Using AirMagnet’s VoFi Analyzer PRO 3.0, IT managers have unprecedented visibility of all phases of voice traffic in Voice-Over-Wireless LAN (VoWLAN) systems, greatly simplifying both deployment and troubleshooting. The capabilities provided by this software not only reduce the logistical burden of VoWLAN, but also enable the realization of its full potential as a robust voice-communications network.

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The basic philosophy behind the analyzer is to provide the IT manager with an analysis-friendly portal (see the figure) with which to view the data stream of a call over all three components of the VoWLAN system: the enterprise network, the wireless link, and the phone itself. According to Wade Williamson, director of product management for AirMagnet, this “air, phone and wire” approach combined with graphical presentations of real-time and historic call data, provide a dramatic improvement in the understanding of voice traffic as it traverses a wireless network.

On the enterprise network, the analyzer integrates with Cisco’s Call Manager and Vocera servers to provide a network perspective on the connection. This analysis of both endpoints and the traffic between them allows users of the analyzer to quickly understand and correct enterprise VoWLAN connection issues.

To monitor the wireless link, the analyzer directly samples wireless voice traffic, delivering an unbiased, third-party perspective on the quality between a given phone and the wireless infrastructure. It also gives a simultaneous view into both sides of the call (from the access point  (AP) to the phone, and from the phone to the access point).

To gain insight into the wireless connection quality at the phone itself, the analyzer integrates with supported Spectralink phones to collect Syslog messages generated by these devices. The specific phones supported are Spectralink’s Netlink 8000 series, which have a similar form factor to traditional cellular handsets.

Figure: The VoFi Call Overview screen, one of many available in VoFi Analyzer PRO 3.0, provides a color-coded overview of all calls on the network in terms of call quality.

The 3.0 version also accommodates sophisticated scenarios outside a single stationary routine point-to-point call. For example, the 3.0 version allows IT managers to identify call problems and generate mean opinion scores (MOS), even on encrypted networks. It also offers comprehensive call-roaming analysis.