Mesh networking is gaining popularity as organizations look to improve coverage at minimal cost. Mesh networking, based on IEEE 802.11s, has been in existence for some 10 years but new interest has ignited a need for test. To that end, octoScope has added synchroSniffer packet probe capture and analysis to its suite of test applications that run in its wireless test systems, based on the octoBox over-the-air (OTA) test system.

With a Wi-Fi mesh network based on IEEE 802.11s, a home or office can easily have several nodes and several user devices on the network. The new features let you see how well a Wi-Fi mesh network hands off users among nodes.

The octoBox uses one or more Pal devices to communicate with and test wireless devices such as smartphones, routers, and IoT devices. Pal units control the signal frequency (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and power to antennas inside the octoBox that emulate wireless signals. Pal units attenuate signals received from a DUT to emulate distance from a node.