this indicates that 500 or moreaccess points have been discovered and the access pointdatabase is full. Any new access points seen will not beincluded in the list.

To see descriptions of the icons on the Networks screen,pressLegend.

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


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Figure 14. Access Points List

O


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: The time when the tester first heard the accesspoint. To see access points that come into range as youmove through an area, sort the list in descendingsequence for the timestamp column.

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

ACL: The authorization status of the access point. Thedefault status is Unauthorized device. Change thestatus of each access point to show how it is related toyour network. See page 31.

(...): Virtual access points or MACs from the same accesspoint 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 signalstrength relative to noise. The ratio is measured indecibels (dB).

: The strength of the signal. For multiple APs, this

column shows the strength of the strongest signal. Youcan change the thresholds for the colors in the bargraphs. See page 30.

Name/MAC: The name or MAC address of the accesspoint. The address starts with a vendor abbreviationprefix, if the prefix is available. See oui_abbr.txt onpage 71.

*: The access point broadcasts more than one MACaddress (BSSID). To see the MAC addresses, select theaccess point. See Group virtual access points on page27.

Access points that the tester has not heard recently aregray if Gray inaudible access points is enabled (see page27).

SSID: Service Set Identifier. The name of the wireless

network.If the access point supports more than one SSID, selectthe access point to see the SSIDs. See Group virtualaccess points on page 27.

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

Networks that the tester has not heard recently are grayif Gray inaudible access points is enabled (see page 27).


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: Ad hoc networks are created when clientscommunicate directly and not through an access point.This type of network may be considered a security riskbe making it easier for unauthorized access to data onthe network.

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

If an SSID shows in square brackets, the tester found thehidden SSID in packets from other wireless clients. InAirCheck Manager, these SSIDs show without squarebrackets.

: The security status of the access point:

Red open lock: The access point does not havesecurity enabled.

Yellow closed lock: The access point uses WEPsecurity protocol.

Green closed lock: The access point uses a securityprotocol 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 devicesconnected to the ad hoc network will be listed underthe clients tab.

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

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.

Red bars: The tester received a 802.11d countrycode from the access point. The country is different

from the country selected in Tools > Set country in thetester.

: Access points that use the 802.11nstandard can bond a channel with an extension channelabove ( ) or below it ( ) to make one 40 MHzchannel. This wider channel gives the network higherthroughput.

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

Notes: Press to scroll to the notes field. The tester addsnotes automatically. See page 43. Access points thathave notes are purple.


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

: Sort 1, descending and ascending sequences: Sort 2, descending and ascending sequences

To sort the list in ascending or descending sequence, useand to highlight a column heading, then pressLorSort 1. For example, to quickly find the accesspoint that has the strongest signal, highlight atthe top of the column, then pressLorSort 1. Thisputs the access point with the strongest signal at the topof the list.

To sort in a secondary sequence, highlight a different

column heading, then pressSort 2.

PressConnect to connect to the highlighted accesspoint. See page 52.

The connect button shows as Connect* if the testercannot connect to the highlighted access point. Seepage 52.

To connect to a secure access point, the tester must havea profile that includes security credentials. See page 21.

The channel that the tester currently monitors.The color of the bars shows the status of the countrycode for the regulatory domain. See 802.11dOperation on page 29

The number of access points that the testerhears at your location. This number does not includevirtual access points if Group virtual access points isselected. See page 27.Up to 500 access points can be stored in the access pointdatabase on the tester. When the access point icon turnsyellow, this indicates that greater than or equal to 400access points have been discovered. When the icon turns red, this indicates that 500 or moreaccess points have been discovered and the access pointdatabase is full. Any new access points seen will not beincluded in the list.

PressACL to change the authorization status forthe highlighted access point. See page 26.

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


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K

IH

S

L

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Figure 15. Access Point Details Screen

The channel and frequency of the access point. Thenumber is red if the channel is illegal for the countryselected 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 givesthe network higher throughput. The extension channelshows under 802.11n capabilities ().

The signal strength (S), noise strength (N), and Signal toNoise Ratio (SNR). You can change the thresholds forthe colors in the bar graphs. The bars are gray if thetester cannot hear the access point. See page 30.

Name: The name of the access point, if a name isincluded in the beacon frames and probe responseframes.

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

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

Note

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

The authorization status for the access point.


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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 usethe 802.11n standard. See Table 4 on page 44.

AP country setting: The country code that the accesspoint transmits. If the AP country setting does not agreewith the AirCheck country setting, the access point hasred bars in the 802.11 column. See 802.11d Operationon page 29. Appendix C shows the countries for thecodes.

AirCheck country setting: The code for the countryselected in Tools > Set country. See 802.11d Operation

on page 29. Appendix C shows the countries for thecodes.

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

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

Notes for the access point. See Table 3 on page 43.

PressClients to connect to the access point. Seepage 52.

The channel the tester currently monitors. Thecolor of the bars shows the status of the country codefor the regulatory domain. See 802.11d Operation on

page 29

The number of access points the tester hears atyour location. This number does not include virtualaccess points if Group virtual access points is selected.See page 26.Up to 500 access points can be stored in the access pointdatabase on the tester. When the access point icon turnsyellow, this indicates that greater than or equal to 400

access points have been discovered. When the icon turns red, this indicates that 500 or moreaccess points have been discovered and the access pointdatabase is full. Any new access points seen will not beincluded in the list.

PressLocate to locate the access point. See page 61.

Notes for Networks and Access Points

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

Set

country. Make sure that the country selected in Tools > Set country is correct.

Possible Interference - overlapsstandard channels

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

Note

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

Network has mixed security types All access points for this SSID do not use the same type of security.


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40 MHz 802.11n is notrecommended on 2.4 GHz

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

Unexpected country from accesspoint

The country code from the access point does not agree with the country selected inTools > 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 ifpossible

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 thathave overlap with 40 MHz channels.

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

See the 802.11n standard for all the situations where access points will not use40 MHz channels.

AP is set to use only 20 MHzchannels

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

AP accepts 802.11n Greenfieldpackets

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


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AP does not accept 802.11nGreenfield packets

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

AP has detected 802.11a, b, gdevices

The access point must use protection so that it does not cause problems with a, b, or gtransmissions. 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 orclients.

AP has not detected 802.11a, b, gdevices

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 canchange 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 themaximum rate.

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

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

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


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If the Tester Does Not Discover anAccess Point

In some situations, the tester will not discover an access

point:

The tester cannot hear the access point because youare too far away.

The access point does not beacon when the testerlistens to the channel that the access point uses.

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

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

Channel Usage

A

C E F D

B

The channel usage function shows you how much wirelesstraffic is on each channel. It also shows interference fromnon-802.11 sources. Figure 16 shows the Channel Usage

screen.To see details for a channel (Figure 17), use tohighlight a channel, then pressL

To select the bands for this function, select Tools, then selectManage 802.11 settings. See Table 2 on page 24.

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Figure 16. Channel Usage Screen

The bar graphs show how much of the channel capacityis used by 802.11 devices (blue) and by non-802.11devices (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 thechannel, the number of active access points showsabove the bar graph.

Channel Usage

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Channels that do not have access points can show802.11 usage because of overlap from access points onadjacent channels.

By default, the tester shows channels on the 2.4 GHz

and 5 GHz bands. To see only one band, change thesetting in Tools > Manage 802.11 settings.

PressAP List to see the access points that use thehighlighted channel.

The channel that the tester currently monitors.The color of the bars shows the status of the countrycode for the regulatory domain. See 802.11dOperation on page 29

The number of access points that the testerhears at your location. This shows the number ofphysical access points if Group virtual access points isselected. See page 26. Up to 500 access points can be stored in the access pointdatabase on the tester. When the access point icon turnsyellow, this indicates that greater than or equal to 400access points have been discovered. When the icon turns red, this indicates that 500 or moreaccess points have been discovered and the access pointdatabase is full. Any new access points seen will not beincluded in the list.

To see descriptions of the icons on the Channel Usagescreen, pressLegend.


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Figure 17. Channel Usage Details Screen

The channel number and frequency of the channel thatis monitored. The number is red if the channel is illegalfor the country selected in Tools > Set country.

To change the channel, press.

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

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

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

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

performance.

PressAP List to see the access points that use thechannel. See Figure 14.

The channel that the access point uses. Thecolor of the bars shows the status of the country codefor the regulatory domain. The bars are red if the testerhas received different country codes from two or moreaccess points. See 802.11d Operation on page 29.

Verify Connectivity

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The number of access points the tester hears atyour location. This shows the number of physical accesspoints if Group virtual access points is selected. Seepage 27.Up to 500 access points can be stored in the access pointdatabase on the tester. When the access point icon turnsyellow, this indicates that greater than or equal to 400access points have been discovered. When the icon turns red, this indicates that 500 or moreaccess points have been discovered and the access pointdatabase is full. Any new access points seen will not beincluded in the list.

PressClients to view client details.

Access Points: The number of access points that use thechannel. This shows the number of physical access pointsif Group virtual access points is selected. See page 27.

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

Verify Connectivity

Use connectivity tests to verify the operation of thesewireless 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 areasonable amount of time.

The range for client connections is satisfactory.

The tests also measure performance parameters that canshow 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 specifiedaccess point (BSSID) to make sure that the network or accesspoint is available to wireless clients.

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

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


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The connect button shows as Connect* if the testercannot connect to the highlighted network or access point.This occurs because the network uses security credentialsthat 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 credentialsconfiguration screens. You can also use AirCheck Manager

to make a profile that includes the security credentials. Ifusing AirCheck Manager, you will need to transfer theprofile to the tester and load it. See page 21.

To enter security credentials:

Note

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

1 From the Networks or Access Points screen, highlight anaccess point/SSID and select the Connect button. In theChannels screen, select AP List, and then select theConnect button.

2 Press the Connect*button. The popup Thisnetwork is not configured - Configure Now? isdisplayed.If Connect does not have an asterisk, it is either an

open network or the security credentials have alreadybeen entered.

3 Press OK to continue to the next screen. Thepopup Creating new network in current profile isdisplayed followed by the Select Authentication screen.

4 Highlight the appropriate encryption type and pressSelect.

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