Deployment Guide

detect network performance and quality-of-service (QoS) issues. The solution can also produce proactive
statistics on the predicted user experience of network performance, which enables the company to
increase network capacity before the users notice a loss of performance.
In user emulation tests, also known as active tests, the Eye connects to the Sonar over the wireless
network and uses it like an ordinary production service. The usage may include TCP file transfers, browser
downloads, wireless VoIP calls, or connections to another production server. Sapphire tests the end-user
experience by examining the entire data chain from the client to the production service. Active tests can
monitor the network even when there are no users in the network. This makes it possible to forecast
performance problems and take corrective actions before the service level suffers. Active tests show the
availability and quality of services offered over the network and they help administrators see why some
applications with their various demands for network performance do not work as expected in the network
or some of its areas. When problems occur, active tests can also aid to locate of the problem area in the
network topology, which often includes WLAN, LAN, and WAN elements.
The key differentiators of 7signal Sapphire are user emulation, superb coverage, continuous monitoring,
and visibility of network health. Other solutions are often based on monitoring the access point settings. As
a result, they do not give any indication of the service quality experienced by the end user. In such limited
solutions, the service quality parameters measured are the same as in wired networks. Sapphire, by
contrast, produces a comprehensive picture of the radio connection quality, where delay, number of
7signal Solutions Inc., 6155 Rockside Road, Suite 110, Independence, Ohio 44131, USA,
216-777-2900, [e-mail], www.7signal.com