I spent a few minutes today with one component of the Cognio
Intelligent Spectrum Management System. Built for a laptop computer and PC-card slot, this software/hardware
combination works to turn your laptop into a professional wireless reconnaissance platform. Known to RF engineers as a
"spectrum analyzer" this product is so much more. It not only tracks and displays radio signals in the area, it also
provides clues as to what might be causing interference from a built-in knowledge base. And used as part of the larger
enterprise system, it can work with remote devices over the Internet, potentially analyzing the airwaves from across
the globe. 
Complete Spectrum Analyzer system running on a Windows XP laptop
Click the link to continue reading and for more photos.
The base for this multi-band wireless spectrum analyzer is the “ISMS Mobile Cardbus Adapter”. This name seems too
simplistic a title for this amazing PCMCIA Cardbus-compatible hardware device. The PC-Card plugs into your laptop and
becomes the interface between the powerful Cognio software and the physical world of radio frequency energy across the
2.4 - 2.5 and 4.9 - 5.9 GHz bands.
The product is geared towards the casual spectrum management person, that is, the computer guy charged with keeping a
WLAN running. So the software uses a lot of useful tricks and tips to help someone manage a wireless network,
including a database of radio signatures or “fingerprints” of typical interference sources. In just 30 minutes of
testing, I came across a bluetooth source, a microwave oven, a cordless phone, and one “continuous transmission” source
that wasn’t identified specifically, but was noted as being below Channel 1, so it wasn’t a problem.
The scanner is not for lightweights. At a list price of $3995 this is for WLAN site operators and IT
departments with a real need for wireless analysis tools. WLAN outages can cost thousands in lost productivity. So, it
could pay off for companies with just a handful of wireless users.
Watch for more as I find new ways to incorporate the Cognio ISMS Spectrum Analyzer into the lab.
The sensor card sports an internal antenna, but we like external antennas.
List of interference sources.
Microwave noise crushes channel 6 (white) while Bluetooth spans the entire spectrum (red and yellow).
Tracking down a cordless phone, the device finder allows quick saves of signal strength.
UPDATE: Corrected product pricing information. I had estimated ”$2500 (give or take)”, correct price is US$3995.
1. Your very first link is password protected.
Posted at 5:25AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Brent