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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For Marketing: nancy@wildpackets.com
For Sales: sales@wildpackets.com

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WildPackets, Inc. (fka AG Group) Announces Industry's First Wireless LAN Packet Analyzer For Cisco Aironet 340 Series PC Cards

New Release of Award-Winning EtherPeek to Provide Cisco Drivers and Enhanced Capability for Capture, Identification and Decoding of Wireless Network Traffic

WALNUT CREEK, California - October 16, 2000

WildPackets, Inc. formerly known as AG Group, a leading provider of software tools that deliver real-time, strategic information about an organization's network and Internet presence, announced today that they have extended the capability of their industry-leading EtherPeek packet analyzer through the addition of 802.11 wireless protocol detection and decoding when used in combination with drivers for Cisco Aironet 340 PC Cardbus cards. This capture capability makes EtherPeek the first standalone, software-based LAN analyzer to be able to deliver wireless packet detection and decoding in combination with Cisco Cardbus cards.

EtherPeek, the industry leader in affordability and ease-of-use, is also the most extensible packet analyzer platform available, delivering add-on, expert analysis through a set of standard Plug-ins and optional Analysis Modules, as well as Decoder and Plug-in SDKs. EtherPeek's powerful network analysis capabilities can also be extended and distributed throughout an organization's internet and beyond with EtherHelp, a free capture engine application that ships with EtherPeek. EtherHelp collects all or specified traffic on a LAN segment and provides formatted packet traces for post-capture EtherPeek analysis. iNetTools, a suite of tools for IP-based communication verification and testing, also ships for free with EtherPeek, providing the user with the ability to do traceroute, ping, pingscan and other IP-based transaction analysis from within the EtherPeek program.

The wireless industry's evolution will accelerate over the next several years, according to a report by Cahners In-Stat Group. Cahners estimates that the number of worldwide wireless data subscribers will grow from more than 174 million to more than 1.3 billion by the end of 2004, despite the fact that wireless technology has a lower bandwidth than wireline data services. They forecast that subscribers will be won over to wireless by its mobility, always-on capability, and convenience. Because of this anticipated rapid growth, the dearth of tools allowing the IT Professional to monitor and manage a wireless network has become a major concern. EtherPeek, in combination with EtherHelp, WildPackets' Cisco drivers and Cisco PC cards, will allow customers to analyze business-critical network, system and application performance data via wireless client devices from one or multiple locations.

Another looming issue in the wireless world is that of security. 802.11b includes WEP (Wireline Equivalent Privacy), which is shared key technology between a client and base station that provides the ability to encrypt packets. If WEP is enabled, everything above the MAC layer should be unreadable. If WEP is disabled, then the payload of each packet can be read. The addition of special Cisco Cardbus drivers allows EtherPeek to deliver 802.11b packet break-outs to prove functionality wherever the MAC/LLC layer records the fact that WEP is being used. The data gathered will also validate whether or not WEP is working if there's a connectivity problem.

WildPackets was urged to add wireless packet detection and decoding capability to EtherPeek by many high-profile customers who are facing obstacles to wireless network implementation due to perceived security risks. "Security and privacy concerns associated with wireless networks are major issues for many of our customers, states Janice Spampinato, WildPackets' VP of Sales and Marketing. "Having a tool that can help to identify potential security leaks makes a huge difference when deciding to invest heavily in wireless LAN technology or redesign current networks around a wireless model".

WildPackets will release a new version of EtherPeek with Cisco drivers that provides the ability to detect and decode 802.11 wireless protocols when used in combination with Cisco 340 series PC cards in the fourth quarter.

About WildPackets, Inc. (fka AG Group, Inc.)

WildPackets, Inc., formerly known as AG Group, is a 10-year-old network software company that develops high performance tools that deliver real-time, strategic information about an organization's network and Internet presence.

WildPackets' industry-leading packet analysis tools have been licensed as standards for all Cisco network consulting engineers in the National Supported Accounts (NSA) and Critical Accounts Program (CAP) as well as the company's UK-based Professional Services Division. The tools are also incorporated into network management solution bundles for partners participating in the Professional Services Cisco Enabled Network Solutions (CENS) Program

For more information on WildPackets solutions and services, please visit http://www.wildpackets.com.