Wifi Revolution

Ekahau Inc., a provider of Wi-Fi RTLS solutions and site survey tools, has announced the release of Ekahau (News - Alert) HeatMapper, a coverage mapping tool for 802.11 Wi-Fi networks.

The offering can be downloaded for free and is an easy-to-use coverage mapping tool for Windows-based laptops. Ekahau HeatMapper illustrates wireless signal strength on color-coded heat maps and is designed for consumers and small office users, who have relatively small wireless networks and have not yet upgraded to Wi-Fi tools.

Ekahau HeatMapper runs on Windows Vista or XP laptops equipped with external Wi-Fi network adapters. The Wi-Fi coverage is displayed on a map after walking around the facility with the laptop, a process called Wi-Fi site survey.

Ekahau's client software works in conjunction with the company's Positioning Engine software, to accurately position Wi-Fi enabled devices within a Wi-Fi coverage area. According to Ekahau, the Positioning Engine is entirely software-based, and can be deployed over existing Wi-Fi networks without requiring the addition of overlay infrastructure, antennas, or sensors.

"While other available products are sufficient for identifying the nearby Wi-Fi access points, they typically have no mapping capabilities that help users visualize coverage. Ekahau HeatMapper takes free Wi-Fi analysis to the next level by making wireless signal strength truly visible and offering full support for 802.11n," stated  Jussi Kiviniemi, senior product manager at Ekahau.

"Challenges associated with wireless - such as lack of coverage, channel interference, low data rates and missing security settings - can be easily identified with the HeatMapper. Additionally it shows areas covered by open networks, making it easy to know where to go for accessing the Internet for free.”

Ekahau HeatMapper also locates all the audible access points and shows their configurations and security settings, providing information about the available wireless networks for detecting security holes and ensuring network optimization. Ekahau HeatMapper also fully supports 802.11n, the new standard that increases Wi-Fi data rates significantly.

Also, Ekahau is offering Wi-Fi device-makers free distribution rights to its wireless device-positioning client software and source code. The "Located by Ekahau" (LBE) partner program enables device manufacturers to promote their wireless products as "location aware," the company said.

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