AirMagnet Survey PRO vs Wireshark comparison

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AirMagnet Survey PRO

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 7, 2025

Wireshark and AirMagnet Survey PRO compete in network analysis and wireless site surveys, respectively. AirMagnet Survey PRO seems to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive feature set tailored for wireless environments.

Features: Wireshark is equipped with deep packet inspections, customizable filter creation, and real-time data capturing, ideal for thorough protocol analysis. AirMagnet Survey PRO provides advanced heat mapping, RF spectrum analysis, and the ability to conduct passive and active surveys concurrently, making it indispensable for wireless network planning.

Room for Improvement: Wireshark could benefit from enhanced support for wireless protocol analysis, more intuitive user interface, and expanded customer support options. AirMagnet Survey PRO may improve by supporting a broader range of wireless adapters, reducing setup complexity, and lowering the high licensing costs which can be prohibitive.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Wireshark deploys easily across various platforms due to its open-source nature and enjoys extensive community support. In contrast, AirMagnet Survey PRO requires more initial setup but offers dedicated technical support, simplifying complex survey configurations with professional assistance.

Pricing and ROI: Wireshark appeals to budget-conscious users with its free open-source model, offering strong ROI for those focused on packet-level inspection. In contrast, AirMagnet Survey PRO, priced around $36,000, justifies its higher cost through enhanced wireless capabilities and substantial improvements in network performance and efficiency.

To learn more, read our detailed AirMagnet Survey PRO vs. Wireshark Report (Updated: September 2025).

AirMagnet Survey PRO vs. Wireshark

September 2025

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Helped 871,469 peers since 2012

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

7th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Modeling and Simulation (2nd)

Wireshark

Ranking in Network Troubleshooting

4th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Network Troubleshooting category, the mindshare of AirMagnet Survey PRO is 8.1%, up from 6.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Wireshark is 13.0%, up from 12.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Troubleshooting Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Wireshark	13.0%
AirMagnet Survey PRO	8.1%
Other	78.9%

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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Vijay Duggal

Network Specialist at Squarepoint Capital

Provides detailed traffic analysis and helps troubleshoot issues

There is a disadvantage when it comes to sampling intervals. While the solution supports sampling as fine as one millisecond, it requires a copy at that interval. My Python script allows me to achieve a granularity of up to ten microseconds, but I can't go beyond that. When dealing with provisioning on both issues, it would be beneficial if I could go down to the microsecond level, if not the nanosecond. Additionally, I've heard from a colleague that Wireshark might be less effective in the voice domain.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Clear and easy to use maps."

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

"We use the solution for Wi-Fi and networks."

"It is reliable and easy to use (user-friendly). The heat mapping, passive network surveying, and doing the heat mapping of a building's wireless network allows me to see what level of coverage an area has."

"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 predictive survey is the most valuable feature. I use it quite often."

More AirMagnet Survey PRO pros

"If you're dealing with troubleshooting network, voice issues, or network operations, having a tool like Wireshark to dive into packet details is important. The initial setup is straightforward. Anyone starting out or looking to deploy it on your personal PC or machine can do it easily."

"The most valuable feature is the traffic gate, which shows which IPs are getting more bandwidth or traffic."

"The most valuable feature of Wireshark is the ability to choose a destination of flow that has not been working as expected."

"The options that are required to get the details for the packet drops are good."

"You can use Wireshark to see the traffic packet format, the IP layers, the fields, and the enabled flags."

"It's easy to troubleshoot issues because there's a large online community."

"The solution is easy to install and use."

"The drill-down available for packet analysis is great. It gives a network security engineer insight into what is going on at the packet level and enables better troubleshooting."

More Wireshark pros

Cons

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

"The surveying features are in need of improvement, along with general usability."

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

"Less time consumed doing the real surveys."

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

"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."

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

"It'd be nice if it was cheaper, however, you get value for your money."

More AirMagnet Survey PRO cons

"The initial setup depends upon the basics. You need to have a clear understanding of the basics."

"The product has been using the same GUI for many years."

"I would like better control of bandwidth from the service provider."

"We would like the product to be developed so that it doesn't rely on internet access for installation. We would like to see all of the components required to be integrated into the installer."

"The solution has a steep learning curve. There are so many filters and features that are frequently being updated, it takes research, experience and familiarity to be able to use them. It could be a lot more user-friendly."

"The average person would probably find Wireshark hard to use. When I first installed it, I was overwhelmed by all the data it was shooting out. It doesn't make sense until you start doing some research and figure out what everything means. It isn't the most user-friendly tool. It just provides so much information."

"You need good network connectivity to download during the setup, otherwise, it might take a while."

"Big trace files (more than 1,000,000 packets) can be slow, but then you can use "TraceWrangler" (also free) to help with slicing and dicing the data."

More Wireshark cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

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

"The pricing needs improvement."

"This product is very expensive."

"The tool's pricing is medium."

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

"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."

"We are using a freeware version of this solution, so there are no licence costs involved."

"I am using the free version of this solution."

"I've never personally had to pay for it, making it a highly valuable internet resource that's accessible for use. While they offer some paid versions, our firm has utilized the free version for the past three years."

"It is an open-source solution."

"It's free."

"Wireshark is open-source and free of charge."

"It is free to download and install. It runs on multiple platforms, so how can you go wrong?"

"The solution is open source so is free."

More Wireshark pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Network Troubleshooting solutions are best for your needs.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Government

Retailer

Manufacturing Company

University

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Hospitality Company

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	31
Midsize Enterprise	11
Large Enterprise	27

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about AirMagnet Survey?

We use the solution for Wi-Fi and networks.

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...

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...

What do you like most about Wireshark?

The GUI is easy to use.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Wireshark?

Wireshark is priced at a medium range, not too high, not too low. The pricing could be more flexible, and they might make it more expensive. That said, compared to other products, it is competitive.

What needs improvement with Wireshark?

The speed of the Internet could be improved, especially its performance. Performance can sometimes be a challenge due to numerous factors.

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Product Reports

Download AirMagnet Survey PRO product report

AirMagnet Survey PRO

October 2025

Download Wireshark product report

September 2025

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

Wireshark is the world's foremost network protocol analyzer.

Sample Customers

Houston Methodist Hospital, Love's Travel Stops

Comversion, ADP, Talbots