Fluke AirCheck WiFi tester
I have tried many products in the same category as the Fluke AirCheck WiFi tester, but found them to be clunky and mostly PC-driven. So I was pleased to be able to test Fluke’s offering.
Most of all we were excited that we didn’t need a computer to drive the device. The AirCheck is a WiFi tester in a single handheld device with ‘instant on’ technology.
When I opened the Fluke carry case, I noticed that all of accessories were there ready for me to start exploring what the device was capable of doing. I attached the optional paddle antenna for greater reception and results and turned the system on.
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The on-screen display showed four images with the headings ‘Networks’, ‘Access Points’, ‘Channels’ and ‘Tools’. It is a very easy to understand display and at this stage I have not needed to resort to the manual. (In my opinion, going to the manual in the early stages of experimenting is often a sign of weakness.)
After selecting the ‘Network’ icon, the device instantly showed seven networks within our office location. I was able to see on this initial screen the signal strength of the networks, if they were locked or unlocked, the SSID, the 802.11 protocol (b, g, n, etc) and if there was possible interference.
I couldn’t resist on clicking on a few of the access points to see what info the AirCheck would show me. I was amazed at how easy this device is to use, and the information it showed has proven to be very useful.
There is another menu button on this network screen that allows you to locate the access point. After selecting this function, it creates a tone with a graph and dBm meter to assist in finding the location. If you wish, you can also mute this function as, after a while of testing, it can be a little annoying.
But this can be forgiven as, within the first three minutes of use, I successfully located seven access points, identified the frequencies they were operating on, and ascertained that a couple of them were on the same frequency, which could have restricted their performance.
Back to the main screen and under ‘Tools’, the first option that was of interest to me was ‘List probing clients’. The device was so quick that it started scanning instantly and I found that I had over 15 devices “probing” my network. I selected a device from this list and was shown the MAC address, together with the last probe detected.
The device allows you to set some parameters in the 802.11 settings. For example, you can select if you wish to only identify search results on the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band. I left all options selected, so I returned the largest number of results.
The last option on the home screen allows you to view all channel usage. Within seconds of selection, I could see all activity across all 165 channels.
Finally, sessions could easily be stored into the AirCheck’s memory for ease of reference, but all data could also be exported.
Overall, the AirCheck WiFi tester has been a huge hit within our company and we have decided that it is a device that every company in the custom installation market can’t do without. The battery life seems to be substantial and I didn’t need to refer to the instructions once!
I am very pleased with the design and functionality of the AirCheck device and believe it will become an essential tool for all in the industry, even though it frightens me to see so much wireless activity in the air!
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