MetaGeek is excited to announce an update to Eye P.A. that adds significant value and flexibility for our customers. Most notably, we took the end-of-life of the Riverbed AirPcap Nx as an opportunity to expand Eye P.A. to capture packets from other sources. With this update, two widely available Wi-Fi adapters can now capture packets natively within Eye P.A. This post explains what you can expect with the new release.

Release Notes:

• Eye P.A. is now able to capture 802.11 a/b/g/n packets using Wi-Fi adapters. This version of Eye P.A. supports Linksys AE2500, Linksys AE1200, and Netgear A6200 adapters.
• Fixed the VendorVendor bug because it’s obvious enough when we just tell you the AP vendor once.

What Happened to AirPcap Nx?

AirPcap Nx was discontinued by its manufacturer, Riverbed, in late 2017. Since this was the primary packet capture device built into Eye P.A., we knew we needed to invest in a replacement. AirPcap Nx is no longer available for purchase, though Eye P.A. will support it indefinitely into the future.

How Do I Capture Packets Now?

This is the best part! You no longer need AirPcap Nx; we built Eye P.A. 1.12 to capture packets with just a supported USB Wi-Fi adapter. The supported 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi adapters for Eye P.A. 1.12 are the Linksys AE2500, Linksys AE1200, and Netgear A6200.

The Linksys AE2500 is the best solution, while the AE1200 and Netgear A6200 adapters are compatible but they do not capture on DFS channels (5 GHz channels 52-144). For many customers, this won’t be a concern. When a Linksys AE1200 or Netgear A6200 is connected to Eye P.A., only compatible channels will appear when performing a capture.

You’ll get a standard Wi-Fi adapter as part of the Eye P.A. Essential bundle, or you can source your own via via Amazon, Best Buy or other major electronics retailers.

How Can I Buy the New Eye P.A.?

Eye P.A. 1.12 is available for purchase online at https://www.metageek.com/products/eye-pa/ as a bundle with a compatible Wi-Fi adapter. The price is $799, a $400 drop in price from the Eye P.A. + AirPcap Nx bundle!

MetaGeek Complete includes Eye P.A. 1.12, along with the rest of our most popular Wi-Fi tools.

You can also buy Eye P.A. 1.12 as part of the popular MetaGeek Complete bundle, which includes Eye P.A., a compatible Wi-Fi adapter, Chanalyzer + Report Builder, Wi-Spy DBx, and Device Finder 2.4 GHz Directional Antenna. This bundle combines our most popular tools and gives the user the solutions they need to identify and fix the most common Wi-Fi problems: interference, insufficient coverage/dead spots, airtime utilization, channel saturation, and packet loss/retransmission. It can be purchased from our bundle page at https://www.metageek.com/products/complete/

I Already Own Eye P.A. How Do I Upgrade to 1.12?

To get the new update, simply open Eye P.A. and you should receive a prompt to update to the new version. Once installed, follow the prompts to set up Eye P.A. to capture packets using a supported Wi-Fi adapter. You can also download the new version directly from our Downloads Page.

Visit the MetaGeek Knowledge Base for step-by-step instructions on updating to Eye P.A. 1.12 and enable packet capture using these Wi-Fi adapters.

Click here if you need to update your MetaCare subscription so you can access the update to v1.12.

The adapters supported are widely available via Amazon, Best Buy and other major electronics retailers.

What’s Next for Eye P.A. Software?

We’re working on an additional update to Eye P.A. that will allow it to capture 802.11ac packets, set to release this summer.