An increasing number of wireless LAN security products offer location-based tracking to help administrators apply policies and enforce control over their WLANs.
eWEEK Labs tests of enterprise WLAN detection systems from Newbury Networks Inc. and AirMagnet Inc. show location findings can be used for very different purposes, ranging from network authentication control to pinpointing rogue access points on a network diagram to aid in findingand disabling the device.
Triangulation is the basic method for detecting device location. By correlating signal strength and signal-to-noise ratios taken simultaneously from multiple sensors, applications can extrapolate a device location on a floor-plan diagram.
Unfortunately, vagaries of radio-based communication, such as reflection, interference and multipath propagation, can greatly hinder the accuracy of location results. And findings will vary as conditions change within a building. Users can expect results to miss the mark by as much as 10 meters in poor conditions.
/zimages/6/28571.gifClick here to read the review of Newbury Networks WiFi Watchdog 4.0.
/zimages/6/28571.gifClick here to read the review of AirMagnet Enterprise 5.0.
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