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WiFi Hound

TM

 User Manual 

17

www.Triplett.com

You can record video of the screen by pressing the VIDEO button, then click START NOW. The VIDEO button will turn 
green while the video is recording. When you want to end the recording, simply press the VIDEO button again.

Due to file sizes, you may not be able to send video via email off the Tester. In that case, you should use the Micro USB 
plug on the left side of the Tester, and connect the Tester to a Windows computer to access the on-board files and copy 
them. To free up memory and maintain optimal performance, be sure to delete the files from the Tester if you do not 
need to keep them on the Tester for future reference.

 

Data Logging currently creates a .csv file that must be interpreted. Future releases of the WiFi Hound software will 
include a simplified visual timeline instead, so be sure to register your Tester in order to receive the software update!

Summary of Contents for WiFi Hound

Page 1: ...USER MANUAL WiFi HoundTM P N UM WFHOUND 05 2019 ...

Page 2: ...e moisture as product damage may occur Do not expose or use the product in dusty or highly particulate environments Avoid dropping the product or subjecting it to physical shock or high vibrations Avoid leaving the product unattended while recharging it Charging time should not exceed 8 hours If the battery becomes hot disconnect power immediately Do not use the product in an environment containin...

Page 3: ...3 Left Side of the User Interface 9 4 3 1 Access Point AP Label Refresh Rate 9 4 3 2 Frequency Selector 9 4 3 3 Selecting the Channel Width 10 4 3 4 Selecting the Channel in Frequency View Range 10 4 3 5 RSSI View Range 13 4 3 6 Real Wave Label Options 14 4 3 7 Interference Filters 14 4 3 8 SSID Table 15 4 4 Capturing Information to Create Reports 16 4 5 Create and Review Reports 18 4 6 Sending Re...

Page 4: ......

Page 5: ...ss of what is creating the signal You will often see free apps people use on their smartphone or tablet that show other Access Points that are broadcasting in the area The picture below is an example of one of those Apps However those Apps are not able to show EVERYTHING ELSE in the spectrum and it s all that other stuff that is often causing problems This is the fundamental difference between tho...

Page 6: ...r interface Be sure to keep the screen clean You can wipe it with a dry cloth or use a touch screen approved mild cleaner It is a capacitive touch screen which means that your finger completes the cir cuit Do not touch it with a fingernail or try to press harder to get it to work Pressing hard on the screen will cause irreparable damage which is not covered under warranty If the touch screen is no...

Page 7: ...o a HARD REBOOT of the Tester shown next page and then power it back on being careful to avoid pressing the volume button at the same time 2 4 LEFT SIDE OF TESTER From Top to Bottom Headphone Jack Micro USB Port Use for backing up your client files onto your laptop or clearing old files to free up memory on the Tester You can also use this as a charging port in a pinch Mini HDMI Port Can be used t...

Page 8: ... the Android OS control screen The only way to get out of that screen is to use a paperclip to do a Hard Reboot If you press the power button and see the above screen you are in the correct place Give the Tester a minute to fully boot up This is the WiFi Hound Startup Screen This is the screen you will see once the unit has completed its boot up process Swipe up from the Lock icon to begin using y...

Page 9: ...ation once when you first set up your WiFi Hound To add more Technicians or select a different Technician you can go to Settings Company Info in the Main Screen after you have completed the Initial Setup here Fill in the Initial Setup Information with your Company Name Technician etc This information will pre fill your custom reports so be accurate ...

Page 10: ...rical data on call backs You should put some thought into standardizing a naming convention for you and your technicians so everyone knows exactly how to create Client Names and Client Locations Fill in the initial Client Information If you are just trying out the Tester create a test client that looks sounds professional Note the difference between Client Name and Location Name While you can choo...

Page 11: ...orts directly from the Tester using your generic company email address NOTE as of the time of this training email addresses cannot be technician specific 4 1 3 Battery and Charging Status The lightning bolt indicates the Tester is charging i e the Tester is connected to an AC outlet via the power adapter provided Only use the adapter that comes with the unit as an aftermarket charger may cause pro...

Page 12: ...tion here 4 2 4 Manage Clients This is where you add client information add buildings campus locations etc 4 2 5 Check for Update This will automatically check for an updated version of the WiFi Hound firmware and install it for you You must be con nected to a WiFi network that has internet access for this to work We do not recommend doing firmware updates when on a jobsite A partial download or t...

Page 13: ...ny routers that are broadcasting in the area Leave this set to 10 seconds or longer if you are testing in a highly saturated environment Note that the waveforms are LIVE and are not related to the AP Label Refresh Rate selection 4 3 2 Frequency Selector Select between 2 4GHz 802 11 b g n Zigbee and 5GHz 802 11 n ac frequencies Your selection here will update the Channel Width Frequency View Range ...

Page 14: ...cy you chose you will see specific options in the Channel Width If you chose 2 4GHz you will see all the 802 11 b g n channel width options plus Zigbee which broadcasts on 2 4GHz 4 3 4 Selecting the Channel in Frequency View Range Notice that when you now go into the Frequency View Range it lists the Zigbee channels If you had selected b or g for example then the corresponding North American chann...

Page 15: ...using the filter you can then reselect the Frequency View Range filter and change it back to All Channels which brings you back to the full unfiltered view The photo above shows the 5GHz Channel Width Options Notice that bonded channels are included in your options ...

Page 16: ...e products i e phones and tablets are capable of taking advantage of bonded channels in either the 2 4GHz spectrum or the 5GHz spectrum If you encounter a bonded channel in the field you should question why that person has set up a bonded channel particularly if it is on the 2 4GHz spectrum i e on the 2 4 GHz spectrum bonded channels will interfere with any standard channels it happens to overlap ...

Page 17: ...aving the Stop dBm at whatever the unit s default number is then adjusting the Start number as needed although there may be times when you want to adjust both numbers Whatever you choose must fall within the maximum range of the Tester s hardware or you will see an error message For example you could not select 102 dBm for the Start number on this unit but you could select 99 Adjusting the sensiti...

Page 18: ...adcasting the same SSID Imagine being at The Hotel LaGrande and there is WiFi throughout the enormous 20 story building This hotel could have a hundred APs and all those APs would be broadcasting just one SSID LaGrande_WiFi In order to troubleshoot a specific Access Point you must determine what the MAC Address is of that AP since the MAC Address is the only unique identifier for an Access Point 4...

Page 19: ...en select which filter you would like to apply Deselect the Access Point s to reset the filter 4 3 8 SSID Table While the Real Wave view will show you everything that is happening in the Wireless Environment including signals that are in the area that are not created by wireless routers the Service Set Identifier SSID Table will only give you a list of the wireless networks in the area ...

Page 20: ...stinction is where you need a profes sional Spectrum Analyzer like the WiFi HoundTM in order to properly troubleshoot a wireless environment You can have very strong signal strength but incorrect channel management and or interference which will still cause poor wireless network performance 4 4 Capturing Information to Create Reports Click CAPTURE and then select from the drop down menu Here the S...

Page 21: ...se you should use the Micro USB plug on the left side of the Tester and connect the Tester to a Windows computer to access the on board files and copy them To free up memory and maintain optimal performance be sure to delete the files from the Tester if you do not need to keep them on the Tester for future reference Data Logging currently creates a csv file that must be interpreted Future releases...

Page 22: ...dow always work clockwise in a room notice the 6 competing APs and interference from the neighboring restau rant s microwave ovens 4 5 Create and Review Reports Select Reports then choose your next step If you are creating a new report select COMPILE If you have already created a report or want to watch video go to REVIEW If you want to email an existing file to your client select SEND email must ...

Page 23: ...mation and the client s information accurately Highlight each file you want to add and press SELECT Note you can t add video here If you want to change the order of the image or text files you can press the text or image file and hold it until you see a fly out image and then just drag it where you want to place it in the report Note you cannot modify the position of the headers ...

Page 24: ...ext page for instructions The image above shows the standard Android interface to set up your email If multiple technicians will be sharing one WiFi Hound you should set up a single email address that can be used by all of your technicians when emailing completed site surveys For example you may want to have your IT department create a dedicated WiFi_Survey MyAwesomeCo com email for simplicity ...

Page 25: ...WiFi HoundTM User Manual 21 www Triplett com 4 7 Transferring Files to a Computer Follow the instructions above to access the files on the WiFi Hound and back up your client data ...

Page 26: ...ay you think it should first look at How many competing wireless networks are in the area If all of the competing wireless networks are on non overlapping channels i e Channels 1 6 or 11 If any competing wireless networks are on channels that overlap with the channel your network is on If there are not many wireless networks in the area congratulations You are one of the few people who are experie...

Page 27: ...orks to agree to a building wide channel management program This can be difficult but is often necessary Example Channel and Power Management in a Strip Mall Assuming Bays 114 106 are one open space since they are delineated with dotted lines and assuming that Bays 104 102 100 and 90 are separate retail stores and assuming no additional interior walls this is an example of how you might allocate t...

Page 28: ...annels on the TPLink website https www tp link com us faq 763 html 5 2 Waveforms Take time to learn how to recognize specific waveforms e g Bluetooth is tall and skinny APs are a gradual mountain and other stuff is sometimes just naturally occurring or not identifiable etc Bluetooth channels in the 2 4GHz spectrum co exist and often interfere with regular Wireless Networks Notice the 40 channels f...

Page 29: ...fter the equipment that created it has shut off and 3 certain conditions will allow radio waves to be carried over much longer distances from the source than would be considered normal In either case it is not usually necessary to identify the origin and stop the interference in order to set the client up with a Wireless Network that is stable The answer may simply be We need to move you to a 5GHz...

Page 30: ...u have completed an initial installation or finished the necessary repairs changes on a Trouble Call Show the customer their wireless environment and explain in simple terms what they are looking at Don t let the customer get mired in the What s that And that game There will always be RF that cannot be identified Stay focused on the big picture When you go back a year later pull up your original r...

Page 31: ...idential installation This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual may cause harmful interference to radio com munications However there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception which ...

Page 32: ...NTIES IMPLIED BY LAW ARE HEREBY LIMITED TO A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS FROM DATE OF PURCHASE AND THE PROVISIONS OF THE WARRANTY ARE EXPRESSLY IN LIEU OF ANY OTHER WARRAN TIES EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED The purchaser agrees to assume all liability for any damages and bodily injury which may result from the use or misuse of the product by the purchaser his employees or others and the remedies provided for in ...

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