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WirelessRudy
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Wireless spectral scan tool add on feature

Sun Mar 06, 2016 4:31 pm

Apart from the lacking of the scan tool in ac devices (which need urgent repair!) we are depending on the tool to battle against interferences in our network.
Scan tool doesn't give all the info we need though in one hand. You still need to run a ordinary scan to identify SSID's of the channel usages found....
Although a scan to a remote unit has the option to set the range, a 'scan' command only scans the range set in the radio.
To have radio's connect back to AP we set the listening frequency fixed in the 'scan list' of the CPE. So a remote scan now needs to configure the CPE radio first, set the wide freq. range, perform the scan, wait a relative long time for CPE to connect back after scan is performed and set the scan range back to its original.
During all that time the CPE is disconnected several times from AP and if the client is/was using it he will occur several interrupts, some lasting quit some time...

Now, if the spectral scan tool could be made that smart it would also register the SSID (or such scan would be running parallel or within the spectral scan) and print these SSID's in the scan graph that would be marvellous.

Any simple wifi scanner tool like InSSID'r or similar is doing that already. Why can't MT spectral scan not do that?


I'll bet many of us work in spectrum that is also used by others and to scan the spectrum you not only want to see which frequencies are used and what are its density of usage. You also need to know if these are frequencies you have control of or not? (Home users now also start popping up in 5Ghz band.)
Only SSID can tell you that.

We use the Dude now for running spectral scan. Lots of info but still lacking the SSID.

(And before anyone comments that I should be knowing my own frequencies and thus any unknown is 3rd party.... well, we have some 70 different AP's (AP's or AP-bridge working backhaul units) in a relative small area. They almost all can 'see' each other. The competition has some 40 or so other radio's...
We 'see' several working in 10Mhz, the bulk in 20Mhz, some in 40Mhz and now even at times some in 80Mhz bandwidth channels. Sometimes spectral 'sees' a frequency usage that could be one of our own radio's, but for the same some 3rd party user working in the same.
Now we have to start the normal 'scan' tool to discover if it is our own radio molesting, or is it a 3rd party unit that is the culprit...
Would be nice if the spectral scan already told us the SSID so it give a clue...


The more congested the spectrum becomes, the more important becomes good spectral tools and spectrum management. If not 5Ghz goes where 2,4Ghz already went. Unusable for serious operators in the free wireless....
 
n21roadie
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Re: Wireless spectral scan tool add on feature

Sun Mar 06, 2016 8:32 pm

How often do you have to conduct these scans?
 
WirelessRudy
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Re: Wireless spectral scan tool add on feature

Mon Mar 07, 2016 2:35 am

How often do you have to conduct these scans?
Weekly?

We have regurlarly links that worked before nice and in relative 'clean' spectrum just to find out weeks to months later same link is really molested by some tool (could well be the competition) decides to use same or close frequency.

Spectrum usage is our biggest headache. And in joining some seminars last years its the topic of interest in most providers.
My country Spain is really a pain because there are too many providers in same region using all the same limited spectrum. Since prices are now so low for customers even big parties delay much their roll out of alternatives like G4 because their price levels are beaten by the many smaller players. So devirting to alternative frequencies (like we studied a lot for feasability) is just not economic.
Its easier, and cheaper, to fine tune your 802.11n/ac network to the best in hope just to keep your competitor off your back.
But everybody fight for channels.
If I swap a backhaul to some better channel not seldom within days 'my old' frequency is used by my collegue and I have no way in going back if the new channels doesn't work out. Its a pain, its a puzzle.

So, I need the best tools I can get for almost no money... (A pro spectral scanner is really out of budget......)
 
n21roadie
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Re: Wireless spectral scan tool add on feature

Mon Mar 07, 2016 1:47 pm

As you mentioned about remote scans and the disruption for the customer who may view this action as service down,
have considered using some old CPE's and placed statistically around your network area and then conduct remote scans without causing disruption to customers service?

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