Wi-Fi: Tools To Detect Interference

Q: What tools should I use to detect interference to my Wi-Fi system?

A:Wi-Fi interference can be a nightmare, resulting in dropped connections, lowered bandwidth, unpredictable performance, and a host of other problems.Finding it with a spectrum analyzer is incredibly easy, but in most cases not financially practical.

Most IT departments don't need to spend five figures on a true radio frequency (RF) spectrum analyzer. The best bet is to create the device that wedubbed the IT Wi-Fi Tool (ITWiT). We make the ITWiT from surplus components and inexpensive off-the-shelf products. Assuming you're seeing interferencein the 2.4GHz band (channels 1-14), the parts list is:

The ITWiT makes finding interference sources a breeze. You simply fire up the device, start the software, and follow the software indicators untilyou're literally standing next to the interference source.