Service assurance and cyber security solutions company NETSCOUT SYSTEMS has launched the next generation of the AirCheck handheld wireless tester. The tool is available through NETSCOUT’s recently launched CONNECT360 global channel partner program and includes important new enhancements, such as troubleshooting and diagnosing WiFi networks built using the increasingly adopted 802.11ac standard, access point back-haul testing and free access to the Link-Live Cloud dashboard for more effective results management.

“NETSCOUT is very excited to be releasing the AirCheck G2, which arms technicians with easy-to-understand insights to 802.11ac wireless networks that help reduce costly escalations,” said NETSCOUT chief operating officer Michael Szabados.

“The AirCheck G2 sports a sleek new look designed with the same quality engineering our customers and the marketplace have come to trust. NETSCOUT is a firm believer that wireless network edge technologies, such as 802.11ac, will play a pivotal role in the evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) and other industries that require ubiquitous reach and mobility. NETSCOUT’s value proposition has been anchored around helping customers gain the real-time operational intelligence and insight necessary to ensure a high-quality end-user experience and this new tool embodies this focus by providing front-line technicians with the capability to effectively troubleshoot issues that can impact WiFi network performance.”

The NETSCOUT AirCheck G2 wireless tester is a powerful tool designed to enable front-line IT to quickly and easily identify issues responsible for spotty connections, dead zones, and slow speeds, as well as locating rogue access points and unauthorised devices. This functionality is ideal to support installation and troubleshooting of IoT wireless edge infrastructure for applications, such as the testing of the wireless infrastructure that supports patient monitoring for healthcare, industrial IoT, personalised and immersive experiences for retail, smart buildings and smart homes.

This easy-to-use handheld tester provides technicians with a broader range of detailed insights into the wireless network than is currently available using freeware applications or other commercially available software packages. The AirCheck G2 comes with free access to a Link-Live Cloud Service, a centralised management, collaboration and archival workspace for network connectivity test results. Link-Live provides greater job visibility, project control and fleet management for larger distributed environments and also works with the LinkSprinter and LinkRunner AT.

New AirCheck G2 enhancements include a 5″ touch screen display for improved ease-of-use and Ethernet tests for AP backhaul verification.