System and apparatus for detecting and analyzing a frequency spectrum

1. An apparatus for detecting, receiving and displaying wireless network information, comprising:

a housing;

a circuit board disposed within said housing, said circuit board further comprising:

a radio, said radio consisting of a 2.4 GHz direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) radio system on a chip;

a processing device and memory, said processing device comprising a highly integrated chip, said processing device further comprising a CPU, RAM, ROM, at least one I/O port and at least one timer;

a wireless network detector; and

a connector suitable for connecting with a port of a computing device, said connector consisting of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector interfacing with a USB port of a computing device;

wherein said circuit board is a small form factor circuit board, said radio detects a frequency spectrum, said wireless network detector detects wireless network information, including at least one of signal strength, security type, or wireless network name, and said processing device transfers detected frequency spectrum data and said wireless network information to said computing device via said connector and interfaces with a display displaying a manipulatable graphical user interface for analyzing said detected frequency spectrum data and said wireless network information received from said processing device through said connector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said memory stores said detected frequency spectrum data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a software application stored in said memory generating said display.

4. A system for detecting, receiving and displaying wireless network information, comprising:

a portable hardware device, said portable hardware device further comprising:

a housing;

a circuit board disposed within said housing, said circuit board further comprising:

a radio, said radio consisting of a 2.4 GHz direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) radio system on a chip;

a processing device and a memory for storing measurement data, said processing device comprising a highly integrated chip, and said processing device further comprising a CPU, RAM, ROM, at least one I/O port and at least one timer;

a connector suitable for connecting with a port of a computing device, said connector consisting of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector interfacing with a USB port of a computing device;

the portable hardware device formed as a small form factor hardware device to detect a frequency spectrum, and transfer detected frequency spectrum data to said computing device via said connector; and

a graphical user interface for displaying on a display of said computing device and interfacing with said portable hardware device and displaying, analyzing, and manipulating said detected frequency spectrum data received from said processing device through said connector.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein said graphical user interface records, saves and replays said detected frequency spectrum data.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein said graphical user interface displays amplitude versus channel.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein said portable hardware device detects a wireless network and said graphical user interface displays security type, signal strength or network name information for said wireless network.

8. The system of claim 4 , further comprising an activity log for logging device traffic data and an activity graph displaying at least one of an average signal strength, a minimum signal strength or a maximum signal strength for a discrete time period.

9. The system of claim 4 , wherein said portable hardware device detects a rogue access point and transmits an alert to at least one of said graphical user interface or a communication device via a pop-up message on said graphical user interface, an email, or an SMS message.

10. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a database of prerecorded signals generated by at least one of a 2.4 GHz cordless phone, a microwave oven, a wireless file transfer, wireless streaming audio, or a Bluetooth signal.

11. The system of claim 4 , wherein said display displays a spectrograph view of said detected frequency spectrum data, said spectrograph view configured to provide a bookmark function for bookmarking new device identification information and new device activity.

12. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a location determination system determining a geographic location of a device operating in said frequency spectrum and correlating said detected frequency spectrum data with said device.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said display generates a map and displays said geographic location of said device on said map.

14. A method comprising:

providing a small form factor hardware device for detecting frequency spectrum data;

detecting said frequency spectrum data;

providing a display interfacing with said small form factor hardware device and analyzing said detected frequency spectrum data; and

displaying said detected frequency spectrum data; and

manipulating said detected frequency spectrum data, said manipulating said frequency spectrum data further including:

recording a data trace of said detected frequency spectrum data;

saving said recorded data trace of said detected frequency spectrum data;

recording a subsequent data trace of said detected frequency spectrum data; and

providing a toggle function to compare said data trace of said detected frequency spectrum data and said subsequent data trace of said detected frequency spectrum data.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said small form factor hardware device further comprises a 2.4 GHz radio, a processing device, a memory and a USB connector connecting to a port of a computing device.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising inserting said small form factor hardware device into a USB port of a computing device.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising installing a software application for generating said display on said computing device.