Sniffer Targets PDAs

Sniffer Portable Wireless PDA is a pared-down version of the Sniffer Wireless protocol analyzer that enables technicians to monitor 802.11b wireless networks using a Hewlett-Packard iPaq device and a wireless card from Symbol Technologies, said Gretchen Hellman, manager of market intelligence at Sniffer, Santa Clara, Calif.

"The business benefit of a PDA option is that you can buy a lot of them and distribute them throughout the enterprise," she said.

Sniffer Portable Wireless PDA provides basic data-collection, analysis and problem-resolution features such as the ability to detect rogue access points and radio-frequency interference. If in-depth analysis is required, technicians can send the data to Sniffer Wireless for deeper scrutiny, Hellman said.

The software, which will be sold both direct from the vendor and through solution providers, is scheduled to ship in June for $3,995. The full edition of Sniffer Wireless sells for $9,995.

The new PDA version could be a useful tool for solution providers, said Scott Worthington, executive vice president of Redrock Communications, an Irvine, Calif.-based solution provider. "We do a lot of integration for indoor and outdoor wireless networks, so this is a tool we could put in all of our guys' hands," Worthington said. "Rather than a laptop, they could just whip out a handheld."

However, the price of the PDA-based tool is higher than some end users may be willing to pay, he said. "If it was in the $1,500 range, they would [probably have better success selling it," Worthington said.

Sniffer also has upgraded its Investigator 10/100 Ethernet network performance management solution for SMBs with up to 1,000 employees. Features include the integration of new voice-over-IP (VoIP) management and reporting technology, enabling network managers to track in realtime the quality, integrity and security of VoIP network traffic. Sniffer also has added VoIP management capabilities and improved reporting features to the Sniffer Distributed fault isolation and performance management tool for distributed networks.