Wireless technology has brought us numerous advantages. With so many people using wireless, the increase in traffic over the air also poses more challenges for managing the traffic and preventing interference. Interference causes issues in data transfer rates, reliability, and network performance which can lead to frustration, increased in operations costs, and even safety in some instances.
Interference Hunting is the process of locating, identifying, and removing unwanted interference sources that degrade wireless reception on the receiver side. As more devices and users are included in the limited RF spectrum, it becomes more difficult to mitigate the effects of interference.
Sources of Interference
- Low-quality electronics that transmit harmonics or radiate spurs into restricted frequency bands
- Legacy devices transmitting in newly restricted frequency bands
- Illegally imported products such as wireless home telephones or repeaters
- Radiation from long cable television runs when the cable insulation breaks down over time
- Poorly planned networks that illegally radiate across international boarders
- Loose nails and cables, sheet metal, rusty bolts, etc. that cause passive intermodulation (PIM)
Interference is going to be inevitable in the ever-expanding world of wireless. To maintain the integrity of networks, owners will have to be able to quickly and accurately observe, identify, and hunt interference. Anritsu’s Field Master Pro™ MS2090A handheld spectrum analyzer has the most comprehensive and powerful set of interference hunting tools making it the ideal instrument for detecting and eliminating interference in any network.
Read the full Field Master Pro MS2090A Product Brief. Click the button below to download.