AirMagnet software surveys Europe’s first major 802.11n installation

Dimension Data uses 802.11n WLAN Suite to optimize wireless network

SUNNYVALE, Calif., September 29, 2008 – AirMagnet Inc., the leader in security, performance and compliance solutions for wireless LANs, today announced that the company’s new 802.11n WLAN Suite has been used for the first time in Europe by Dimension Data, the specialist IT services and solutions provider. 

Dimension Data employed several of AirMagnet’s wireless tools and software to determine the number and positioning of access points needed to support an 802.11n network being installed in a new office building for a large telecoms company based in the UK.

AirMagnet is the preferred wireless assessment tools vendor for Dimension Data’s regional service teams in Europe. The AirMagnet tools are critical to the planning phase of wireless deployments, where priority applications such as voice require a predictable and accurate level of wireless coverage.

Peter Ellis, Network Integration Director, Europe at Dimension Data explains, “Our client required a solution that included the latest types of wireless access points to give a high standard of coverage for a potentially large number of Wi-Fi clients and which would be “future proof”.

Ellis continues “We conducted the assessment in May this year with a Beta version of 802.11n WLAN Suite.  In June, a second assessment confirmed that the installed network was functioning perfectly, as predicted. We measured a range of parameters during the site survey including signal distribution, signal to noise ratio, and speed distribution. The AirMagnet tools provided this information in graphical format which we presented in a report back to the client.”

“By using the AirMagnet 802.11n (draft 2.0)  assessment, we were able to demonstrate to the client the expected throughput of wireless traffic in its new premises, as well as the enhanced wireless coverage when compared with 802.11a, b and g protocols. In addition, we had transmission rates of around 130Mbit/s compared with 54Mbit/s when using 802.11g.”

Ellis went on to say “Where it appears that there may be coverage problems, we employ AirMagnet’s Spectrum Analyser to identify issues such as RF interference caused by non-802.11 signals such as from Bluetooth which is often present in office environments.”

Since 2005, Dimension Data has conducted various site surveys with AirMagnet tools, including AirMagnet Survey PRO and AirMagnet Wi-Fi Analyzer (formerly AirMagnet Laptop Analyzer).   “The benefit of adding the most recent releases to our portfolio has paid dividends for both the European region and our clients” Ellis concludes.