“]

Heat Mapper – freeware application from the Helsinki-founded but now multi-continental firm Ekahau – lets users visualize wi-fi coverage on a map or building diagram (which one needs – and which can be imported into Heat Mapper).What’s it useful for:

• Visualize Wi-Fi networks
• determine the physical reach of a given network
• display access points -and analyze their combined coverage, and/or individual characteristics
• identify security problems and open networks

Screen shots of HeatMapper:

HeatMapper - screenshot 1

YouTube video of Heat Mapper in action.

Heat Mapper screenshot 2

Ekahau. The firm also makes a site survey tool for network providers, and a real-time location system using RFID which seems likely quite useful in disaster management and real-time risk assessment.