Fluke Networks has announced the launch of the AirCheck Wi-Fi Tester, a dedicated handheld tool that delivers quick and easy troubleshooting for today’s increasingly complex wireless local area networks (WLAN).

Offering simple, intuitive operation, the rugged new Wi-Fi tester can be learned and used in minutes by frontline IT professionals, even if they have little previous wireless network experience, and is an affordable option for every enterprise, large or small.

The AirCheck tester provides a single, handheld solution for engineers and technicians looking for fast and effective Wi-Fi network visibility.

AirCheck users can:
• easily verify and troubleshoot 802.11 a/b/g/n network availability, connectivity, channel utilisation and security settings
• identify coverage and connectivity problems
• find unauthorised or rogue access points (APs)
• see overloaded networks and channels
• detect interference and validate security settings.

Wayne Allen, sales and marketing manager, Fluke Networks Australia and New Zealand said, “Companies are increasingly reliant on Wi-Fi networks but many continue to see them as less reliable than wired alternatives.
“This is partly because time- and resource-pressured IT personnel do not necessarily have the training or the tools they need to monitor and troubleshoot network issues. AirCheck arms frontline IT personnel with an affordable, easy-to-use, portable tool that provides comprehensive WLAN visibility across all Wi-Fi standards.”

The new AirCheck tester is quicker, easier to operate and more portable than any other Wi-Fi tool on the market. Booting up in less than three seconds, AirCheck automatically starts discovering networks, access points and channel activity immediately.

Testing sessions can be saved with the press of a single key, and then downloaded via the USB port to a PC for report generation or archiving with AirCheck Manager software. These features are particularly valuable for trouble ticket resolution or escalation, enabling broad access to all the session data captured by the AirCheck Wi-Fi Tester – saving time and resources.

The speed and simplicity of the AirCheck tester not only enables the entire IT organisation to troubleshoot wireless LAN issues, it has also been proven to save organisational resources by reducing time needed for troubleshooting.

Its intuitive interface is built around a 2.8-inch full colour LCD screen and a simple menu-based system that can be navigated using just five buttons. The tester measures 8.9 cm x 19.8 cm x 4.8 cm and weighs only 400 grams.

AirCheck Manager software, which is supplied with the unit, manages all AirCheck profiles and the information collected from multiple AirCheck testers. The software can help IT support personnel close trouble tickets more efficiently or fully document the problem for support escalation.