Wi-fi Troubleshooting with Wi-Spy Network Analyser
Troubleshooting with Wi Spy, Wi Spy 2.4x and new Wi Spy DBx Spectrum Analysers
Troubleshooting with Wi-Spy is easiest with a laptop. Our Chanalyzer software requires .Net 2.0 (or higher), which runs on all recent versions of Microsoft Windows (Windows 2000 and newer). Third-party software for Linux and Mac OS X is also available.
Gathering Data
If you are doing a site survey before installing a new wireless network, or adding an access point to an existing network, it is useful to gather 24 hours of Wi-Spy data. Just plug-in the Wi-Spy, start Chanalyzer and let it run for a day. After the data has been collected by Chanalyzer we suggest saving the recording (select File > Save Recording As...), as it may be useful in the future for comparison. Wi-Spy Recordings (*.wsr files) require about 5MB per hour of recorded data.
Review the Recording
Chanalyzer can show up to 1 hour of data at a time allowing you to quickly skim through the 24 hour recording (this is easiest by just clicking on the playback track bar in hour increments). If you have a specific 802.11 channel that you plan to use change the X-axis labels to Wi-Fi and highlight that channel to make it easier to spot interference on that channel. Chanalyzer also provides an analysis of all Wi-Fi channels. Select "Wi-Fi Report" from the Reports menu to obtain detailed information about each channel, including a composite "grade." The grade is a measurement of how quiet the channel is; the higher the grade, the quieter the channel.|
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Metageek Wi Spy and Wi Spy 2.4x are the only currently available spectrum analysers under £1200 that show you signal strength across the entire 2.4 GHz Band at the radio frequency (RF) level - instead of just guessing. Now the new Metageek Wi Spy Dbx lets you analyse the 5Ghz band too.
Metageek Wi Spy and Wi Spy 2.4x are the only currently available spectrum analysers under £1200 that show you signal strength across the entire 2.4 GHz Band at the radio frequency (RF) level - instead of just guessing. Now the new Metageek Wi Spy Dbx lets you analyse the 5Ghz band too
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The following screenshot shows Channel 1 highlighted. The red lines demarcate the boundary of the 22 MHz wide 8022.b channel that is being used. The IEEE 802.11b standard defines 14 channels, although some channels are not available in certain countries. Cisco has a comprehensive list of 802.11a/b/g channel definitions as well as a table showing which regions allow each channel. (Note: Chanalyzer support for Channel 14 can be enabled in the File->Preferences dialog)
Identifying Interference Signatures
Chanalyzer provides visualisation of your wireless landscape in three
dimensions (frequency, amplitude, and time). By utilising all three views
in Chanalyzer most interference signatures can be quickly identified.
Identifying device signatures is similar to identifying aircraft by their
silhouettes in WWII to immediately determine if an approaching plane was
friend or foe. The Device
Signatures Library at Metageek is a growing collection of recordings
of common devices that you are likely to encounter.
Download Chanalyser 3.0 - for Wi-Spy 2.4x only
Wi-Spy Interference Identification Guide - Step-by-step instructions on using Chanalyzer to identify interference in you rWi-Fi network.