Comparing Hamina Wireless and Ekahau AI Pro
28 October 2024
In this 10-minute article we compare Hamina Network Planner and Hamina Onsite with Ekahau AI Pro and the Ekahau Connect suite of apps and services. We will often refer to the company Hamina Wireless Oy as “Hamina” and Ekahau Inc. as “Ekahau”.
TLDR;
- We’re pleased to see Hamina Wireless on the scene – competition is good for business.
- Hamina Wireless have introduced a sharp, new take on wireless design software, with some neat new features such as 3D views and slick, fast / dynamic heatmap updates.
- However Hamina currently lacks some of the advanced features of Ekahau’s products, such as Ekahau AI Pro Online.
- The Oscium Nomad and WiPry Clarity survey hardware is cheaper, but we think the Ekahau Sidekick 2 is superior.
- Ekahau remains the industry leader on features and with their large customer base, but watch this space.
- For most people, lower pricing will be the primary reason to consider Hamina Wireless products.
Quick links:
Is Hamina cheaper than Ekahau?
Hamina Onsite vs Ekahau Measure
Hamina Planner Plus vs Ekahau Connect
Hamina Planner Plus + Hamina Onsite vs Ekahau Connect
How does Hamina compare with Ekahau?
Ekahau Sidekick 2 vs Oscium Nomad and WiPry Clarity
Ekahau Sidekick 2 Features and Pricing
Oscium Nomad Features and Pricing
WiPry Clarity Features and Pricing
Sidekick2 vs Nomad + WiPry Clarity Pricing
Survey with NetAlly AirCheck, CyberScope and EtherScope
Survey with Hamina Onsite and WLAN Pi
Problems with Hamina Onsite and Survey Hardware
Is Ekahau AI Pro Online a Game-Changer?
How is Ekahau Changing the Market?
Who is the Industry Leader – Ekahau or Hamina?
Conclusions
Our Advice
Ekahau Pricing
Why should you Trust our Opinion?
Ekahau and Hamina Survey modes
Ekahau Just Go Survey
Ekahau Autopilot survey
Ekahau GPS survey mode
Ekahau ECSE training courses and Vendor-neutral Wi-Fi Engineer training
Hamina Planner Expert training and Hamina Survey Expert courses
Is Hamina a cheaper option compared to Ekahau?
Generally, yes* – not only in CapEx terms, but also in annual subscription costs.
With Hamina Wireless products, there’s no up-front / CapEx cost, except for the Oscium Nomad (Wi-Fi network survey) hardware and the Oscium WiPry Clarity (spectrum analysis) hardware.
Hamina’s annual subscription prices for Hamina Network Planner + Hamina Onsite add up to less than an Ekahau Connect subscription:
Hamina Network Planner + Hamina Onsite: USD $1,560
Ekahau Connect Subscription: USD $1,995
* However the combination of Hamina Planner Plus at USD $1,560 + Hamina Onsite at USD $780 = USD $2,340 – which is more than the price of an Ekahau Connect subscription.
Our Verdict? If you only require a Wi-Fi Planning, Design and Survey product with an industry-recognised name, Hamina is a cheaper solution. But when you consider the extra features of Ekahau AI Pro, Ekahau Sidekick 2 and the Ekahau Connect suite of tools and services, especially Ekahau AI Pro Online, Ekahau’s product set is superior, and looks like good value from an annual licensing perspective.
Ekahau AI Pro Purchase / Capital Outlay (CapEx) Costs
Ekahau AI Pro has an up-front purchase cost as follows:
Ekahau AI Pro purchase price: USD $5,995
You must also purchase the 12-month Ekahau Connect Subscription, which is roughly analogous to purchasing the Hamina Network Planner + Hamina Onsite subscriptions.
There is no up-front purchase / capital outlay for using Hamina Wireless products: all pricing is on a subscription / OpEx basis.
Hamina Onsite vs Ekahau Measure Pricing
Ekahau Measure is Ekahau’s new SaaS survey-only license, which roughly compares with Hamina Onsite and is purchased on a similar subscription basis.
Annual subscription costs:
Hamina Onsite: USD $780 or Euro ā¬780
Ekahau Measure: USD $1,295 – or USD $895 with the current $400 off promotion*
Is Ekahau Measure worth the usual USD $515 premium? Possibly, due to Ekahau’s advanced Just-Go-Survey and Autopilot survey methods; along with the fact that users with an Ekahau Connect subscription can then analyse the survey data and re-design the Wi-Fi network using Ekahau’s new AI Pro Online.
Is Ekahau Measure worth the current $115 premium* – for us, definitely.
Hamina Planner Plus vs Ekahau Connect Pricing
Hamina Planner Plus includes additional capabilities such as planning for private 4G/LTE and 5G cellular networks, ability to create advanced 3D models with raised and sloped floors, live network heatmaps for Arista, Juniper Mist, Meraki, and Ruckus networks, simulation of RF diffraction and refraction effects with Fast Ray Tracing, single-hop mesh link simulation, and the ability to import survey results from NetAlly Link-Live surveys performed using NetAlly’s AirCheckĀ® G3 Pro, EtherScopeĀ® nXG or CyberScopeĀ® hardware.
By comparison, Ekahau currently only covers Private Cellular Planning, but 3D design and sloped floors are in development.
If you need 3D planning and design, we think Hamina Planner Plus is an exciting new product, which you could compare with iBwave Design or iBwave Private Networks (Wi-Fi only solution).
Hamina Planner Plus + Hamina Onsite vs Ekahau Connect
Hamina Planner Plus is priced at USD $1,560 / year / user
Add in Hamina Onsite at USD $780 and this becomes USD $2,340 / year / user
The Ekahau Connect Subscription is actually cheaper at USD $1,995 / year / user
How does Hamina compare with Ekahau?
A comprehensive comparison would take many pages, so here are our TLDRs;
Ekahau Just Go Survey and Autopilot vs Hamina Onsite
Hamina currently don’t have features like Ekahau’s Just Go Survey and Autopilot, which makes Ekahau a far easier and faster tool for Wi-Fi survey.
Hamina vs Ekahau Spectrum Analysis
Currently, Hamina Onsite does not support RF Spectrum Analysis – which is a major omission.
Hamina say they will provide spectrum analysis soon using the separate Oscium WiPry Clarity spectrum analyser hardware.
Ekahau AI Pro Online
Ekahau’s new AI Pro Online, included with the Ekahau Connect Subscription, is a game-changing toolset that enables far easier and faster re-design for existing Wi-Fi networks. We feel that this puts Ekahau comfortably in the lead for now.
Hamina Onsite survey modes
Hamina Onsite lacks Ekahau’s GPS, Autopilot and Just Go Survey modes, all of which make surveying much easier, faster and more granular. Ekahau’s Autopilot and Just Go Survey modes in particular are major benefits, not only saving time but also by making surveys possible when they otherwise wouldn’t be.
Hamina Supports only Apple Devices
At present, Hamina Onsite works on iPhone, iPad and Apple Silicon MacBooks. Windows and Android devices are not supported.
Most people will therefore need an Apple iPhone or iPad for surveying with Hamina Onsite.
Ekahau Sidekick 2 vs Oscium Nomad and WiPry Clarity
Ekahau Sidekick 2 specification
Sidekick 2 is Ekahau’s second-generation survey hardware. Its key features are:
- One self-contained unit
- 4x tri-band Wi-Fi 6E radios
- 50 sweeps/second spectrum analyzer scanning the 2,400 MHz – 7,125 MHz range
- Rechargeable Li-ion: 96.4 watt hours (Wh) (largest available on commercial airlines per FAA guidelines)
- “All-day” survey battery life. Rechargeable in 1 hour for +4 hours of further operation.
Ekahau Sidekick 2 is priced at: USD $4,995
By comparison, you must purchase the Oscium Nomad + Oscium WiPry Clarity + a USB battery pack for the WiPry Clarity.
Oscium Nomad hardware specification
- 4x tri-band Wi-Fi 6E radios
- 27.75 Wh Battery provides “up to 4 hours” of continuous surveying, and “fast charging”
The Oscium Nomad is priced at: USD $1,710
Oscium WiPry Clarity for Spectrum Analysis
A separate Oscium WiPry Clarity is required for Spectrum Analysis:
- Spectrum analyzer scans the 2,400 MHz – 7,125 MHz range
- Contains rechargeable batteries
- It’s recommended to use an external USB battery pack, to ensure continuous survey operation
The Oscium Nomad battery has less than 1/3 the capacity of Ekahau Sidekick 2 (27.75 Wh versus 96.5 Wh) and in many cases would need re-charging during a full-day survey.
This means that you need 2x or 3x separate pieces of hardware (the third unit being a USB power bank) to perform comparable survey work that the Ekahau Sidekick 2 achieves in a single self-contained unit.
The Oscium WiPry Clarity is priced at: USD $1,000
The combined cost of the Oscium Nomad + Oscium WiPry Clarity is USD: $2,710
This is 55% of the cost of Ekahau Sidekick 2 which, despite its advantages and “all-day” battery life, we feel is over-priced but just about bearable when you consider the value of the overall Ekahau product suite.
However, watch out for periodic promotions and price discounts on Ekahau products. These can typically save you between hundreds of dollars, and several thousands of dollars off the price of Ekahau AI Pro, Ekahau Sidekick 2 and the Ekahau Connect subscription. Right now, Ekahau are offering 15% and 20% discounts off the combined bundle – saving up to USD $2,900.
TLDR; Ekahau Sidekick 2 is superior to the combination of Oscium Nomad + Oscium WiPry Clarity + a USB battery pack. Sidekick 2 is an all-in-one unit, compared with two or three separately-cabled items; and its spectrum analysis looks faster and better (which is important). Furthermore, in our experience, Sidekick 2’s “all-day” survey battery life avoids the need for any re-charging during the day, even on long surveys.
Survey with NetAlly AirCheck, CyberScope and EtherScope
NetAlly has partnered with Hamina Wireless to enable integration between NetAlly’s AirMapper Site Survey data and Hamina Network Planner Plus, via NetAlly’s Link Live service.
AirMapper site surveys can now be analysed with Hamina Network Planner Plus using Wi-Fi heatmaps for Wi-Fi network assessment, optimisation, troubleshooting and refresh planning. Site survey projects from the following NetAlly products will be supported:
- AirCheckĀ® G3 Pro
- EtherScopeĀ® nXG
- CyberScopeĀ®
- CyberScopeĀ® Air
To use the NetAlly integration, you must purchase Hamina’s Planner Plus subscription, which costs twice as much as the standard Hamina Planner subscription.
We will report back when the integration is available, and will compare the NetAlly AirCheck, EtherScope and CyberScope hardware with Oscium Nomad and Wi-Pry Clarity for Wi-Fi site survey.
Survey with Hamina Onsite and WLAN Pi
Hamina also support the WLAN Pi as an alternative survey hardware to the Oscium Nomad.
The WLAN Pi are a community-created family of devices based on the Raspberry Pi low-cost computer. Examples include the WLAN Pi M4 and WLAN Pi R4, with the R4 being suitable for use as Wi-Fi survey hardware with Hamina Onsite since it supports On-the-Go (OTG) data connection to your iPhone or iPad running Hamina Onsite over the USB-C interface.
Problems with Hamina Onsite and Survey Hardware
However we see real issues with Hamina supporting different survey hardware, because different Wi-Fi adapters report different signal strengths (as RSSI and dBm values) for the same Wi-Fi signal.
The situation is like trying to measure the temperature in a room using different types of thermometers: they will all report different values.
So which one is correct? The answer is – we don’t know.
Yet this is precisely the one thing what Wi-Fi survey hardware needs to do: to provide accurate and reliable signal strength measurements.
When you can use different Wi-Fi adapters with your WLAN Pi, such as the Panda Wireless PAU0F AXE3000, the Comfast CF-951AX, and the Comfast CF-953AX which has external antennas for greater gain; and when you can use the NetAlly AirCheckĀ® G3 Pro, EtherScopeĀ® nXG or CyberScopeĀ® hardware for survey – you’ll get different survey results.
We therefore believe that Hamina need to incorporate carefully calculated “RSSI offsets” into their software, to accomodate these differences.
By contrast, Ekahau support just two hardware units – their Sidekick v1 and Sidekick 2 – and Ekahau software warns you if you try to perform measurements using any other hardware (such as your laptop’s internal Wi-Fi adapter).
Of course, we have the prennial problem that there is no commonly-accepted “reference hardware” for measuring Wi-Fi signal strength – unless that hardware is lab-calibrated, which the Ekahau Sidekick units are.
Is Ekahau AI Pro Online a Game-Changer?
Ekahau’s recent launch of their AI Pro Online tool is a potential game-changer, because it enables Wi-Fi designers to perform an onsite Wi-Fi survey using Ekahau Sidekick 2, then take that project and perform a wide range of what-if simulations based on empirical survey data and Ekahau’s proprietary new AI-based environmental modelling.
This means that Wi-Fi designers no longer need to draw walls, set or calibrate wall attenuations, or define attenuation areas in their design project.
Nor do they need to use simulated APs in their re-design: they simply drag and drop existing (surveyed) APs into new locations, change transmit power settings .. and Ekahau AI Pro Online simulates everything with a high level of claimed accuracy.
As Wi-Fi network designers, we have been wanting some of these capabilities for the past 10 years.
How is Ekahau Changing the Market?
Wi-Fi design, survey and reporting tools have traditionally been designed for and used by Wi-Fi network professionals – often working as independent consultants or suppliers on behalf of end-user organisations.
However, it’s clear that Ekahau are now developing and targeting their products towards IT network managers.
This is a major market shift that could increase the market size for their products by an order of magnitude. If successful, this strategy might also reduce the need for specialist Wi-Fi network designers.
At the very least, you should now expect significantly more from your Wi-Fi network consultant when it comes to Survey, Analysis, Re-design and Optimisation of your Wi-Fi network. Your suppliers now need to seriously up their game.
Accepting a basic Wi-Fi Survey plus a 1-click Heatmap Report is like buying an 802.11b access point in today’s Wi-Fi 7 era.
Who is the Industry Leader – Ekahau or Hamina?
Ekahau has been the industry leader since around 2012, when investment in AirMagnet Survey – the previous leader – all but ceased. (AirMagnet products were eventually acquired by NetAlly, LLC).
Since then, Ekahau has been the go-to company for Wi-Fi Design and Survey tools – and most people in the IT industry recognise Ekahau as the industry leader.
But who’s the leader in terms of development and innovation?
Hamina Wireless have gone from zero to prominence in less than 2 years – well done Hamina!
The Hamina team have 20+ years of expertise in Wi-Fi design and survey software, and have innovated with new ideas in software development and delivery, Wi-Fi design concepts, the software UI/UE, and pricing.
The emergence of Hamina has almost certainly given Ekahau a wake-up call, and both companies are now innovating at speed.
TLDR; Ekahau is still the industry leader, especially with the release of Ekahau AI Pro Online; but the margin may be reducing. For now, most IT consumers see Ekahau as the industry standard.
Hamina vs Ekahau – Conclusions
Hamina are definitely the New Kid On The Block – and we’re delighted to see them.
But that’s the point: Hamina products are brand new, still undergoing development and at present, lagging significantly behind Ekahau overall in capabilities.
Over the past 18 months, Ekahau have advanced their products and offerings significantly, and we suspect this may be due to the emergence of Hamina.
Hamina vs Ekahau – Our Advice
If you’re an existing Ekahau user – stay with Ekahau. You already have the industry-leading product set and the annual subscription cost(s) are only marginally more than Hamina. We encourage you to delve into Ekahau AI Pro Online – it’s included with the Ekahau Connect subscription.
If your Ekahau license has lapsed, contact us for preferential pricing – discounts are often available.
If you’re starting out, speak with us about your plans for Wi-Fi Design, Survey, Analysis, Management and Troubleshooting.
How to Evaluate Hamina Network Planner and Hamina Onsite
Hamina offer the Network Planner Lite option, where you can try out Hamina Planner, exploring and editing sample projects, or by designing a small Wi-Fi network for your home.
You can evaluate Hamina Network Planner and Hamina Onsite in full, with expert tuition, through our Certified Hamina Planning Expert (CHPEā¢), Certified Hamina Survey Expert (CHSEā¢) courses, which provide training and certification to Expert level.
Ekahau Pricing
Especially since their acquisition by Ookla in 2018, Ekahau have increased their pricing substantially each year. This was frowned upon distinctly by their users, and it still carries a sting.
We are therefore pleased to see competition from Hamina, along with the significant product advancements from Ekahau such as Autopilot, Wall Detection, Wall Attenuation measurement, Just Go Survey, and now Ekahau AI Pro Online.
We hope to see continuous on-going innovation and product development at pace from both companies, with no higher than inflation-linked price rises.
We feel sure that Hamina’s presence will drive innovation, and help ensure fairer pricing in the future.
Feel free to contact us for up-todate pricing on Ekahau products.
Why should you Trust our Opinion?
LEVER have served as the innovator and leader in Wi-Fi network Survey and Engineering since 2005, and as impartial consultants since 1996.
For years, we have wanted a strong competitor to Ekahau – competition is good for business!
Whilst we do resell Ekahau products, we also use them daily – and we pay for them: our money matters just as much as yours.
We are by nature a critical company – critiquing other vendor’s Wi-Fi rollouts, constantly innovating and improving our service.
We’re Physicists and network engineers by origin, with a deep technical understanding of all things Wi-Fi and RF.
We have a reputation to uphold for authoritative advice and impartiality.
Copyright Statements
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Ekahau Survey modes
The Ekahau Survey app offers five different survey modes:
- Just Go Survey
- Autopilot survey
- Continuous survey
- Stop and Go
- GPS
Hamina Onsite’s Line and Continuous modes are similar to Ekahau’s Continuous survey mode.
Note that Hamina Onsite has no equivalents to Ekahau’s GPS, Autopilot or “Just Go Survey” modes.
Ekahau Just Go Survey
With a LiDAR-capable Apple iOS device, either an iPad or iPhone, you can perform accurate Wi-Fi surveys simply by walking around your environment.
In Just Go Survey mode, the Ekahau Survey app automatically captures details of your surroundings and creates a floor plan dynamically as you walk.
Ekahau’s Just Go Survey is by far the simplest way to perform a Wi-Fi survey, eliminating any need for an up-to-date floorplan or to click as you walk.
This makes on-site Wi-Fi survey accessible to anyone who has access to a Sidekick 2 and either an Ekahau Measure license or the Ekahau Connect subscription.
Ekahau Autopilot survey
In Ekahau Autopilot survey mode, after a couple of clicks on the map to mark your location and calibrate the survey, Autopilot automatically tracks your location as you walk.
Ekahau Autopilot survey works best with a LiDAR-compatible Apple iPad or iPhone, but you don’t need LiDAR.
It really does make surveying much easier, faster, more accurate and more granular. We find that we can walk more floorspace and in less time than with traditional Continuous survey mode, even without a LiDAR-capable iPad or iPhone.
Continous survey mode
For both Ekahau and Hamina, Continuous survey mode collects data between the points where you click on the floorplan. You must tap your location on the floorplan whenever you change your speed or direction, such as when you start, stop, pause or turn.
We only use Continuous survey mode when Ekahau’s Autopilot mode isn’t working due to low light conditions.
Ekahau Stop and Go survey mode
We think this is a misnomer. In “Stop and Go” survey mode, you are always stationary: you tap your location on the map and gather survey data for typically 5 seconds – the time it takes to scan all of the bands and channels that you have chosen to survey.
Hamina’s equivalent is called Point survey mode.
Ekahau GPS survey mode
Ekahau GPS survey mode works outdoors where you have good line of sight to GPS satellites.
After marking your starting position on the map, you walk, drive or Segway (!) around the site. Ekahau Survey automatically tracks your position and Wi-Fi survey data is collected and plotted on to your map in real time.
Contact Us for Free Advice
Feel free to contact us for help and advice on Wi-Fi survey, whether you are looking to buy Wi-Fi survey products or get a Wi-Fi consultant to design or survey your Wi-Fi network.