The information says it can identify networks, either authorized or rogue. Does that mean it can detect networks with a hidden SSID?
Would a device like to this be worth buying if you weren't administering a large commercial network?
Data sheet instead of contest form:
Maybe. I'll leave it to you to decode what this doubletalk means: My guess(tm) is that it will show [Hidden] for anything with a blank SSID field and maybe identify it by MAC address.
Of course. It's the end of the year and you should probably spend everything in your budget.
I think you'll find that the important stuff can be done on a dual band Android device running WiFi Analyzer:
Since you didn't specify what you're trying to accomplish, it's difficult to offer a recommendation. Since you allegedly work for a large commercial network operator, you might want to look into what else Fluke has to offer in wireless testers, and see if any look like something that might be useful: Good luck on the contest.
Yikes! A $645 Android App? I didn't know such a thing existed. $1949 for the dedicated gadget?
I used to have a network analyzer that was delivered as one card in a Compaq luggable. It cost about $5000, as I recall, somewhere in the 90's.
I can't imagine how ;-) The free WiFi Analyzer Android app seems to be suitable for locating WAPs. It shows ? for what I presume are non-broadcast SSID.
I never intimated I work for a large commercial network company, or any other network company. I just thought this might be too much for a home network, so I asked if it would be useful for someone NOT administering a large commercial network.
For the record, I don't know much about networks, that's why I ask questions.
That tester ad was on
Sorry. I missed the word "weren't" in your original posting. It's generally more helpful if you describe what you're doing, rather than what you're not doing.
Ok, what wireless information do you need to know? The Android application, WiFi Analyzer does an impressive job of displaying what is floating through the air. However, it doesn't do everything. It's not a spectrum analyzer and will not show any non-WiFi interference. It also doesn't collect statistics, performance data, or provide any intrusion detection information. If you want to dig deeper, there are programs that will let you sniff the traffic, such as WireShark, but which will only work properly with specific USB dongles, or on Linux. The various Fluke devices will do some of these, but since you're not working on large commercial networks, I doubt that you could afford the hardware.
To directly answer your question, is it worth buying if one is not administering a large commercial network, I would say no.
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