WiFi Hound 101 Training www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training When we were developing the Triplett WiFi Hound, we focused on creating a tester that would let even an inexperienced technician troubleshoot problems with the wireless environment quickly. We also knew how important it was for that same technician to be able to clearly communicate the problems to the customer. Finally, true to our 100+ year tradition, we wanted to ensure the Tester was affordable for the technician.
WiFi Hound 101 Training First, let’s discuss what the WiFi Hound is not – it is NOT a mapping system to tell you where to place Access Points in a home or office. It is a spectrum analyzer that allows you to see all of the RF activity that is happening in the environment. This Tester is far more sophisticated than the free apps you get on your smartphone. The WiFi Hound has a full set of features for the Field Technician, which we will get into later. Some basic information… this model covers both the 2.
WiFi Hound 101 Training HARDWARE Android-based tester with custom hardware and shock-resistant case. Many Android features are deliberately disabled, and Bluetooth should always be set to OFF. FRONT Touch-screen user interface. Keep the screen clean. You can wipe it with a dry cloth, or use a touch-screen-approved mild cleaner. It is a capacitive touch screen, which means that your finger completes the circuit. Do not touch it with a fingernail, or try to press harder to get it to work.
WiFi Hound 101 Training TOP The Power Button is located on the top of the tester, to the far left. Since this is an Androidbased piece of equipment, you must PRESS AND HOLD the Power button for three seconds then release it to turn on the Tester. Caution: If you accidentally press and hold the Power button and the Volume button at the same time, you will accidentally access the Android Operating System programming screen.
WiFi Hound 101 Training From Top to Bottom: • Headphone Jack • Micro USB Port – Use for backing up your client files onto your laptop, or clearing old files to free up memory on the Tester. • Mini HDMI Port – Can be used to mirror the Tester’s screen to a larger monitor/HDMIconnectable TV set. • DC port for charging -- Charger is included with your WiFi Hound. Do not use aftermarket chargers. • Hard Reboot Inset -- use a paperclip, insert it into the hole and count to 5.
WiFi Hound 101 Training As mentioned earlier, if you press the power button and the Volume control at the same time by accident, you will enter into the Android OS control screen. The only way to get out of that screen is to use a paperclip to do a Hard Reboot. If you press the power button and see the above screen, you are in the correct place. Give the Tester a minute to fully boot up. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training This is the WiFi Hound Startup Screen. This is the screen you will see once the unit has completed its boot-up process. Swipe up from the Lock icon to begin using your Tester. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training This is the WELCOME SCREEN. You will only need to add this information once. To add more Technicians or select a different Technician, you can go to Settings > Company Info in the Main Screen after you have completed the Initial Setup here. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training SETUP CLIENT INFO This creates the FOLDER on the tester in which all of that specific client’s data is kept. It is important to fill in both the Client Name and Location Name. In this example, the Client Name is University of NYC, and the Location Name would be, for example, a specific campus/building/floor/wing, etc. This will make it easier for you to find historical data on call-backs.
WiFi Hound 101 Training MAIN SCREEN: TOP ROW Notice the Company and Client information comes out on the Main Screen on the top. This data, along with the Time and Date, and connecting to the local WiFi network, is controlled at “Settings” in the bottom left of the screen. CAPTURE (We will discuss the CAPTURE features later.
WiFi Hound 101 Training CONNECT TO WIFI Use this feature to access the Android UI and connect the Tester to the local wireless network. Connecting to the wireless network you are trying to test will also give you a Throughput Speed readout in the upper right part of the display. CHANGE DATE AND TIME You want to do this as soon as you initially set up your Tester. COMPANY INFO This is your own business information. You can manage your Technician list and selection here.
WiFi Hound 101 Training Access Point (AP) Label Refresh Rate Note that the waveforms are LIVE, and are not related to the AP Label Refresh Rate selection. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training FREQUENCY Select between 2.4GHz (802.11 b/g/n/Zigbee) and 5GHz (802.11 n/ac) frequencies. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training The Channel Width selection is designed to help narrow the viewing range and make it easier for you to troubleshoot saturated wireless environments. You will not see the impact of your selection until you select the next option in the Frequency View Range filter. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training Notice that when you now go into the Frequency View Range, it lists the Zigbee channels. If you had selected b or g, for example, then the corresponding North American channels referring to 802.11b or 802.11g (Channels 1-11) would show instead. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training After you are done using the filter, you can then reselect the Frequency View Range filter and change it back to All Channels to change back to the full, unfiltered view. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training TROUBLESHOOTING NOTE For efficiency and channel management, it is usually best to utilize 20MHz-wide channels for 802.11/b/g/n routers, and either 20MHz-wide or 40MHz-wide channels for 802.11ac routers. Very few commercially available products (i.e., phones and tablets) are capable of taking advantage of bonded channels in either the 2.4GHz spectrum or the 5GHz spectrum.
WiFi Hound 101 Training If you had selected 80MHz on the prior option, then you would see the above list of channels. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training Applying the filter to see Channel 122, which is an 80MHz-wide channel in the 5GHz part of the wireless spectrum. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training RECEIVED SIGNAL STRENGTH INDICATOR (RSSI) VIEW RANGE This filter controls the RSSI range that is displayed. A couple notes on this feature: 1. Selecting “Reset” will set the Tester to the maximum dBm of that specific Tester. Due to variances in tolerance, this number may differ slightly from Tester to Tester. 2. The Range as shown is -100.27 “Start” and -4.22 “Stop”. WiFi signals are rated on strength in dBm.
WiFi Hound 101 Training Adjusting the noise floor (i.e., Start number) can help you focus on only those things that have a strong enough signal to potentially cause interference with the wireless network you are troubleshooting. In the above example, you may be troubleshooting the JewellWireless network, but the interference from machinery (i.e.
WiFi Hound 101 Training When to use the MAC ADDRESS option When working in a campus environment, there will often be multiple Access Points (APs) that are broadcasting the same SSID. (Imagine being at The Hotel LaGrande, and there is WiFi throughout the enormous, 20-story building. This hotel could have a hundred APs, and all those APs would be broadcasting just one SSID – LaGrande_WiFi.
WiFi Hound 101 Training Interference Filters will help you to see your target AP even in a heavily saturated wireless environment. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training Deselect the Access Point to reset the filter. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training While the Real Wave view will show you everything that is happening in the Wireless Environment (including signals that are in the area that are not created by wireless routers), the Service Set Identifier (SSID) Table will only give you a list of the wireless networks in the area. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training When many people think about troubleshooting wireless networks, they usually think about a free app on their cell phone that gives them signal strength data and a list of the wireless networks and the channels that are in use, similar to the table shown above. However, do not mistake SIGNAL STRENGTH for SIGNAL QUALITY. And this distinction is where you need a professional Spectrum Analyzer like the WiFi HoundTM in order to properly troubleshoot a wireless environment.
WiFi Hound 101 Training Click CAPTURE and then select from the drop-down menu. Here, the Snapshot feature is shown. A Snapshot will take a screen capture of the entire screen. Be sure to add a Note right after you take a Snapshot, detailing • Where you were located in the client’s facility when you took the Snapshot; • What you saw that was of concern to you, and why it is important; and • Any recommendations you have for addressing the problem(s).
WiFi Hound 101 Training You can record video of the screen by pressing the VIDEO button, then click START NOW. The VIDEO button will turn green while the video is recording. When you want to end the recording, simply press the VIDEO button again. Due to file sizes, you may not be able to send video via email off the Tester. In that case, you should use the Micro USB plug on the left side of the Tester, and connect the Tester to a Windows computer to access the on-board files and copy them.
WiFi Hound 101 Training Data Logging currently creates a .csv file that must be interpreted. Future releases of the WiFi Hound software will include a simplified visual timeline instead, so be sure to register your Tester in order to receive the software update! www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training As mentioned before, we recommend that you add a Note after you capture each piece of information (e.g., after each snapshot or video) about what you are seeing and where you are in the client’s facility. For example, “Far left corner by window [always work clockwise in a room], notice the 6 competing APs and interference from the neighboring restaurant’s microwave ovens.” www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training Select Reports > then choose your next step. If you are creating a new report, select COMPILE. If you have already created a report, or want to watch video, go to REVIEW. If you want to email an existing file to your client, select SEND (email must be set up on the Tester, and you must be connected to the internet to send email). www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training Remember – the pre-filled information on this report is controlled at SETTINGS, so it is very important that you input your company information, and the client’s information accurately. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training Highlight each file you want to add and press SELECT. (Note—you can’t add video here). www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training If you want to change the order of the image or text files, you can press the text or image file and hold it until you see a “fly out” image, and then just drag it where you want to place it in the report. (Note – you cannot modify the position of the headers.) www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training You can either email your files, or connect a computer to the WiFi Hound using the Micro USB port on the left side. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training If multiple technicians will be sharing one WiFi Hound, you should set up a single email address that can be used by all of your technicians when emailing completed site surveys. For example, you may want to have your IT department create a dedicated “WiFi_Survey@MyAwesomeCo.com” email for simplicity. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training Follow the instructions above to access the files on the WiFi Hound and back up your client data. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training The above graphic shows the Channel Allocation for the 2.4GHz part of the WiFi spectrum. You are likely already familiar with Channels 1-11 if you are trying to troubleshoot a wireless network. A few key things to keep in mind when you are troubleshooting: Always start with Channel Management Due to the widespread adoption and use of wireless networks, saturation in the wireless environment is a common problem now.
WiFi Hound 101 Training Picture a 15-lane highway with 3 trucks, side-by-side, that are hauling airplanes (continued) Now imagine that the truck driver in Lane 1 (aka, Channel 1) can only see other trucks and their cargo if the other truck is also in Lane 1. If the other truck is in Lane 2, the truck driver in Lane 1 won’t even know they are there and may accidentally crash into it. This is how a wireless network functions on 2.4 GHz.
WiFi Hound 101 Training Example Channel and Power Management in a Strip Mall Assuming Bays 114-106 are one open space since they are delineated with dotted lines, and assuming that Bays 104, 102, 100, and 90 are separate retail stores, and assuming no additional interior walls, this is an example of how you might allocate the channels in this location if, for example, your client was in Bay 104. How many Access Points would be needed is entirely dependent on the location and any mitigating factors (e.g.
WiFi Hound 101 Training 5GHz does not have the same issue with channels as the 2.4GHz spectrum has insofar as NetworkA on Channel 36 will be able to negotiate with NetworkB on Channel 38 for airtime. However, it is important to note that 5GHz does contain Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) channels, which are also used by radar systems. There is a good explanation regarding DFS channels on the TPLink website: https://www.tp-link.com/us/faq-763.html. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training • • • Take time to learn how to recognize specific waveforms (e.g., Bluetooth is tall and skinny, APs are a gradual mountain, and other stuff is sometimes just naturally occurring or not identifiable, etc.). Walking the Floor – You can use the WiFi Hound to try to find the Point of Origin of a signal by walking the area methodically with the Tester. The closer you get to the source, the taller the waveform will be.
WiFi Hound 101 Training Tall, skinny waveforms are typically (but not always!) originating from a Bluetooth-enabled piece of equipment, like a phone, tablet, or IoT product. Zigbee uses slightly wider channels than Bluetooth. Don’t get bogged down in identifying every little wave you see in the spectrum, just know that these exist in the wireless environment and you may or may not be able to either isolate the point of origin or stop the offending signal. www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training www.Triplett.
WiFi Hound 101 Training The WiFi HoundTM complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules.
WiFi Hound 101 Training WARRANTY AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT Triplett / Jewell Instruments extends the following warranty to the original purchaser of these goods for use. Triplett warrants to the original purchaser for use that the products sold by it will be free from defects in workmanship and material for a period of (1) one year from the date of purchase.
