Nuts About Nets

Founded in 2005, Nuts About Nets is a leading innovator of low-cost, PC-based, WiFi diagnostic tools used for installing, optimizing and troubleshooting 802.11 wireless networks. The company is located in Redmond, WA -- within shouting distance of Microsoft campus. We continually strive to develop new and easy-to-use tools that professionals and non-professionals alike apply in the real world to gain optimal performance from their wireless networks. Organizations, small companies, WiFi-installers and individuals worldwide rely on our products and solutions for solving wireless problems associated with RF interference. From the introduction of the Sleuth and Invisible Waves series of RF spectrum analyzers to the unique AirHORN series of channel / signal generators, and now the recent addition of IMMI technology and WifiEagle channel analyzers and WifiBuilder diagnostic APs, Nuts About Nets has demonstrated a track record of creative solutions for helping solve interference-related wireless problems.

Our first product was the AirSleuth line of low-cost, 2.4 GHz spectrum analyzers -- which was very well received. Not only did it break ground in providing a low-cost alternative to proprietary hardware spectrum analyzers that cost many thousands of dollars, it also introduced unique features that were not available in any other product -- such as channel-centric views of the data, use of a proprietary algorithm and heuristics to compute the "Best Channel", plus a variety of different graphical views of the data. Next came AirHORN -- sort of by accident. We and others use a variety of 2.4x GHz and 5.x GHz antennas and there were no simple, inexpensive tools available for use in comparing differences in antenna performance. An RF signal generator is handy, but the bandwidth of the transmission is so narrow compared to an 802.11 channel that it doesn't provide a true picture of how an antenna will perform in a WiFi environment. So, AirHORN was born. Turns out AirHORN is also useful for other tasks -- e.g. as a source for aligning directional antennas and as a diagnostic tool for detecting "dead spots" in a WiFi environment. Next came Invisible Waves. We combined forces with Kaltman Creations who has many years experience with high-end audio equipment, professional audio engineering and RF analyzers. Invisible Waves is unique in the PC world as a broadband spectrum RF analyzer -- it includes features well-suited for wireless audio production, AV integration and general commercial and industrial RF work. And now the recent inclusion of IMMI technology in our latest product releases -- WifiEagle channel analyzers and the WifiBuilder diagnostic AP. By virtue of the fact an 802.11 channel analyzer sees the RF world through the eyes of an 802.11 device, then the diagnostic information it provides is a better predictor of the performance you can expect from your own 802.11 hardware. In addition to the products we develop for sale, we also create diagnostic tools that are freely distributed. NetSurveyor and NetStress are among the most popular networking tools downloaded from the web. They are excellent for use in troubleshooting WiFi networks and benchmarking performance.

Our experience in technology includes many years of installing both wired and wireless computer networks, application and embedded systems programming, integrating hardware and software products, data acquisition and analysis in medical research, and technical writing and publication. Today we’re focused on combining those skills to create low-cost tools we all can use to help solve real-world, RF-related problems.