As I prepare for another trip to a customer site, I figured I’d post the contents of my wireless engineering go-kit for the benefit of others wanting to put one together. I’ve posted previously about my streaming go-kit, which has largely been retired as I’m not doing nearly as much streaming as before, having shifted over to Wi-Fi. Amazon links in this post are affiliate links, and it’s where I bought most of this stuff over the course the the last several years. Some of it was freebies from conferences like the Wireless LAN Professionals Conference.
What’s in the kit?
It will depend largely on the job I’m going to do, but I’ve got several sub-kits that go in it based on the needs of the job:
Frame Analysis Sub-Kit:
(this kit has largely been deprecated by my Macbook and Airtool)
- 3 Netgear A6210 2SS 802.11ac adapters for use with Omnipeek – I don’t know if the 3SS version A7000 has requisite drivers for Omnipeek. Word on the street is that Metageek EyePA recently added support for these adapters. AirMagnet can also use these for surveys.
- 1 AirPCAP Adapter for use with Omnipeek (pretty much obsolete at this point)
Site Survey Sub-Kit:
- (I hope to be able to replace this kit with a Sidekick sooner than later!)
- 3 Ekahau/Proxim NIC-300 adapters
- Anker USB 3.0 Hub
- HubHolster clips
- WLAN Pros Site Survey Tray/Walking Desk (this has to go in checked luggage due to size – which is where an airline with a generous baggage policy comes in handy, or frequent flier status that gets you checked bags)
Spectrum Analysis Sub-Kit:
Pentest Sub-Kit:
- Hak5 Pineapple Tetra Tactical Kit
Ethernet/Console Sub-Kit:
- 3 AirConsole Mini 2.0 wireless console adapters
- 2 Apple USB Ethernet Adapters
- 1 Apple Thunderbolt Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
Test Tools:
- Netool.io NE1 network tester
- Fluke/Netscout LinkSprinter 300 network tester
- Optical light source/power meter
- Fluke Pro3000 Tone/Probe Set (I’ve forgotten to bring this WAY too many times, it’s a lifesaver)
Measurement/Installation Tools:
- Bosch GLM100C laser measurement
- Bosch GLL55 Laser level
- iFixit 64-bit driver kit
- Panduit EGJT termination tool (Doesn’t hurt to carry a handful of spare jacks too) – this takes up way less space/weight than a bag of 8P8C plugs and a crimper, and results in a much better connection.
- Klein electrician’s scissors
- Klein 11-in-1 screw/nut driver
- Nite Ize Gear Ties
- Gerber Remix Tactical Knife
- Brother P-touch Edge label printer (although thinking of replacing this with a PT-700).
Miscellaneous:
- Power Tap/Surge Protector
- USB Charger (I carry the Apple 29W charger because my iPhone X and iPad Pro support USB-C PD and I don’t have one of the new MacBooks that uses USB-C – I can go from dead to a near full charge on my phone in about an hour, and the iPad charges wicked fast as well. I can also use this to power the USB3, HDMI, and USB Ethernet dongles off my iDevices, all at once)
- USB Cables (I love me some Anker cables)
- SD cards (In Pelican 0915 SD card case)
- Ethernet patch cables
- 10′ Slim HDMI cable (for presentations or watching Netflix in the hotel room!)
- Outlet/GFI tester
- Sharpies
- AA Batteries (your tone/probe set will need 9V, but not often)
Computing:
- Microsoft Surface Book
- Apple MacBook Pro 15″ (upgraded to 802.11ac)
- Apple iPad Pro 10.5″
Software:
- Ekahau Site Survey Pro (Mac/Windows)
- Savvius Omnipeek (Windows)
- Metageek EyePA (Windows)
- Metageek Chanalyzer (Windows)
- Metageek InSSIDer Office (Windows)
- AirTool (Mac)
- Wifi Explorer Pro (Mac)
- Wireshark (Mac/Windows)
- Microsoft Visio (Windows)
- Microsoft Office (Mac/Windows)
- Microsoft OneDrive (Mac/Windows) (good for sharing frame captures and design files between systems)
PPE/Safety
- Fall Protection harness (required on boom lifts) with lanyard
- Hard Hat (If I’m flying, I try to obtain one at my destination, either at the jobsite or Home Depot
- Z87.1 Safety Glasses (polarized shaded glasses really help on a rooftop in blazing sun)
- OSHA 10-hour Construction Safety Certification
- OSHA Aerial Lift Training & Certification
- First Aid/Trauma kit
Depending on the combination of stuff, most of it goes in a Pelican 1510 carry-on case (yes, it all fits – other than the PPE – with some room to spare, especially if you add the lid organizer, which is great for keeping small things contained!) . Because some of the devices in there contain lithium batteries, I can’t check it – but in that case the scissors and the knife need to go in checked luggage – But if you do some mental calculations and add up what all this stuff costs, you’ll see that even without the computers and software, that’s not generally something I am willing to let out of my immediate control. I don’t bother with TSA locks, because those don’t provide any security.
If I only need some of the items, I put them in a smaller nylon case that used to be a carrying case for a projector, which does fit in a checked suitcase. The fiber kit has a dedicated Pelican 1490 case when not traveling in the 1510.
