UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA PERLIS
SCHOOL OF COMPUTER &
COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING
EKT 331/4 COMMUNICATION NETWORK
LABORATORY MODULE
LAB 5
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Lab 5 : Wireless Access Point
Objectives
To learn the configuration and setting-up Wireless Access Point
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 WLAN
WLAN provides all the benefits (and drawbacks) of the wired counterparts such as:- i. Ethernet or
ii. Token Ring
without being limited to cabling restrictions.
Before wireless we had to ensure that all cables were connected in some fashion.
- With wireless LAN's, being connected no longer means that the network is attached by cables. Cabling distance limitations are increased from feet or meters to miles or kilometers.
-With wireless the limitations of running wire through walls or under ground are no longer an issues. Making upgrades or additions to the network faster and easier.
1.2 How it Works
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Figure 1: A wireless peer-to-peer network
Installing an access point can extend the range of a wired network, effectively doubling the range at which the devices can communicate. Since the access point is connected to the wired network each client would have access to server resources as well as to other clients. Each access point can accommodate many clients; the specific number depends on the number and nature of the transmissions involved. Many real-world applications exist where a single access point services from 15-50 client devices.
Figure 2: Client and Access Point
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Figure 3: Multiple access points and roaming
To solve particular problems of topology, the network designer might choose to use Extension Points to augment the network of access points. Extension Points look and function like access points, but they are not tethered to the wired network as are APs. EPs function just as their name implies: they extend the range of the network by relaying signals from a client to an AP or another EP. EPs may be strung together in order to pass along messaging from an AP to far-flung clients, just as humans in a bucket brigade pass pails of water hand-to-hand from a water source to a fire.
Figure 4: Use of an extension point
One last item of wireless LAN equipment to consider is the directional antenna. Let’s suppose you had a wireless LAN in your building A and wanted to extend it to a leased building, B, one mile away. One solution might be to install a directional antenna on each building, each antenna targeting the other. The antenna on A is connected to your wired network via an access point. The antenna on B is similarly connected to an access point in that building, which enables wireless LAN connectivity in that facility.
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Figure 5: The use of directional antennas
1.3 History
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2. PRACTICAL WORK Component and equipment
Item Details Qty
2.1 D-Link Wireless Router 1 2.2 D-Link Wireless PCI Adapter 1 2.3 Orinoco Wireless PCI
Adapter
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2.4 PC 3
3. PROJECT DETAILS
In this lab session, students are required to set-up a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) consists of 3 PC’s by following the procedures as in 4. This project must be done in group. Upon the completion of your project, each group must present your WLAN to the lab instructor.
4. TASKS
a. Configure and Setting-up D-Link Wireless Router
SSID- Service Set Identifier (SSID) is the name designated for a specific wireless local area network
(WLAN). Example:
Group ( 4 students/group) SSID
1 Mkr1_01 2 Mkr1_02 3 Mkr1_03 4 Mkr1_04 5 Mkr1_05 6 Mkr1_06 7 Mkr1_07
b. Configure and Setting-up D-Link Wireless PCI Adapter
c. Configure and Setting-up Orinoco Wireless PCI Adapter d. Setting up IP – IP Address For each PC
e. Testing and verify connection using ping command.
Include in report: i. Introduction.
ii. Answer 2 question below;
(a) Explain the implication of wireless technology. (b) Discuss the 5 differences between wired and wireless. iii. Discussion & Conclusion.
