What is your primary use case for AirCheck G3?

I use AirCheck to track down rogue devices connecting to my access point.

Our use case for the AirCheck G2 is mostly for our remote sites. We support about a dozen sites where there are multiple floors and multiple areas covered by WiFi. These areas are supported by local analysts who will go onto the floor and use the AirMapper on the device to troubleshoot any wireless that has been brought to their attention.

I use it mainly for three things. For one, I use it for wired connection. I also use it for a couple of things on the wireless mode, and I use it a fair amount for the wireless locate function. I'm using AirCheck G2. I know they just came out with G3, which I don't have. G3 has some new features that sound interesting.

We use it for multiple purposes, but it's primarily to test link speed, whether on a workstation or a switch. We also do a point-to-point from building to building and from point A to point B, which is a data center to data center check. It's fiber- and copper-based, so we can do multiple things with it. It's a good tool that gives us a lot of information.

We are a VAR, providing intermediary services and troubleshooting to customers. AirCheck is a tool we use for installing, testing, and troubleshooting Wi-Fi or wired networks. It's something we leverage while installing access points and identifying problems. Our company has around a dozen AirCheck units shared by about three dozen engineers. Their roles range from sales and design to implementing and troubleshooting Wi-Fi networks. All the people using AirCheck on our teams are primarily focused on Wi-Fi, and AirCheck is an excellent tool for supporting those roles. We use AirCheck as much as possible because we try to use technology relevant to our internal professional services. It's definitely a tool that we don't hesitate to invest in. Every once in a while, we'll have to pick up another unit or two to backfill a new team or something along those lines. We've had some units break, and those need to be replaced, but those units have been abused, so I don't think that reflects the reliability of their devices. If it's dropped 300 feet onto concrete, we must buy a new one. We continue to invest in them. We continue to pay maintenance and support and love what NetAlly has been doing with them.

We are using G2, which is the generation two solution. It hasn't changed since we got it. Other than a few software updates, it hasn't really changed. We use it to collect data for our Wi-Fi systems. We collect the data, and we push it up to Link-Live, and then we pull the data down and review it for any remote problems or troubleshooting assistance. We have a number of these units. We've got close to eight or nine of them that are out in the field. They're basically used by our technician staff to do that data collection for us. We also have one for engineering so that we can take it on trips to get a better real-time view of the wireless system activity in an area. When we do the real-time items, we're just using the data as a real-time tool. When we use Link-Live, it is going to the Link-Live Cloud, which can be called NetAlly's private cloud. It is within an account that we have visibility into. So, it is like a hosted private cloud. It is not publicly available.

I use it primarily for signal distribution, identification, Cat5 and Cat6 identification, access point, decibel levels, and identifying all areas of IT equipment onsite. I use the device in one area to identify access points. This device not only identifies access points, it tells me audibly and visibly the strengths of the decibels. So, it allows me to advise installation crews where exactly to place certain types of equipment, like access points.

I work in the wireless team in the HQ, we don't visit the sites. We mainly provide remote support, design and validation. We bought the G2 to understand how the new functionality work (we already had the previous generation Aircheck) and to train our implementation and support teams to troubleshoot with it whenever there is an issue. Right after buying the tester, we created a guide for our internal use, and then I distributed the guide to our support engineers. Now, they have their own G2 testers and, whenever in the field, they follow my guide and troubleshoot the issue while I can see the test report in Link-Live cloud portal and evaluate the results remotely. We currently have four devices. Each device is assigned to a support team, and each support team has five or six people. Generally, the most common issue we encounter is an access point going down, meaning no coverage. Some of our sites have also specialised IoT devices that are very sensitive to interference on 5GHz channels so, being able to see the interferers on the G2 is a massive help.

Mostly, this is a WiFi analyzer. I get a report from an end user saying, "Hey, I'm in my office, and the WiFi isn't working." What's complicated about that is it could be the person's laptop or their phone. It could also be the wireless infrastructure or they tried to get to some website that just happens to be down and are confusing the fact that www.company.com is down with local WiFi behavior. What this tool allows me to do is walk up to their office, sit next to them, and turn on the tool, then I've programmed it to do some basic checks. If it succeeds, all lights are green, then I know that it's an issue with their laptop or phone. On the other hand, if my tool has trouble connecting to the WiFi infrastructure, I know immediately that I have problems with the wireless access points or whatever constitutes the infrastructure. Therefore, the tool helps me rapidly narrow the fault domain: Is it the client's device, the infrastructure, or the remote server? A common problem in rented buildings is that folks with a little WiFI knowledge, either the manufacturers of the (low-end) WiFi AP or the local IT staff, will change the default channels of their APs to something off the base frequencies. This is a problem for everybody: once you understand how WiFi works, you don't do this. However, it is a common error. AutoTest picks up this error immediately and helps inform me how I might go around troubleshooting. I might, at that point, go and visit the folks who are running these APs, and say, "Here's a better way to do it where we'll all benefit if you make these changes."