Figure 1
Revised: September 22, 2005
By Richard G. Baldwin
File: FwlProj140.htm
This laboratory project was prepared specifically for the benefit of my students who are enrolled in ITNW 1351, Fundamentals of Wireless LANs.
The project was designed under the assumption that students enrolled in the course have successfully completed the prerequisite course, ITNW 1325, Fundamentals of Networking Technologies.
The project design also assumes that the students are actively studying the material in the prescribed textbook for this course, which explains such complex topics as the IEEE 802.11g wireless specification.
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You were introduced to the Wireless Network Connection Status dialog shown in Figure 1 in an Lab Project 5.
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While this is not its intended purpose, this dialog can be used in conjunction with a laptop computer to perform a crude site survey. In this project, you will use this dialog to make crude signal strength measurements at various locations in and around the building.
The following equipment is required to complete this laboratory project:
See Lab Project 5 for background information on the Wireless Network Connection Status dialog.
For this project you will start and configure two or more 802.11g wireless routers running within range of your computer.
Then you connect to one of those networks and expose the Wireless Network Connection Status dialog.
Then you will roam throughout the building and the grounds outside the building and note the signal strength and network speed at different locations alternately connecting and disconnecting between the two networks.
Configure the wireless routers being careful to make certain that they have different SSIDs and are operating on channels that are separated by at least five channels. Also make certain that they are protected by a WEP key.
Place the two routers in different ends of the laboratory.
Connect to one of the networks and expose the Wireless Network Connection Status dialog. Note the signal strength and the network speed for that network.
Connect to the other network, expose the Wireless Network Connection Status dialog, and note the signal strength and network speed for that network.
Take the laptop and roam in and around the building paying attention to the signal strength and network speed. Frequently stop and connect to the other network. Note the signal strength and network speed for each network.At a point where the signal strength is low, note the network speed for a particular network. Disconnect from and reconnect to that same network without moving to a different location. Did you see a change in reported network speed when you performed that action? Does the reported network speed decrease as you are moving and the signal strength is seen to decrease?
Also, while you are roaming, occasionally point to the wireless icon in the system tray and observe the speed and signal strength reported by the tool tip that is exposed. Does this information agree with the speed and signal strength being reported in the Wireless Network Connection Status dialog?
While you are roaming, pay attention to the possibility that additional wireless networks may be detected at different locations. Pay attention to whether or not those networks are protected. See if you can connect to one or more of them and observe their speed and signal strength.
Copyright 2005, Richard G. Baldwin. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission from Richard Baldwin is prohibited.
Richard has participated in numerous consulting projects and he frequently provides onsite training at the high-tech companies located in and around Austin, Texas. He is the author of Baldwin's Programming Tutorials, which have gained a worldwide following among experienced and aspiring programmers. He has also published articles in JavaPro magazine.
In addition to his programming expertise, Richard has many years of practical experience in Digital Signal Processing (DSP). His first job after he earned his Bachelor's degree was doing DSP in the Seismic Research Department of Texas Instruments. (TI is still a world leader in DSP.) In the following years, he applied his programming and DSP expertise to other interesting areas including sonar and underwater acoustics.
Richard holds an MSEE degree from Southern Methodist University and has many years of experience in the application of computer technology to real-world problems.
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