Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Nextel Improves Quality of Service with Remote Spectrum Analyzer

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2003 04:41:18 -0400

Nextel  Improves Quality of Service with Remote Spectrum Analyzer

Morrow Technologies Spectrum Analyzer Reduces Time Required to
Diagnose Base Station (BTS) Uplink Interference
Mike Hainzl is an Equipment Engineer based in Fairfield, NJ, for Nextel Communications.

Whenever a base station (BTS) interference problem is reported, it's his job to diagnose
the
problem and initiate corrective action. This can be a challenging assignment due to all
the
possible causes of interference. When the territory includes Manhattan, finding a problem
on
the map is not enough because a skyscraper may be located there. And as any field engineer

can attest, intermittent problems often fail to show up while an engineer is on hand to
perform
the diagnosis.

Confronted by this complex challenge, Nextel acquired a
model P9116 spectrum analyzer from Morrow
Technologies Corporation to locate intermittent uplink
interference to their BTS sites. A complete Pentium® PC
with Windows® operating system is built into the
P9116's rugged industrial chassis. Using optional data
logging software, a field engineer can leave the spectrum
analyzer unattended while it stores data for viewing later.

Mr. Hainzl says, "For sites that have interference
problems, especially the intermittent variety, it is a great
tool to give a preliminary indication of where the
interference is coming from, what its RF signature looks
like and most importantly, when it is most likely to
occur. With the initial data from the Morrow Technologies
spectrum analyzer, I minimize time spent in the field
driving around looking for the exact source of
interference."

The P9116 spectrum analyzer supports full control and
monitoring over TCP/IP, although Mr. Hainzl has not yet
needed this capability. "When I feel that enough data has
been collected, I simply drive by the site, pick up the
analyzer and view the data back in the office."

The P9116 spectrum analyzer has improved Nextel's
quality of service by enabling the company to more
quickly identify and eliminate sources of interference. For
example, Mr. Hainzl adds, "The Morrow Technologies spectrum analyzer was left unattended
at
a site that experienced significant interference. A few days of data from the spectrum
analyzer
told us not to waste our time looking for the problem at night, and to look for something
that
changed around 7:00AM. We observed that a nearby business opened their steel loading dock
doors at that time, and further investigation revealed that they had a defective wireless
LAN
hub." The business promptly fixed the LAN hub, making the interference problem disappear.
And Nextel's customers happily completed their calls.

http://www.morrowcorp.com/appnotes_nextel.html