Meru software offers virtual tour of wireless networks

Wireless LAN vendor Meru has announced a network management software package that provides users with a three-dimensional representation of their LANs that they can “walk through” virtually. Meru Wireless Virtual Reality displays areas of weak and strong coverage and floor-to-floor WLAN interactions that are impossible to represent with two-dimensional software, the company says. Users upload floor plans, enter floor and building locations, and drag-and-drop access points onto the map. The virtual reality engine then creates a 3-D walkthrough that shows the properties of wireless coverage from any position or angle, the company says. Wireless Virtual Reality also incorporate a “dipstick” to monitor signal strength in areas of the deployment — for example, high-ceilinged rooms or basements — where monitoring with a laptop might be impractical. Wireless Virtual Reality works only with Meru’s E(z)RF network management suite; it will be available in August for a price of US$9,995.