AirMagnet Survey PRO vs Observer GigaStor comparison

NetAlly and Viavi Solutions are both solutions in the Network Troubleshooting category. NetAlly is ranked #6 with an average rating of 6.5, while Viavi Solutions is ranked #14. NetAlly holds a 8.9% mindshare in NT, compared to Viavi Solutions’s 3.2% mindshare. Additionally, 86% of NetAlly users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Viavi Solutions users who would recommend it.

AirMagnet Survey PRO

Read 39 AirMagnet Survey PRO reviews

3,397 Views
577 Comparison Views

86% willing to recommend

Observer GigaStor

Read 7 Observer GigaStor reviews

964 Views
145 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

AirMagnet Survey PRO

Observer GigaStor

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 14, 2025

AirMagnet Survey PRO and Observer GigaStor are competitors in the network performance and monitoring space. Observer GigaStor may have the upper hand due to its deeper data analytics capabilities.

Features: AirMagnet Survey PRO is known for wireless network planning and surveying, offering precise heatmaps, powerful spectrum analysis, and support for active and passive surveys. Observer GigaStor is notable for network traffic analysis, retrospective network forensic functionality, and the ability to capture and analyze packets over long periods.

Room for Improvement: AirMagnet Survey PRO could improve by expanding adapter support, enhancing user interface aesthetics, and increasing integration options with other network tools. Observer GigaStor could benefit from streamlining its complex deployment process, reducing resource consumption during heavy data analysis, and improving the clarity of its user reports.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: AirMagnet Survey PRO is recognized for simple deployment and responsive customer service, focusing on facilitating the installation process. Observer GigaStor requires a more complex setup due to its comprehensive features but offers in-depth technical support to assist with the intricate deployment.

Pricing and ROI: AirMagnet Survey PRO typically presents a lower initial setup cost, making it attractive for budget-conscious buyers and facilitating quick wireless coverage optimization. Observer GigaStor, while having a higher setup cost, targets enterprises that value long-term data insights and analytics, justifying the expense by providing substantial ROI through enhanced network visibility and troubleshooting capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed AirMagnet Survey PRO vs. Observer GigaStor Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

AirMagnet Survey PRO vs. Observer GigaStor

December 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

AirMagnet Survey PRO

Ranking in Network Troubleshooting

6th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Modeling and Simulation (2nd)

Observer GigaStor

Ranking in Network Troubleshooting

14th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (89th), Network Packet Broker (NPB) (11th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Network Troubleshooting category, the mindshare of AirMagnet Survey PRO is 8.9%, up from 6.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Observer GigaStor is 3.2%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Troubleshooting Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
AirMagnet Survey PRO	8.9%
Observer GigaStor	3.2%
Other	87.9%

Network Troubleshooting

Featured Reviews

Mark Witherspoon

Wireless Services Manager at Veritas Managed Solutions

A solution for site verifications and enhanced with adapters that provide more realistic readings, but needs to support Wi-Fi 6E

Ekahau and AirMagnet Survey have their own pros and cons, in my opinion. For example, the APs are not visible in Ekahau but AirMagnet Survey allows us to see what APs and channels are being used in a live view, which Ekahau lacks. In Ekahau, the signal from the AP it's capturing at that time is visible which is a bit of an inconvenience. The predictive planner of AirMagnet's is better. However, Ekahau has advantages over AirMagnet because it groups all the SSIDs into one AP, whereas with AirMagnet, one needs to group them manually. Ekahau also supports Wi-Fi 6E, but its licensing is restrictive and more costly.

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Jeroen-Dubbelman

Director at Bitrate

Aids significantly in the threat-hunting process and provides a score-based evaluation of user experience

There are many valuable features, but understanding end-user response times stands out. It provides a score-based evaluation of user experience, helping customers quickly pinpoint whether issues originate from the network, server, client, or application. Additionally, it facilitates in-depth analysis of application dependencies. The retrospective network analysis capability of Observer GigaStor has been beneficial. It's a pivotal feature for network performance solutions. However, I prefer to consider the entire solution suite - GigaStor, along with GigaFlow and Apex - for comprehensive network visibility and monitoring. So, I prefer to integrate all three solutions to provide the best visibility. They complement each other well, with Apex aggregating and correlating data from both GigaStor and GigaFlow to enhance environmental understanding and troubleshooting efficiency.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Customer service is great."

"The AirMagnet Survey allows you to see the list of APs in the live view. It only supports certain adapters, which can be limiting, but it's also beneficial because these adapters are more comparable to real-life devices like laptops. With Ekahau, Sidekick needs to be used for full features, but I find the Sidekick too strong, which can hamper results. Therefore, I prefer AirMagnet's approach because the adapters provide more realistic readings."

"The most valuable feature is the predictive survey. The antennas' RF patterns are reflected correctly on the drawing when preparing predictive heat maps."

"It allows us to prepare more real designs. Later, we validate them with actual surveys."

"Clear and easy to use maps."

"Using the products to ensure the safety of our equipment that we have a lot invested in."

"I would like to rate the product as eight of ten."

"The benefit is with the ease of use of the software, I am able to show the customer, "Here is what your wireless coverage looks like." It is set up in a fashion that non-technical people can understand it."

More AirMagnet Survey PRO pros

"This solution allows us to see exactly what is going on in the network and we can very quickly solve issues with users."

"It's able to capture packets and, after a long time, you can come and use that information; to check, to analyze - everything you would want to do. So it's very good and helpful if you want to protect your data. It is stored in a certain place where you can access it every time you want to analyze it."

"There are many valuable features, but understanding end-user response times stands out. It provides a score-based evaluation of user experience, helping customers quickly pinpoint whether issues originate from the network, server, client, or application. Additionally, it facilitates in-depth analysis of application dependencies."

"I also have the ability to see an application's performance, to see what's going on, why a network is slow, why this program for this user is experiencing a delay or some network issue"

"The ability to capture packets. It is not only for monitoring. That is very important for a company that wants to keep an eye on the packets, the transactions, the flows..."

"It can help to write your rules, organize firewalls, your block, and also your protocols and IP address to come in or out of your network."

Cons

"AirMagnet Survey needs to support Wi-Fi 6E otherwise they can lose to the competition. They also need to allow better grouping of SSIDs to one AP, removing the need to filter manually. At the moment, you can filter by channel or SSID, but grouping all those SSIDs together is a difficult task."

"But it's definitely a more expensive solution than other ones."

"When you conduct an active survey and then want to use it for design work, it's actually not very useful."

"Printouts are JPEG printouts. The AirMagnet software is proprietary. I can't send my customers a file, because it is AirMagnet file, even for building projects. I can only send JPEGs or screenshots of heat maps."

"The user interface needs a lot of improvement. The auto-placement of access points is not accurate."

"The throughput should be more advanced in the future. They need to add more versions of WiFi than just one."

"I would say some of our newer techs that are going out to job sites can be a little bit intimidated by the interface."

"Less time consumed doing the real surveys."

More AirMagnet Survey PRO cons

"Graphics need improvement. Because a lot of the information there you have to input first in some case to have full potential. It could be more automated."

"Maybe the graphical user interface could be simplified to allow people to use it more easily. It's already good, but they can work more on it to make it even easier."

"I would like to have more than 4TB of storage available in the portable version of this solution."

"GigaStor feeds into Apex. So, the area where there could be improvement would be in artificial intelligence. For example, the incorporation of more advanced machine learning or AI capabilities could enhance its functionality."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool's pricing is medium."

"This product is very expensive."

"The licensing of AirMagnet Survey is different when compared to Ekahu. It is a third of the cost of Ekahau but there are no dedicated laptops to the Sidekick. AirMagnet allows you to license an adapter and share that adapter."

"For technical support, you need an annual license, but it is not worth it."

"The moment we began needing more of the vendor's support, the cost became very high; we switched to another solution."

"There is an annual cost of the solution. There are some additional charges, such as support and maintenance."

"The pricing needs improvement."

"It's quite expensive."

"It depends on the requirements you have. There are three types of license. There's the updates license, the work group license, and the workstation license."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	21
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	10

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about AirMagnet Survey?

We use the solution for Wi-Fi and networks.

See all answers

What needs improvement with AirMagnet Survey?

AirMagnet Survey needs to support Wi-Fi 6E otherwise they can lose to the competition. They also need to allow better grouping of SSIDs to one AP, removing the need to filter manually. At the momen...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for AirMagnet Survey?

We use AirMagnet Survey, for site verifications after the wireless system has been installed. We conduct pre and post-install surveys with it. We have reduced the use since now our customers requir...

See all answers

What do you like most about Observer GigaStor?

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Observer GigaStor?

I would rate the pricing a ten out of ten. It's quite expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Observer GigaStor?

GigaStor feeds into Apex. So, the area where there could be improvement would be in artificial intelligence. For example, the incorporation of more advanced machine learning or AI capabilities coul...

See all answers

Comparisons

Ekahau AI Pro vs AirMagnet Survey PRO

Compared 47% of the time

iBwave Unity vs AirMagnet Survey PRO

Compared 7% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs AirMagnet Survey PRO

Compared 6% of the time

AirCheck G3 vs AirMagnet Survey PRO

Compared 6% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs AirMagnet Survey PRO

Compared 6% of the time

More AirMagnet Survey PRO Competitors

Wireshark vs Observer GigaStor

Compared 16% of the time

Gigamon Deep Observability Pipeline vs Observer GigaStor

Compared 14% of the time

Viavi Observer Platform vs Observer GigaStor

Compared 10% of the time

Fortinet FortiSIEM vs Observer GigaStor

Compared 8% of the time

AppNeta by Broadcom vs Observer GigaStor

Compared 8% of the time

More Observer GigaStor Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

AirMagnet Survey PRO

January 2026

Download AirMagnet Survey PRO product report

Buyer's Guide

Observer GigaStor

January 2026

Download Observer GigaStor product report

Overview

AirMagnet Survey PRO provides efficient wireless network surveying and design capabilities, optimizing access point placement with dual passive-active surveys, spectrum integration, and real-time analysis.

AirMagnet Survey PRO offers comprehensive tools for wireless coverage optimization. It facilitates accurate SNR/RSSI data collection and features multi-floor planning with robust reporting capabilities. The software enables efficient spectrum analysis, predictive mapping, and simultaneous 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz surveys, saving significant time. Users appreciate its intuitive interface, which aids technical assessments and visual displays. However, they suggest improvements in multi-floor integration, file import options, and a more dynamic license system. Enhanced cloud storage support, improved auto-placement features, and better device compatibility are also on the wishlist.

What are the key features of AirMagnet Survey PRO?

Dual Passive-Active Surveys: Streamline access point placement with dual survey types.
Antenna Customization: Tailor antenna parameters for optimal performance.
Predictive Mapping: Visualize potential coverage areas before deployment.
Spectrum Integration: Analyze interference and optimize signal paths.
Simultaneous 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Surveys: Conduct faster, comprehensive surveys across frequency bands.

What benefits should users look for in reviews of AirMagnet Survey PRO?

Accurate Data Collection: Highly precise SNR/RSSI measurements improve network assessments.
Time Efficiency: Reduce survey duration with dual-band simultaneous assessments.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies complex tasks with intuitive visual tools.
Comprehensive Reporting: Offers detailed analysis and insights into network performance.
Cost Savings: Efficient planning and troubleshooting lead to reduced deployment costs.

In industries like hospitality, education, and healthcare, AirMagnet Survey PRO is instrumental in wireless network surveying and design. These sectors rely on the software for precise Wi-Fi coverage assessments, spectrum analysis, and real-time signal checks, using heat maps to identify dead zones for pre and post-installation verifications. Some opt for alternatives to support newer technologies like Wi-Fi 6E.

NetAlly

Observer GigaStor is a network analysis tool that comes in a variety of form factors, including rack mount, portable, and virtual. Capable of storing up to a petabyte of traffic for later analysis, GigaStor helps ensure optimal network and application performance.

Viavi Solutions

Sample Customers

Houston Methodist Hospital, Love's Travel Stops

Cisco Systems, Hawaiian Telecom, Renown Health, State of Nevada, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Allstate Insurance, Jack Henry & Associates, United States Airforce, US Bank, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Chicago Board Options Exchange

Buyer's Guide

AirMagnet Survey PRO vs. Observer GigaStor

December 2025

Free Report: AirMagnet Survey PRO vs. Observer GigaStor

Find out what your peers are saying about AirMagnet Survey PRO vs. Observer GigaStor and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

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