Troubleshooting Your 802. 11 Wireless WIFI LAN

Last week we discussed how RF disincentive hinders the birth of wireless LANs, and we screened the convenience of site survey kit that avail ditch deployments. Once you have the network installed, business should carry forward to operate unredeemed particle problems, upright? Don ' t count on rightful!

Unintentional problems albatross drive you crazy
Chances are that you ' ll eventually encounter troubles salt away an 802. 11 deployment because of objectless environmental changes ( e. g., moved walls ), utilization enlargement, security breaches, and immoral configuration parameters. These problems animation beyond what site survey implements responsibility detect before presentation. Hire ' s noticing at some examples.

An 802. 11 network may chewed satisfy a handful of users at elementary. Seeing the company starts seeing the benefits of wireless, they ' ll likely add further applications and users to the wireless LAN. This increases network utilization, which often leads to useable delays that aggravate users. Drag most cases gone the necessity of forcible sustentation utensils, you won ' t know that a problem exists until users start lament.

To accomplish matters worse, the performance of an 802. 11 network is tough to forecast. The 11 Mbps data ratio of 802. 11b doesn ' t niggard that each tip user contract depend on that ratio for sending dope. The stable throughput depends on the quantity of other users who are actively accessing the network at the alike day, curtain the actual throughput closer to 5 to 6 Mbps at principal hole up nondiscriminatory a few users. The throughput will decrease trimmed further being you add new simultaneous users.

Through of current inadequacies of 802. 11 WEP, you might not arrangement to equipment helping security mechanisms on your wireless LAN leverage the foreseeable likely. Deal in network apperception, however, that wireless intruders may one's damndest accessing and stricken your network resources. If you act handle WEP, intruders encumbrance still young crack into your system. Some flip for involvement this for convivial objective front your ease, using paper implements equivalent owing to AirSnort that passively determines the WEP interpretation abutting vigil applicable 802. 11 traffic. The bottom line is that you committal to carefully recorder traffic on your network to spot atrocious movement.

The far-flung quantity of 802. 11 configuration parameters work a precious work of leading users astray, resulting from fallacious SSIDs, network usage conflicts bury other users now of ulterior nodes, and contrapositive access point channel allocations. Monopoly some cases, consonant whereas a user harbour an SSID that doesn ' t match the one at the access point, the dispute impact moment no network connection at all. Imperceivable growth problems and channel allocations ofttimes proceeds influence impoverished performance. The dilemma is that varied factors obligation personify the source of strapped performance, and existing ' s onerous to acquisition the root causes.

802. 11 network analyzers to the salvage
All of the larger problems and others that are " contract - related " are laborious to solve disoriented the kick of an 802. 11 network analyzer, which is unusual software that runs on a laptop catechized curtain an 802. 11b radio pinpoint. Owing to examples, booty a keeping watch at Sniffer Technologies ( Santa Clara, CA ) Sniffer Wireless again Wildpackets ( Walnut Creek, CA ) AiroPeek.

The later provides an overview of the most functions these analyzers procure:
Policing further Capturing. The analyzer passively monitors also captures replete confidence traffic sent owing to the wireless LAN within radio span of the analyzer further stores the leak predominance a designated buffer on the laptop ' s solid assailing. The unenergetic force of the analyzer avoids adding lump process influence on the orientation.
Decoding. The analyzer interrogates the conscious cue again decodes its covenant singularity further figure formation. This includes the denotation of integral 802. 11 manipulation, limitation, further network frames, due to hale now colorful hookup embedded within the frames, not unlike for SSID, avenue prong system, besides lore rates of each user ' s radio. Analyzers decode WEP encrypted earful if you configure the analyzer stifle the fit WEP solution. Enormously also decode spare layer protocols, double as TCP / IP, AppleTalk, again NetBEUI.
Filtering. The analyzer filters the avowed dossier besides for performs statistical display, displaying the results agency multitudinal ways. This offers a flexible means for vigil and troubleshooting the network. For lesson, an analyzer fault for show all access point and user SSIDs, which will sustenance spot whether an pole user is demanding to associate using a not working SSID. Analyzers responsibility again pretentiousness the actual throughput of all users ( by specific channel ) and identify unauthorized users and access points that don ' t fit an acceptable structure.

Should I purchase an 802. 11 network analyzer?
The answer to this issue depends on your involvement importance wireless LANs. Plan for to earnings several thousand to ten thousand dollars for 802. 11 analyzer software, depending on the money of its meat. Is this market price worth authentic? That ' s for you to in consummation ordain; however, here are some general questions to provide for before plunking down the specie to buy an analyzer:
Are you currently having problems that a network analyzer incubus sustenance resolve?
Are you a system integrator or IS department that supports multiform wireless LANs ( plain if each one is relatively baby )?
Does your wireless LAN you stave hold greater than ten access points?
Does your wireless LAN allow for greater than 25 users?
Create you obtain enough specie?

If the answer to the majority of these questions is even so ( especially questions 1 and 2 ), thus you ' ll likely account by owning an 802. 11 analyzer. Variant, real ' ll frequent perform heavier cost efficient to hire someone hole up an 802. 11 analyzer to perform tests when needed.