Solutions: Overview

Bandspeed AirMaestro™ Spectrum Analysis solutions were designed to be embedded into OEM system level products to provide comprehensive understanding of the RF environment and enable a WLAN to automatically and intelligently adjust its configuration to maximize performance, security and manageability.

Wi-Fi has become the defacto standard for wireless connectivity within buildings.  With 802.11n, Wi-Fi solutions can now support distribution of high-throughput applications such as streaming video.  Wi-Fi networks, however, are prone to RF interference which can have drastic effects on the performance of the WLAN.  Some devices can completely disrupt an 802.11 channel even when they are a significant distance from the AP/client.

Users are deploying low-throughput, latency-sensitive applications over their Wi-Fi networks, eg voice. Latency sensitive devices can suffer performance loss from RF interference even when the average throughput for the network is not severely reduced.  Simply supporting Quality of Service standards is not a solution, and neither is 802.11n.  RF awareness and intelligence are required to manage the RF environment.

Bandspeed has developed an advanced RF signal analysis solution to provide real-time spectrum analysis for WLANs.  Embedding real-time spectrum analysis into WLANs:

• Improves quality-of-service and WLAN performance
• Enhances WLAN security
• Enables remote diagnostics and troubleshooting

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Bandspeed AirMaestro Spectrum Analysis solutions were designed to be embedded in a range of different end-user products, including:

• WLAN access points
• WLAN security sensors
• WLAN RF sensors
• Portable RF sensors
• Broadband gateways
• Network analysis and monitoring equipment
• Laptop computers

Communications equipment enabled with AirMaestro Spectrum Analysis:

• Continuously scan all WLAN channels in both Wi-Fi frequency bands: 2.4 and 5GHz

• Determine channel quality and channel utilization from both Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi interference for all Wi-Fi channels

• Detect and classify RF interferers

• Dynamically adjust their channel settings of APs to avoid RF interferers affecting the network (microwave ovens, cordless phones, Bluetooth devices, wireless video cameras, RF jammers,…)

• Generate event logs, including interferers detected, channel adjustments made and the reason for the change

Devices with AirMaestro Embedded Signal Analyzers report events and statistics to a centralized monitor console (a software application on a server or appliance) for RF network management.  The monitor console also supports advanced spectrum displays for remote visibility into the RF environment for diagnostics and troubleshooting.