The only alternative has been "overlay networks" - a system of wireless sensors deployed within your wireless network. This approach is expensive, with both a significant up-front cost for all of the sensors and their management software, and an on-going cost to manage this "management network" network. But now you have a choice - to overlay or not to overlay, that is the question. WildPackets AP Capture Adapters for both Cisco and Aruba allow any managed AP, or a number of APs simultaneously, to be put into packet capture mode, acting as sensors only when needed. Though this implies a slightly more dense deployment of APs, it is still far cheaper than an overlay network, and it provides tremendous flexibility for capturing wireless packets - you can collect from anywhere, anytime, with the click of a button. Typical high-quality, enterprise-wide wireless deployments are designed with overlapping wireless coverage in mind anyway, so often times no additional hardware is required. Using only the AP management console and WildPackets' OmniPeek, you can monitor, analyze and troubleshoot your entire wireless network, using your existing hardware and without getting up from your desk.
Interested? The WildPackets AP Capture Adapters for Cisco and Aruba are all you need to get started, and they are freely available from MyPeek.
