NetAlly Launches First Integrated Bluetooth/BLE Site Survey Solution with New Software for EtherScope® nXG Portable Network Analyzer

Users can now conduct simultaneous active and passive Wi-Fi surveys, Bluetooth/BLE surveys, network topology discovery, and network analysis, all on a single site walkthrough

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NetAlly is announcing the availability of the EtherScope nXG v1.5 software with Bluetooth and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) site survey capability as part of its AirMapper™ Site Survey Ecosystem of products.

Bluetooth is the second most popular wireless technology in the world, used for many applications from indoor location services to IoT device connectivity. But to this point, there were no solutions in the market to perform location-based surveying and visual heatmapping of Bluetooth beacons. In response to this market need, NetAlly is introducing the first Bluetooth and BLE site survey solution on the market.

James Kahkoska, NetAlly CTO, says, “It’s surprising how many Bluetooth devices are already present in most environments, and with the expansion of location-based services such as way finding and asset tracking, it’s only going to increase. But deployment is a very manual process, prone to configuration errors.”

The new functionality will allow EtherScope nXG users to perform a passive Bluetooth or BLE site survey using the AirMapper app and internal radio, thus providing full visibility into Bluetooth network coverage and performance through the company’s Link-Live Cloud Service. It will also allow users to perform both Wi-Fi (active and passive) and Bluetooth surveys on the same walkthrough, making it quick and easy to validate Wi-Fi network performance while at the same time validating indoor location services or IoT deployments, as well as possible 2.4GHz Wi-Fi interference caused by Bluetooth co-existence in the same band.

“Being able to observe coverage or reach of individual beacons and quickly spot mis-provisioned beacons is a huge step forward for organizations utilizing Bluetooth technology,” says George Stefanick, Mobility Solutions Architect at Active Expert. “As a wireless consultancy, we have seen wayfinding and asset tracking expanding across healthcare. If you’ve been doing anything with Bluetooth beacon deployments, there’s been nothing out there to help in a small form factor – until now.”

The NetAlly AirMapper Site Survey app on EtherScope nXG collects data from the three main beacon types: Eddystone UID, Eddystone URL, and iBeacon. Measured RSSI data from all observed beacons is displayed in a visual heatmap in the company’s free Link-Live Cloud Service. An accompanying data table contains all location-specific details such as beacon type, RSSI, Tx power, class name, services, beacon ID numbers, and more. This data can be easily and quickly filtered, sorted, and included in reports similar to Wi-Fi surveys.

Stefanick continues, “To be able to walk a facility once, and gather all that information is an incredible time-saver. I can’t think of any other solution that provides this kind of network visibility, all in the palm of your hand.”

This software release also includes the previously announced LANBERT™ Media Qualification app and Discovery Difference Analysis in the company’s Link-Live Cloud Service.

For more information about Bluetooth/BLE surveys and the EtherScope nXG Portable Network Expert, please visit https://netally.com/airmapper-site-survey.

About NetAlly
The NetAlly^®  family of network test and analysis solutions has been helping network engineers and technicians better deploy, manage, and maintain today’s complex wired and wireless networks for decades. Since creating the industry’s first handheld network analyzer in 1993, NetAlly continues to set the standard for portable network analysis. With tools that include EtherScope™ nXG, AirMagnet®, LinkRunner^®, LinkSprinter®, AirCheck™, and more. NetAlly simplifies the complexities of network testing, provides instant visibility for efficient problem resolution, and enables seamless collaboration between site personnel and remote experts. To learn more and see how NetAlly helps network professionals get their jobs done fast, visit https://netally.com.

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