AirMagnet Survey vs Wireshark comparison

Read 63 Wireshark reviews

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98% willing to recommend

AirMagnet Survey

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 11, 2024

Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer, while AirMagnet Survey is a wireless site survey software. Wireshark has the upper hand in data analysis with strong community support, whereas AirMagnet Survey excels in wireless-specific features, appealing to users needing detailed Wi-Fi analysis.

Features: Wireshark offers robust packet capture and analysis, depth in protocol inspection, and versatility. AirMagnet Survey provides advanced Wi-Fi planning, validation capabilities, and heatmapping and interference analysis.

Room for Improvement: Wireshark users often cite a steep learning curve, a lack of wireless-specific tools, and a need for enhanced user interface. AirMagnet Survey requires user interface enhancements, addresses occasional stability issues, and improves cost-effectiveness for some users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Wireshark is generally easy to deploy with solid documentation, supported by community-driven customer service. AirMagnet Survey requires more complex deployment but benefits from responsive professional support, valuable for enterprise environments.

Pricing and ROI: Wireshark, being open-source and free, offers a high ROI for budget-conscious users. AirMagnet Survey, while more expensive, provides value through advanced features and professional support, justifying the investment for specific wireless needs.

To learn more, read our detailed AirMagnet Survey vs. Wireshark Report (Updated: December 2024).

AirMagnet Survey vs. Wireshark

December 2024

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Categories and Ranking

AirMagnet Survey

Ranking in Network Troubleshooting

8th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Modeling and Simulation (2nd)

Wireshark

Ranking in Network Troubleshooting

4th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Network Troubleshooting category, the mindshare of AirMagnet Survey is 6.6%, up from 5.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Wireshark is 13.7%, up from 13.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Troubleshooting

Featured Reviews

David Olofson

Manager at DD&P Services LLC

It fixes so many problems quickly that we don't regret spending more on high-end tools than most companies

It would be nice to have some more training resources for younger techs. We can use them if we need some assistance, but that usually requires one of us who knows what we're doing to calibrate the programs properly. There's one thing our nXG handhelds do that AirMagnet doesn't do out of the box. The nXG devices can analyze the wired and wireless networks simultaneously and map the networks out. We find it handy. However, if I have that plugged into our older OptiView XG tablets or our laptops, I have no way to analyze both the WiFi and the wired network at the same time and build a single picture with all that data. So far, that's something only our nXG handhelds can do. It would be nice if there were a way to integrate all the network discovery, troubleshooting, and mapping of the WiFi and the wired at the same time. There are almost no products that do that currently. If they managed to do that, they'd probably open up their market pretty quickly.

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DonniUgalde

Senior I.T. Systems Engineer at Pro Techs MSP

Provides visibility into the network, and the GUI is easy to use

I wish the filters were a little bit more prepopulated. It would have been easy to hit a drop-down and select a filter. If I only wanted to look at DCP, UDP, or IP, it would be easy to filter it out. Advanced network knowledge is required to get a lot out of the tool. However, it's very easy to install and deploy. It would be nice if there were some handheld Android devices with a Wireshark-specialized application that would allow us to mirror a Cisco port. Then, we can just plug into the port and click the green start button, and it will start ingesting the packet capture. Then, we won’t be using a laptop. The only downside is that we must have a laptop and connect a network cable. Some new laptops don't have network ports, so we have to get another adapter. Having an all-in-one device, like NetAlly or Fluke, and some of their network devices would be cool.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The benefit is with the ease of use of the software, I am able to show the customer, "Here is what your wireless coverage looks like." It is set up in a fashion that non-technical people can understand it."

"It is reliable and easy to use (user-friendly). The heat mapping, passive network surveying, and doing the heat mapping of a building's wireless network allows me to see what level of coverage an area has."

"The predictive survey is the most valuable feature. I use it quite often."

"I would like to rate the product as eight of ten."

"The most valuable feature is the predictive survey. The antennas' RF patterns are reflected correctly on the drawing when preparing predictive heat maps."

"We use the solution for Wi-Fi and networks."

"The addition of the AirMapper software on the nXG and our AirCheck G2s has helped a lot because we're mostly not drilling down into the data. Local managers only need to see the coverage on their end and whether there are performance bottlenecks. These things are easy enough for us to ascertain with iPerf."

"Using the products to ensure the safety of our equipment that we have a lot invested in."

More AirMagnet Survey pros

"I like the filtering feature as we can filter data easily. This feature is also available in tcpdump, but it's a simple piece of software. Wireshark is more advanced and has many features. It allows you to filter a lot of things. The output can be filtered easily. The most important feature is colorization. If I say, "Okay, this particular SMB protocol in red, it will show me red." It's easy to identify that protocol or capture data."

"Setup is very easy. It's also possible to change source code and compile if you want to change something in the code, because it's free."

"Wireshark saves a lot of time, especially with network troubleshooting."

"It gives us the ability to pinpoint problems and to communicate network problems with software and hardware vendors."

"The options that are required to get the details for the packet drops are good."

"The most valuable feature is the traffic gate, which shows which IPs are getting more bandwidth or traffic."

"It is a stable product. I would rate the stability a ten out of ten."

"The GUI is easy to use."

More Wireshark pros

Cons

"The user interface needs a lot of improvement. The auto-placement of access points is not accurate."

"The throughput should be more advanced in the future. They need to add more versions of WiFi than just one."

"Less time consumed doing the real surveys."

"It would be nice to have some more training resources for younger techs. We can use them if we need some assistance, but that usually requires one of us who knows what we're doing to calibrate the programs properly."

"Printouts are JPEG printouts. The AirMagnet software is proprietary. I can't send my customers a file, because it is AirMagnet file, even for building projects. I can only send JPEGs or screenshots of heat maps."

"When you conduct an active survey and then want to use it for design work, it's actually not very useful."

"AirMagnet Survey doesn't cover certain devices in the system."

"The surveying features are in need of improvement, along with general usability."

More AirMagnet Survey cons

"Whenever we select one of the packets, in terms of the number of bytes, for example, there are three planes, and in the detailed plane, I have to count the number of bytes manually."

"This product needs to improve the UI."

"The speed of the Internet could be improved, especially its performance."

"Wireshark is restricted when any sort of encryption is involved, such as XSL encryption or DLX."

"Big trace files (more than 1,000,000 packets) can be slow, but then you can use "TraceWrangler" (also free) to help with slicing and dicing the data."

"The initial setup depends upon the basics. You need to have a clear understanding of the basics."

"It needs the ability to follow multiple interfaces for specific traffic from different network zones/virtual networks. It would help to understand how any packet is going through the network."

"It is difficult to scale this solution."

More Wireshark cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"For technical support, you need an annual license, but it is not worth it."

"The pricing needs improvement."

"This product is very expensive."

"The tool's pricing is medium."

"There is an annual cost of the solution. There are some additional charges, such as support and maintenance."

"The licensing of AirMagnet Survey is different when compared to Ekahu. It is a third of the cost of Ekahau but there are no dedicated laptops to the Sidekick. AirMagnet allows you to license an adapter and share that adapter."

"The moment we began needing more of the vendor's support, the cost became very high; we switched to another solution."

"I've never personally had to pay for it, making it a highly valuable internet resource that's accessible for use. While they offer some paid versions, our firm has utilized the free version for the past three years."

"It's a stand-alone tool. If there is a commercial license for it I am unaware of it."

"This is an open-source product that can be used free of charge."

"I am using the free version of this solution."

"Wireshark is an open-source product, so it's free to use."

"We are using a freeware version of this solution, so there are no licence costs involved."

"Wireshark is open-source and free of charge."

"We're using the free version of Wireshark."

More Wireshark pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

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824,095 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Educational Organization

Government

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

11%

University

11%

Government

10%

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about AirMagnet Survey?

We use the solution for Wi-Fi and networks.

What needs improvement with AirMagnet Survey?

AirMagnet Survey needs to support Wi-Fi 6E otherwise they can lose to the competition. They also need to allow better grouping of SSIDs to one AP, removing the need to filter manually. At the momen...

What is your primary use case for AirMagnet Survey?

We use AirMagnet Survey, for site verifications after the wireless system has been installed. We conduct pre and post-install surveys with it. We have reduced the use since now our customers requir...

What do you like most about Wireshark?

The GUI is easy to use.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Wireshark?

Wireshark is priced at a medium range, not too high, not too low. The pricing could be more flexible, and they might make it more expensive. That said, compared to other products, it is competitive.

What needs improvement with Wireshark?

The speed of the Internet could be improved, especially its performance. Performance can sometimes be a challenge due to numerous factors.

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Product Reports

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AirMagnet Survey

December 2024

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November 2024

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Overview

AirMagnet Survey PRO enables network professionals to design, deploy, and validate Wi-Fi 6 networks for optimal performance, security, and compliance. It also calculates the ideal quantity, placement, and configuration of APs for a successful wireless LAN deployment. AirMagnet Survey PRO goes beyond simply verifying RF coverage by plotting actual end-user network performance in terms of connection speed, throughput, and packet statistics by allowing you to use any Wi-Fi adapter or AirMapper™ Site Survey on the AirCheck™ G2 and EtherScope® nXG. Survey PRO helps you get Wi-Fi installations right the first time, preventing costly rework and user complaints.

Wireshark is the world's foremost network protocol analyzer.

Sample Customers

Houston Methodist Hospital, Love's Travel Stops

Comversion, ADP, Talbots