FAQ

• What is WiFi Manager?
• What are the components of WiFi Manager?
• What standards does WiFi Manager support?
• Does WiFi Manager work with my current network management console?
• I have deployed access points from multiple vendors. Will WiFi Manager be able to configure and monitor all of them?
• How does WiFi Manager differ from other management software available in the market today?
• Is WiFi Manager available for evaluation or direct purchasing?
• What is RF Sensors?
• Why do i need RF sensors?
• How do I install the RF Sensors?
• How many sensors do I need for my wireless LAN Network?
• What is the typical range of the Sensor?
• Do RF Sensors support Power-over-Ethernet (PoE 802.3af) ?
• What is the default IP Address of the Sensor and how does WiFi Manager discovers it ?
• Does the RF Sensor adhere to any safety standard and what is the minimum distance that operators should maintain ?

WiFi Manager is an enterprise-class WLAN management solution that enables IT to secure, configure, and monitor critical wireless networks. It combines the power of hardware sensors, which have in-built intelligence to capture and analyze RF traffic, with the network management capabilities such as configuration, fault and performance monitoring, to present an integrated management solution. Using WiFi Manager IT teams can have better control over wireless assets, their associations, their behavior, and health.

What are the components of WiFi Manager?

WiFi Manager has two components – the software and the sensors.

Software: The WiFi Manager software is available for Windows and Linux Operating Systems. It is a full-fledged network management software that automatically discovers the wireless and wired devices in the network, monitors them for failures, monitors network as well as device health, enables configuration and firmware upgrade of access points, and generates trending reports.

 

Sensor (optional): These hardware sensors capture and analyze the wireless traffic and forward them to the WiFi Manager software. You can buy these sensors, in addition to buying WiFi Manager software, for 24x7 RF monitoring.

What standards does WiFi Manager support?

WiFi Manager provides support for all major WLAN standards including 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, WEP, WPA etc.

 

Does WiFi Manager work with my current network management console?

Yes. WiFi Manager provides integration with higher applications such as HP Open View, IBM Tivoli, CA Unicenter , and others by means of SNMP Traps.

I have deployed access points from multiple vendors. Will WiFi Manager be able to configure and monitor all of them?

Yes. WiFi Manager supports a wide range of access points including Cisco, Proxim, Symbol, 3Com, Avaya, HP, Dell, and others.

How does WiFi Manager differ from other management software available in the market today?

Very few WLAN management software in the market today offer support for multi-vendor access points. Of the lot, WiFi Manager stands out as the only solution, which has integrated RF sensors for WLAN security. These vendors support a range of sensors available in the market, which are not only high-priced by also lack that tighter integration with the software.

Is WiFi Manager available for evaluation or direct purchasing?

Yes, please contact our sales team at 1-888-720-9500 or email sales@manageengine.com

What is RF Sensors?

RF Sensors are dedicated Hardware which will work in conjunction with WiFi Manager and helps identify the vulnerabilities in the WLAN, Rogue Access points, DoS Attacks and other intrusions.

Why do i need RF sensors?

RF Sensors sniff the wireless LAN packets and sends the Information to the WiFi Manager. Sensors detects the intrusion attempts, DoS attacks and also to identify the vulnerabilities in the wireless LAN network.

How do I install the RF Sensors?

RF  Sensors  by default DHCP enabled . As soon as they plugged into the network ,sensors obtain the IP Address from the DHCP server. However you can assign the Static IP Address to sensors via Sensor Manager tool .

steps to configure the static IP Address .

1. Go to the <Installation Dir>/AdventNet/ME/WiFi Manager/bin dir.
2. Execute the SensorManager.bat or SensorManager.sh .
3.Configure the selected sensor details by enabling the Properties, provide the Sensor name, snmp community and enable the option "Use the following IP address". Now provide the static IP Address to submit.

Make sure that the sensors and WiFi Manager server are in the same network when configuring Sensors.

How many sensors do I need for my wireless LAN Network?

The number of sensors required for wireless lan varies accordance with the wlan environment. Obstacles such as concrete walls and metal supports will decrease the RF Spectrum Coverage.

Generally the Sensors coverage in the indoor environment about20,000 square feet
and 280,000 square feet of Outdoor space.

What is the typical range of the Sensor?

Please refer to the answer to the previous question.

Do RF Sensors support Power-over-Ethernet (PoE 802.3af) ?

RF Sensors are designed to work with all equipment adhering to the 802.3af standard. We have tested our sensors with PowerDsine 3001 injectors without issue. As long as the injectors you wish to use haven't deviated from the specifications,you should be able to use them.

 

• By default DHCP is enabled in the Sensors. The Sensor will grab an IP when it is plugged into the network.
• The default re-discovery interval of WiFi Manager is 24 Hours and if the sensor is plugged-in between two consecutive discovery cycles then it will take time to get automatically discovered. In which case the following can be done -
  1. If the Sensor has been plugged into the same subnet, go the "Inventory" tab, select the "Sensors" link in the left side and in the "Sensor" view click on the "Scan Sensors" button which will add the sensor to WiFi Manager
  2. If the Sensor is not in the same subnet do a forceful discovery of the network to which the sensor is plugged to.

• Plug-in the sensor in the same subnet as WiFi Manager
• Click on Windows Start button and go to -> Programs -> Manage Engine WiFi Manager 5 -> Tools -> Sensors.
• The above will discover the sensors in the subnet. Sensor can be assigned an IpAddress using the same tool.
• Now the Sensor can be directly added to WiFi Manager

Does the RF Sensor adher to any safety standard and what is the minimum distance that operators should maintain ?

Sensors use about 1/20th of the power of a typical cell phone. A cell phone will use about 600 milliwatts and our sensors use 30 milliwatts. Additionally, our sensors don't broadcast unless they are shielding. In short, compared to other common devices that a customer might use (including a laptop with an 802.11 radio card), our sensors pose far less risk to a person than most other sources of radio waves.