Wi-Fi tester takes to the field

Sniff and troubleshoot all versions of Wi-Fi on a PC and FieldPal from octoScope.

For years, octoScope has focused on Wi-Fi testing in the lab through its octoScope test chamber and accessories known as “Pals.” The FieldPal, takes octoScope’s Wi-Fi measurements out of the box and into the field. With FieldPal, you can run the octoScope’s software on a Linux-based laptop with an M.2 Wi-Fi card. Thus, you can perform many of the tests performed in the octoBox test bed, plus you can test the performance of Wi-Fi mesh networks.

Acting as a “sniffer,” FieldPal can capture 802.11a,b,g,n,ac signals plus 802.11ax signals, which use OFDMA modulation to improve spectral efficiency. Using subcarriers, OFDMA subdivides a channel’s bandwidth so that each channel can service multiple clients. “Every packet can support up to 37 stations,” said octoScope president Fanny Mlinarsky. “OFDMA has schedulers for each station and it uses dynamic packet-to-packet frequency allocation.”

In addition to sniffing traffic, FieldPal can generate traffic, which lets you see when a connection is lost due to interference or weak signals. You can use FieldPal as an endpoint because it supports octoScope’s multiPerf traffic tool for field testing.