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I'm trying to find some websites that are current where I can download a free version spectrum analyzer so I can detect wireless interference like wireless cameras, wireless mice, dect headsets, bluetooth device, microwaves, etc.  Any recommedations would be helpful also I'm currently using an Alpha036NHA.  I'm willing to download any type of O.S. that might be compatible.

If you own Aruba Solution:

If you happen to have RFP license then you already got a spectrum analysis with your Aruba controller

If you got and aruba instant then you already got as well also a Spectrum analyzer...

In both cases you just need to configure it.

Cheers

Carlos 

With the Aruba set up you will need to create an AP group

Now to add the config for the spectrum monitor. Click on the newly created AP group. Now click RF management. You will need to change both the A and G radio. Click the radio and change the mode to spectrum.

Now you need to provision an AP to that group. Check the box by the AP you want to provision.

Then you will select the group you created.

Scroll to the bottom and hit apply and reboot. When the AP comes back up it will be a spectrum monitor.

Now on the monitoring page click on Spectrum Monitors. It will launch an external page that requires Flash. You will need to add a monitor on this page.

It gives you the choice of APs provisioned as spectrum monitors. To connect click the MAC address and click connect.

Then click the Mac address one more time to start using the spectrum monitor.

Now you are monitoring the spectrum with an Aruba AP.

By doing this will I be losing an AP to make it strictly a spectrum analyzer?  And when I do as you posted above will I cause throughput loss to anyone that is connected to this AP?  Also, if I'm trying to figure out the interfering device or devices will this help me locate the position of this interfering device?

The purpose of my wireless spectrum analysis is to find out why devices are unable to connect to the AP during office hours, but at the end of the day when everyone goes home there is no problem connecting to APs.  I am thinking that the problem is due to me issuing new laptops and bluetooth is on by default factory setting also around the area where Layer 1 DOS is happening there are 20 MAC Users with Magic Mice and wireless MAC keyboards.  I'm sure there might be other sources of interference from our neighboring tenants but atleast we can resolve the issues that are on our floor.

Currently at my job we only issue out wired keyboards, wired mice, and wired headsets to reduce the amount of wireless interference but employees still bring them in which I know we can't do anything about.  But if i could prove to my boss and to our Users that their device is causing issues then I'm sure I can be more convincing to letting our Firm know that bluetooth should be disabled on all laptops for inside the office use.  We currently have about 300 employees and I'm sure that 65%  of them have bluetooth on per factory default while 30% of employees have started bringing their own wireless mice even though we encourage them to only use them at home or out of the office.

I really appreciate you both replying to my post and your solution.

Alfredo_Garcia,

Let's start with basic troubleshooting, first.  If your wireless is having problems when people are there, it could be due to load.  Do you have "Drop Broadcast and Multicast" enabled on the Virtual APs that you are broadcasting?  http://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/ArubaOS_63_Web_Help/Web_Help_Index.htm#ArubaFrameStyles/VirtualAPs/Configuring_a_Virtual_AP.htm

Especially if your wired and wireless share the same VLAN, that is the #1 reason for traffic degrading when more users are connected.

Hello Colin,

   Currently on my network at work we have an MCA setup for wireless roaming using a WLAN Master Controller Aruba 3400 series.  The problem is that only in this area of a city block floor building do I notice issues not with throughput but associating to the access point.  On the whole floor everyone is docked and when docked we encourage for wireless to be off because the Users or working on huge 3D models syncing to the network every few minutes.  The only time they are undocked is when I am doing VPN training at their station so I am trying to connect them to our Guest Network or our Production Network after VPN training. 

Also around this area I was helping an employee setup their cell phone to connect to our Bring Your Own Device VLAN that uses WPA2-PSK and it looked like their cell phone wouldn't connect to our wifi.  It looked as if his cell phone would try to authenticate then fail I believe in the association phase.  It would try several times and fail then when I looked at my cell phone to check if my phone also lost connection I noticed it did and we both couldn't connect in that area.  So I asked the User to walk with me to another part of the building and turn his wifi off for a couple seconds and turn it back on.  Then our wifi connected again I would think to the nearest access point which is what led me to think there is something wrong with wireless intereference because it is the only area with heavy wireless devices(bluetooth, headsets).

Today I walked over to that area but there was a lot of people off due to the holiday vacationers and my phone didn't drop signal in that area.  Also, I checked if  "Drop Multicast and Broadcast" was enabled following the steps in your link and I noticed that the boxes were grayed out and we didn't have the option to uncheck them on the Master Controller.

Alfredo_Garcia,

You should only be able to make the changes on your master controller.  Go to Configuration> Wireless> AP Configuration.  Edit the AP group that your access points are in.  Expand Wireless LAN.  Expand Virtual AP.  For each Virtual AP listed, you should enable "Drop Broadcast and Multicast" and see if it makes a difference.

Hello Colin,

When I followed your steps on the Master Controller all the boxes are grayed out and it doesn't let us check or uncheck the boxes?  Do you know why this would be?

Are you sure you are on the master controller?  Does your login user have rights to make changes to that controller?

Hello Colin,

You are right Colin our Local Network admin only has some rights while our Global Network Admin has Full rights.  Our local admin talked to our Global admin and he is going to do some research on Enabling Drop Multicast and Broadcasts.  I explained to them how you suggested this as our 1st step of troubleshooting our WLAN.  Thank you again.

-Alfredo Garcia