# Wireless spectrum analyzer ( Wi-Spy ) alternative



## squeezin (Mar 22, 2006)

Hi all,

I come across weird sporadic wireless issues at different spaces from tie to time.
So im finally going to break down and pick up a spectrum analyzer.

The only one that is cheap enough to justify the price is the Wi-Spy, with chanalyzer software...$89
Ive done some crawling online, and have yet to come up with a cheap and or better hardware and software combo.

So before i go any further...just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for alternatives.

Thanks for reading... 

p.s....couldn't decide which forum category to post this in...


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## jiml8 (Jul 3, 2005)

I have an app on my android phone that does that. Free download for the android phone, named wifi analyzer.

I hiccuped mightily when I saw "spectrum analyzer" for "$89". I guess the Wi Spy technically qualifies as a spectrum analyzer, but it is really limited.

Seems to me that any laptop with a wireless radio could be programmed to do that; you shouldn't need to get a usb thingie. Have you searched for an app/


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

> I come across weird sporadic wireless issues ...


Can you give some examples? The free Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector is sufficient for detecting wireless interference, signal strength and some other things.


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## squeezin (Mar 22, 2006)

jiml8 said:


> Have you searched for an app/


Ya i seen that app a while back, cool little tool for seeing ones 10 plus neighbors in a apartment complex using channel 6 and all complaining about wireless issues. I think i seen that on the iphone too... 
Sadly either way, i have neither a droid or iphone....

oh, and the free inSSIDer app from metageeks is pretty much the only windows app that i found thats close to those apps phone apps.

Ive come across tons of apps that are say...."wireless network monitors" that sniff and show basic stuff like ssid, db levels, mac's, ip's, types of broadcasted 802.11, encryption. But thats about where they all pretty much stop for features.

I guess what im really aiming for is actually being able to see graphed real-time noise and interference at exactly the channel / frequency is pretty much what im going for.



TerryNet said:


> Can you give some examples? The free Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector is sufficient for detecting wireless interference, signal strength and some other things.


And the above info above is where the head bashing, hair pulling and the late night spectrum analyzer brain fart comes into play. 

Long story short, a friend of mine is a regional manager (something like that) for company and has quite a few locations in the Chicago-land and suburban area. Corporate / Partners / owners whoever... are moronic tight wads and neglect their IT dept and equipment. So my friend calls me in to do random work for them on the fly for a decent buck...

Bah...trying to keep it short eh...
LOL, so their wireless dropping out issue they had has been going on for a while and ive been out thier a couple times with no luck in resolution. Three different wireless routers, changing dozens of times,a TON of time monitoring local ISP data flow and countless hours looking at screen and pacing back and fourth...

..... Lights slightly dim with a faint flicker in the office / warehouse section, nothing drastic or that would normally make me think twice any other time. I ask him whats located in the next door unit.... "some kinda medical equipment company".

quick sum up: every time that company fired everything up to test a finished product, it pretty much wiped out everything near 2.4ghz... I went in and talked to them about it, and they laughed and said "sorry about that, we know... if anything, get everything running 5ghz and you should be ok."

There was another instance when the culprit at my brothers house was his stupid wireless house phones... that was about 12 hours wasted.

This originated more or less a post of frustration after the medical job and online searching for something to pick up on this stuff....and i have a weak spot (occasionally) for nerdy tools that wont break the bank like that 

Ill do some follow up tomorrow after work..

And theres been a few other things through out the years that had me wondering about wireless issues hear there and everywhere....


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## jiml8 (Jul 3, 2005)

If the medical company's equipment is causing interference with this other business' equipment, and the medical company knows about it, then they are liable for damages.

There are regulations governing emission of electromagnetic energy; sounds like the medical company is non-compliant.

The equipment either will be compliant or will specify that it is non-compliant in which case it is the user's burden to properly shield the equipment.

If I were faced with that situation, I'd be having my lawyer writing a letter to the company causing the interference, and if nothing happened to fix it, I'd go after them for the damage they were causing me.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Didn't mean to force you into a long explanation, but thanks for giving it as it is very interesting--especially about the medical equipment. NetStumbler shows signal to noise ratio and would probably be somewhat helpful in detecting the signals generated by non-Wi-Fi stuff.


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## squeezin (Mar 22, 2006)

jiml8 said:


> If the medical company's equipment is causing interference with this other business' equipment, and the medical company knows about it, then they are liable for damages.


All said and done I ended up just making a 200ft CAT5 cable and moving the router to the other side of space. Given most of the wireless gets used on that far side of the space anyways, its win-win for every body. He told me the other day that the wireless will still suddenly slow up a little bit from here and there, but it doesnt come to a stand still like it did before. Works for me. Their up and running, and never have a wireless drop-off anymore....

Problem solved, but not fixed 

What course of action he wants to take with the neighbor spamming out 2.4ghz noise is all on him and their moronic IT dept....if there even is one. Im stay the hell outta that issue.



TerryNet said:


> Didn't mean to force you into a long explanation, but thanks for giving it as it is very interesting--especially about the medical equipment. NetStumbler shows signal to noise ratio and would probably be somewhat helpful in detecting the signals generated by non-Wi-Fi stuff.


Ha no biggie,was highly caffeinated.
Kinda wanted to post about it anyways. Thought maybe, just maybe, someone will come across a similar issue and remind them to think a bit outside of the box....er property.
Ill take another look at netstumbler....i remember playing around with that a while back.
I think i axed the idea because its wireless adapter support was rather minimal, but i may be wrong.

Thanks you guys, I have not had much time to research my wireless brain fart too much in reguard to wireless interference and noise monitor. But ill post back if I come across something worth while.


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