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Other wireless devices that operate in the same frequency range as your wireless nodes can cause interference as well. Look for wireless telephones, intercoms, and so on as possible culprits. One fix for interference caused by other wireless devices is to change the channel your network uses. Another is to change the channel the offending device uses, if possible. If you can’t change channels, try moving the interfering device to another area or replacing it with a different device.

Configuration Troubleshooting

With all due respect to the fine network techs in the field, the most common type of wireless networking problem is misconfigured hardware or software. That’s right—the dreaded user error! Given the complexities of wireless networking, this isn’t so surprising. All it takes is one slip of the typing finger to throw off your configuration completely. The things you’re most likely to get wrong are the SSID and security configuration.

Verify SSID configuration on your access point first, and then check on the affected wireless nodes. With most wireless devices you can use any characters in the SSID, including blank spaces. Be careful not to add blank characters where they don’t belong, such as trailing blank spaces behind any other characters typed into the name field.

If you’re using MAC address filtering, make sure the MAC address of the client that’s attempting to access the wireless network is on the list of accepted users. This is particularly important if you swap out NICs on a PC, or if you introduce a new PC to your wireless network.

Check the security configuration to make sure that all wireless nodes and access points match. Mistyping an encryption key prevents the affected node from talking to the wireless network, even if your signal strength is 100 percent! Remember that many access points have the capability to export encryption keys onto a floppy disk or other removable media. It’s then a simple matter to import the encryption key onto the PC by using the wireless NIC’s configuration utility. Remember that the encryption level must match on access points and wireless nodes. If your WAP is configured for 128-bit encryption, all nodes must also use 128-bit encryption.

Chapter Review

Questions

1. Under ideal conditions, the 802.11g standard supports data throughput of up to _______________ and has a range of up to _______________.

A. 11 Mbps/150 feet

B. 11 Mbps/300 feet

C. 54 Mbps/150 feet

D. 54 Mbps/300 feet

2. Which encryption protocol offers the best security?

A. Hi-Encrypt

B. WEP

C. WPA

D. WPA2

3. Which device enables you to extend the capabilities of a wireless network?

A. WAP

B. WEP

C. WPA

D. WPA2

4. In which mode do all the wireless devices connect directly to each other?

A. Ad hoc mode

B. Circular mode

C. Infrastructure mode

D. Mesh mode

5. What determines the name of a wireless network?

A. EAP

B. MAC address

C. SSID

D. WAP

6. What technology enables 802.11n networks to make multiple simultaneous connections and thus improve speed over previous Wi-Fi standards?

A. Use of the 2.4-GHz frequency

B. Use of the 5-GHz frequency

C. MIMO

D. WPA2

7. What’s the top speed for data transfers using IrDA technology?

A. 2 Mbps

B. 4 Mbps

C. 11 Mbps

D. 54 Mbps

8. Bluetooth technology enables computers to link into what sort of network?

A. Bluetooth area network (BAN)

B. Personal area network (PAN)

C. Local area network (LAN)

D. Wide area network (WAN)

9. What is the name for the common omni-directional antennae found on wireless access points?

A. Bipole antennae

B. Dipole antennae

C. Omni antennae

D. RF antennae

10. Ralph has installed a wireless network in his house, placing the wireless access point in the kitchen, a centralized location. The Wi-Fi works fine in the living room and dining room but goes out almost completely in the bedroom. What’s most likely the problem?