Lab 3.4.3 Performing a Wireless Site Survey
Step 1: Configure the wireless client PC1
a. Referring to the topology diagram, configure the PC1 wireless NIC address to match the address shown in the topology for PC1.
b. Ensure that power has been applied to the Wireless Router.
c. From the command prompt of PC1, ping the Wireless Router to confirm network connectivity.
If the pings fail, troubleshoot and establish connectivity.
Step 2: Monitor signal strength using Network Stumbler
a. On PC1, open the Network Stumbler program.
b. In the Network Stumbler window, expand the SSIDs section and locate the SSID of the wireless router being used in this demonstration.
c. Expand that SSID number to find the Wireless Router MAC address. Click that address to open the Signal/Noise monitoring window to the right.
The Green vertical bars in the moving graph indicate signal strength. Red bars indicate signal noise.
The higher the green bars, the more signal strength. Additional information may be found in the Help menu of the Network Stumbler program (Help > User Interface > Configuration Dialog > Graph View).
d. Record the signal strength of the Wireless Router at its current location and include its distance from PC1.
Step 3: Relocate the wireless AP
a. Unplug the power cord on the Wireless Router and move the device to a location outside the room, preferably more than 25 feet away, and plug the power cord into the nearest wall outlet within that area.
b. Wait for the Wireless Router to power up, and then return to PC1 to view the Signal/Noise meter.
Has the signal strength been reduced?__ Ya
Record the signal strength of the Wireless Router at the current location and include its distance from PC1.
Step 4: Relocate the wireless AP to a secure location
a. Unplug the power cord on the wireless router and move the device to a secure wiring closet, outside
the classroom. This room should be able to be locked and also provide an AC wall outlet to plug in
the Wireless Router power supply.
b. Plug the power cord in and power up the Wireless Router. While waiting for the Wireless Router to
power up, close the wiring closet door, and return to PC1 to view the Signal/Noise meter.
Has the signal strength been reduced? ____ Ya
If no wiring closet can be used, the Linksys antennas can be removed to simulate a long distance.
Remove the antennas and place the router under a desk or in a cabinet.
c. Record the signal strength of the Wireless Router at the current location and include its distance from PC1.
Will the current placement of the Wireless Router be a good location to provide wireless access to other rooms within the area? _______
Judge how far away end devices can be placed from the wireless Access Point and determine the number of end devices that the AP could provide service to.________
What obstructions tend to cause the largest drop in signal strength?__________
Step 5: Clean up
Return the wireless router to the classroom. For PC hosts that are normally connected to other networks(such as the school LAN or to the Internet), reconnect the appropriate cabling and restore the TCP/IP settings.
