Review: Security Is In The Air

For a look at wireless encryption, the CRN Test Center deployed Laptop Analyzer Pro software from AirMagnet Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif., to analyze and troubleshoot wireless networks. With a wide range of capabilities, the software offered a detailed look into the performance and security of the wireless network.

Laptop Analyzer Pro is a Microsoft Windows-based WLAN analysis tool. Despite the focus on mobile computing, Laptop Analyzer as of press time did not support handheld devices, although that feature is currently in the works. Reviewers tested the software on both an IBM Corp. ThinkPad T42 laptop with a Cisco Systems Inc. Aironet CardBus card installed and on an OQO Inc. Model 02 UMPC with preloaded AirMagnet software.

Once installed, it immediately started scanning a secured network with two wireless access points and six connected devices. A Find utility allows the software to search for a specific device as well. All the data is presented in a graphical user interface that is laid out in an organized and straightforward menu. Instead of hiding features behind myriad menu options, similar features are grouped into windows. Icons indicate available options.

The application's starting page provides an overview of the connected network's health. Signal levels are on the left, alarms and graphs are at the bottom, and all discovered devices and key attributes are listed in the center. Some collected attributes include time of first/last received packet, signal strength, number of alarms on that channel and the associated access point. The information can be grouped, sorted and filtered.

More information on specific channels, such as signal strength and throughput, is available by drilling down from this high-level view. The software can scan nontraditional channels if the wireless card is capable of those bands.

Both access points on the network were detected immediately and listed on this screen. The Infrastructure window focuses on the access point, such as the signal-to-noise ratio for each channel and devices attached to them. All potential security and performance problems are displayed in this window. Interestingly, Laptop Analyzer also detects and lists access points from other networks that cross into the environment, which goes into greater detail in the Interference window. This view lists all devices and the interference level for each channel. Interference scores can be sorted to identify the worst channel on the network.

The software has predefined alarm thresholds and sends notifications about performance and security issues as they arise. Some actions that are standard for the wireless environment, such as broadcasting SSIDs, can be flagged by the software as an issue. In those cases, the notifications can be set to meet the environment's specific configuration. The application also tracks the alarms in the Windows Application Event Log.

Laptop Analyzer also has extensive reporting capabilities for all the collected data.

As part of the review, the testing laptop was left in one room where the wireless was weak. The laptop became a remote sensor for the test UMPC, which connected from a different room to troubleshoot the flakiness.

Priced at $3,995, Laptop Analyzer Pro delivers a solid set of tools for analyzing and troubleshooting channel, device and traffic data.