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wjimenez5271
Asked: 2011-07-26 12:38:33 +0800 CST

Tool to troubleshoot wireless connections

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Having a lot of issues with a wireless network with multiple APs sharing the same SSID. I have a tool I use on my android phone (wifianalyzer) that is helpful, but I need a more comprehensive set of diagnostics that would run (preferably) from a windows laptop. Are there any useful open source or free tools for this?

Thanks!

wifi 802.1 access-point

2 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    FYI, multiple APs are supposed to share the same SSID, provided they are connected to the same physical network. What you don't want is them on overlapping channels near each other. Remember, there are only 3 channels that don't overlap, (1, 6, 11), so you should do your best to keep the channels from conflicting. They will work on overlapping channels, but will have to wait for each other to talk, essentially defeating the purpose of having multiple APs to begin with.

    If you are looking for basic tools, simply running Kismet with a decent card that can have an antenna attached is helpful.

    Otherwise, consider getting a spectrum analyzer. They are great for tracking down sources of interference, and visualizing what is actually going on.

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  2. I'm a fan of wavemon.

    * an overview screen, displaying all important information like device configuration, encryption and power management parameters and network information at once
* adaptive level bargraphs for link quality, signal/noise strength and signal-to-noise ratio
* customizeable "level alarm" feature that notices the user of changes in signal level strength audibly and/or visually
* full-screen level histogram displaying signal/noise levels and SNR
* list of access points in range
* menu-based configuration from within the program
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