Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Cover
- Document and Entity Information
Financial Statements
Notes to Financial Statements
Accounting Policies
- Basis of Presentation (Policies)
Notes Tables
Notes Details

Acquisitions (Details Textual)

v2.4.0.8

Acquisitions (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
Acquisitions (Details Textual) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013 Kentrox [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Kentrox [Member]	Apr. 02, 2013 Kentrox [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Antone [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Antone [Member]	May 15, 2012 Antone [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Kentrox [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Kentrox [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Trade Names [Member] Kentrox [Member]	Apr. 02, 2013 Trade Names [Member] Kentrox [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Customer Relationships [Member] Kentrox [Member]	Apr. 02, 2013 Customer Relationships [Member] Kentrox [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Customer Relationships [Member] Antone [Member]	May 15, 2012 Customer Relationships [Member] Antone [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Technology [Member] Kentrox [Member]	Apr. 02, 2013 Technology [Member] Kentrox [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Technology [Member] Antone [Member]	May 15, 2012 Technology [Member] Antone [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid							$ 30,000,000			$ 2,524,000
Working Capital Adjustment							1,300,000
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs						300,000
Revenue	25,236,000	8,873,000	77,652,000	28,145,000							14,705,000	42,812,000
Operating income (loss)	2,023,000	(2,516,000)	716,000	(8,266,000)							5,200,000	9,500,000
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments					54,000
Maximum ANTONE earn-out that could be paid before offsets	3,500,000		3,500,000							3,500,000
Intangible assets							15,980,000			3,230,000				1,170,000		8,960,000		400,000		4,410,000		2,800,000
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life													7 years		10 years		8 years		9 years		8 years
Specific pre-acquisition ANTONE product warranty in excess of acquired limit				303,000				303,000
Pre Acquisition Warranty Costs									$ 25,000

- Definition

Weighted average amortization period of finite-lived intangible assets acquired either individually or as part of a group of assets, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (a)(3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7658586&loc=d3e16265-109275

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AcquiredFiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsWeightedAverageUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cash paid to acquire the entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141R

-Paragraph 68

-Subparagraph f(1)

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141

-Paragraph 51

-Subparagraph d

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionCostOfAcquiredEntityCashPaid
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of acquisition cost of a business combination allocated to assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationIntangibleAssetsOtherThanGoodwill
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents acquisition-related costs incurred to effect a business combination which costs have been expensed during the period. Such costs include finder's fees; advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees; general administrative costs, including the costs of maintaining an internal acquisitions department; and may include costs of registering and issuing debt and equity securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 10

-Section 25

-Paragraph 23

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=21917927&loc=d3e1043-128460

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141R

-Paragraph 59

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For contingent consideration arrangements recognized in connection with a business combination, this element represents an estimate of the high-end of the potential range (undiscounted) of the consideration which may be paid.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)(3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7488404&loc=d3e6927-128479

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141R

-Paragraph 68

-Subparagraph g

-Clause 3

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsRangeOfOutcomesValueHigh
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Purchase accounting adjustments needed to revise the carrying amount of goodwill to fair value.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 142

-Paragraph 45

-Subparagraph e

-Clause 7

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillPurchaseAccountingAdjustments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Aggregate revenue during the period from the sale of goods in the normal course of business, after deducting returns, allowances and discounts.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1(a))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6880815&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Pre acquisition warranty costs.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wstl_PreAcquisitionWarrantyCosts
Namespace Prefix:	wstl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Specific pre acquisition product warranty accrual additions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wstl_SpecificPreAcquisitionProductWarrantyAccrualAdditions
Namespace Prefix:	wstl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Working Capital Adjustment

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wstl_WorkingCapitalAdjustment
Namespace Prefix:	wstl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant