The Secret to RF Direction Finding and Interference Hunting

As more devices and users are connected within the limited RF spectrum, wireless signals are becoming more complex. The RF spectrum has become so crowded that frequency bands often overlap making it more difficult to capture and analyze wireless signals effectively. Furthermore, RF interference either unintentional or malicious threatens the accuracy of communications systems as it degrades network performance, causing critical communications to be interrupted. Therefore detecting, locating, and ultimately eliminating sources of RF interference is crucial to successfully maintaining communications technology.

Narda offers solutions to any interference issues, from determining the type and cause of interference as well as localization of the interference source.

Signal Analyzer for Detection, Analysis, Classification and Localization of RF Signals between 8kHz to 8GHz.

Signal Analyzer for Detecting, Analyzing and Localizing RF signals and interference between 9kHz to 6GHz.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is RF Interference?
   Radio Frequency interference (RFI) or also referred to as Electromagnetic interference (EMI) refers to when radio signals interfere with cellular or wireless networks and other communication-based systems. A network that uses RF signals can be adversely affected by these interferences, causing dropped calls, poor voice quality, and low quality internet - all of which can negatively affect the user experience. For this reason, troubleshooting and adjusting networks affected by RF interference is crucial to maintaining communications technology to ensure customer satisfaction.
2. What causes RF Interference?
   RF Interference happens when the radio frequency signals essentially compete with one another. This can lead to a mild disruption to a complete loss of service. All devices that use RF are potentially vulnerably to interference including radio, cellular, radar satellite, Wi-Fi, Global Positioning System (GPS) and other technologies. Poor RF designs, faulty electronics or co-siting practices can also adversely interfere or affect the sensitivity of receivers.
   There are a number of categories of RF interference sources including intentional or unintentional sources of RF energy.
   Intentional interference includes malicious and nuisance interference signal types and practices, also known as jamming. Malicious jamming is conducted by individuals with willful and criminal intent whilst nuisance jamming are willful but not malicious as they cause interference without criminal intent. Examples of these include drivers using mobile GPS jammers to avoid GPS tracking and speed monitoring, and Wi-Fi jammers used to create “quiet zones”.
   Unintentional interference occurs when devices, such as computer monitors, ovens, and electrical motors, emit RF energy. This energy can be picked up by nearby devices, causing unintentional operation.
3. How do you detect RF interference?
   It is important to recognize the signal and analyze the data when trying to detect RF interference. This task can be done with RF interference hunting devices and antennas. Among the most useful RF interference hunting practices is the use of a spectrum analyzer or receiver to determine whether the interference is being generated internally or externally. The spectrum analyzer can be used to analyze any interference signals to make it visible within the spectrum.
4. What is RF Interference Hunting?
   RF Interference Hunting is the process of identifying, locating, and eliminating unwanted RF signals that degrade the quality of wireless reception on the receiving end. Narda, an industry-leading manufacturer in RF signal analysis, has a large portfolio of interference hunting devices ranging from fixed and mobile monitoring sites to transportable and handheld solution. The Narda SignalShark is ideal for RF hunting, and can also be used for spectrum monitoring, spectrum analysis, and direction finding.