Wireless LAN Administration COMP1241

LAB 2 Name: Kenny Rich Wen ID# 101396997

Section:B

Section 1: Investigating Microsoft Windows WLAN AutoConfig

Introduction
The WLAN AutoConfig service in Windows is used to discover, connect to, and
disconnect from an access point. In this section you will activate the service, if
necessary, and view network connection information.
Procedure:
1. The first step is to ensure that the WLAN AutoConfig service (known as
WLANSVC) is active. In Microsoft Windows, click Start and then click Control
Panel.
2. Click Administrative Tools.
3. In the Administrative Tools window, double- click Services to display the
Services window.
4. Scroll down and then double- click WLAN AutoConfig to open the WLAN
AutoConfig Properties (Local Computer) dialog box.
5. Click the General tab, if necessary, and then, make sure Started is displayed to
the right of Service status. If it is not, click the Start button to launch the service.
6. To the right of Startup type select Automatic if it is not already selected.
7. Click OK to return to the Services window.
8. Close the Services window and then close the Administrative Tools window to
return to the Control Panel.
9. In the Control Panel window, click Network and Sharing Center.
10. Under Connect or disconnect click Wireless Network Connection. This opens the
Wireless Network Connection Status dialog box, as shown in Figure below.

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11. Click the Details button to view the information about this wireless connection.
Make a note of the value listed to the right of Description, which is the type of
wireless NIC on this computer. Also record the SSID value, which is the name of
the network. Click Close to return to the Wireless Network Connection Status
dialog box.
Description: Intel® Wifi 6 AX200 160MHz
MAC Address: B0-A4-60-EC-72-1E
SSID: Wings Papa Lt.3
12. Click the Wireless Properties button to view the configuration properties of the
current WLAN to which you are connected.

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13. Click the Security tab.

14. If the Network security key box displays several black dots, security has been
configured on your computer for the WLAN. If that is the case, record the
Security type and Encryption type.
Security Type: WPA2-Personal
Encryption Type: AES
15. Click the Show characters box to add a check.
16. Record the Network security key.
Network Security Key: maboygudemuhe!
17. Uncheck the Show characters box.
18. Click the Connection tab.
19. Make sure the Connect automatically when this network is in range box is
unselected. Click OK. Note that you may now be disconnected from your WLAN.
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20. Close all open windows.

Section 2: Connect to a WLAN Manually and Automatically

Introduction
In this section you manually configure a connection to a WLAN, and then have Windows
configure the same connection automatically.

Procedure:
1. Right click the WLAN icon in the system tray and then click Network & Internet
settings.
2. To view all of the wireless profiles, click Wi-Fi then Show available networks.
3. All of the wireless profiles for this computer are now displayed. Click the network
name you recorded in Section 1.
4. Now you will erase this profile. Click Managed known networks> select the
network and click Forget.
5. Next you will manually recreate this profile. Click WiFI then Network and
Sharing Center, and then, click Set up a Connection or Network.
6. Click Manually connect to a wireless network.

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7. Click Next to display the dialog box shown in Figure below.

8. Enter the Network name, Security type, Encryption type, and Security key
information recorded in Section 1. Click Next.
9. Click Close.
10. To view the profile you just created, click WiFi > Managed known networks
11. All of the wireless profiles for this computer are now displayed. Double click the
profile to display its properties.
12. Be sure that Connect automatically when this network is in range is unselected.
Click OK. You will now be unconnected from this WLAN.
13. Next you will erase this manual profile you just created and have Windows
automatically create the profile for you.
14. Click the network name you recorded in Section 1.
15. Click Managed known networks> select the network and click Forget.
16. Click the WLAN icon in the system tray, and locate the network name in the list
of available networks.
17. Click the network name.
18. Click the Connect automatically box to select it.
19. Click Connect.

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20. Enter the security information if you are requested to do so.

21. Verify that you are connected to the wireless network by opening your Web
browser and pointing to www.course.com.

22. Close all windows.

Section 3: Installing and Using Connectify

Introduction
Another application similar to Virtual Router is Connectify. In this section you will
download and install the Connectify application, and then use it to set up a virtual AP.

Procedure:

1. Use your Web browser to go to www.connectify.me.

Note: It is not unusual for Web sites to change the location of where files are stored. If the URL
above no longer functions then open a search engine and search for “ Connectify”.

2. Click Support and then click Supported Cards & Devices. Use the information
retrieved from Step 12 of Section 1 to verify sure that your NIC is supported by
Connectify.

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3. Click Download. Follow the prompts to download and then install Connectify on
your computer. You may need to reboot your computer following the installation.
4. If the Connectify program does not launch after the installation is complete, click
Start and Connectify.
5. If the Connectify Hotspot Setup Wizard does not appear, click the Easy Setup
Wizard button to display the wizard shown in Figure below.

6. Accept the Network Name Connectify-me.

7. Under Password enter a password that is at least 15 characters.
8. Under Internet to Share select Wi-Fi.
9. Click Start Hotspot.
10. Click the WLAN icon in the system tray. Connectify-me should appear in the list
of wireless network connections.
11. Click Open Network and Sharing Center.
12. Click Wireless Network Connection 2.
13. Click Details. How does this information differ from the details for the physical
NIC and Virtual Router? Now you will try to access Connectify from another

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wireless device, such as another computer. (The following steps assume you are
accessing Connectify from a second computer, but you could try accessing it from
a smartphone instead. If you are using a smartphone, make a note of the wireless
network it is currently connected to, use the phone’s built in utility to connect to
Connectify, and then continue this project starting at Step 19.)
14. On the second computer, click the WLAN icon in the system tray and make a note
of the wireless network it is currently connected to.
15. Click the network name Connectify-me in the list of available networks.
16. Click the Connect automatically box to select it.
17. Click Connect.
18. Enter the security information if you are requested to do so.
19. Verify that you are connected to the wireless network by opening your Web
browser and going to www.course.com.

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20. Return to the first computer and click the Connectify icon in the system tray. The
second computer (or the smartphone) should appear on the Clients tab.
21. Which application, Virtual Router or Connectify, do you think is better? Why?
With Connectify Hotspot, PCs can be turned into Wi-Fi hotspots and
shared internet can be accessed from any nearby device. The virtual
router application lets users share Internet access from their laptops with
smartphones, tablets, media players, e-readers, other laptops as well. No
restrictions are imposed on its use anywhere in the world which is quite
handy nowadays.
22. From the second computer (or the smartphone) reconnect to the AP it was
connected to before you started this Section.
23. On the first device click Stop Hotspot.

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24. Close all open windows.

Section 4: Assignments

1. Using the Internet, identify five different APs, each from a different manufacturer.
Create a table that lists each AP, its features, and costs. Which would you choose
for home use? Which would you choose for a SOHO of 25 employees? Why?

Name Manufacturer Features Costs

Netgear Netgear • Inexpensive $185.10
WAX214 WiFi 6 • PoE
PoE+ Access • Small and
Point unobtrusive
• Easy web-
based
configuration
Zyxel ZYXEL • Wi-Fi 6 $328.64
WAX610D WiFi • Solid build
6 PoE Access quality
Point • Long-range
• Cloud support
• 2.5Gb Ethernet
port
Cisco 240AC Cisco • Powerful CPU $245.95
Wi-Fi 1 Access • Range
Point extension
• Intuitive
mobile app
• Low cost
TP-Link TP-Link • Low cost $179.99
EAP660HD Wi- • Quad-core
Fi 6 Access Point CPU
• Cloud support
• 2.5Gb Ethernet

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port
Netgear Netgear • Compact $70.05
Powerline 500 design
Wi-Fi Access • Easy setup
Point • Good value
• Network cables
included

For Home use, I would recommend the ZYXEL COMMUNICATIONS

WAX610D Nebula FP 4x4 WiFi 6 AP just because of surge and ESD protection,
and a 4G/5G filter to minimize interference from cellular networks. The
WAX610D also packs a powerful quad-core CPU, two Ethernet ports (one at
2.5Gbps), and best-in-class internal antennas. While it may be slightly higher than
the competition, the WAX610D can be managed remotely via an app and a free
cloud service which is handy and powerful for home use especially for
downloading and gaming sessions.

For Enterprise, which in this case is SOHO with 25 employees, Cisco 240AC Wi-
Fi 5 Access Point would be the best bet because The 240AC sports a Qualcomm
quad-core CPU with 1GB of RAM and 256MB of Flash memory, and Cisco says
that up to 400 clients can use this WAP simultaneously. Wall mounting holes can
be found at the unit's base, and it also ships with a flat Ethernet cable to power it
when connected to a PoE Ethernet switch. This WAP’s range can also be
extended further when paired with the company’s 142AC mesh extender.

2. Using the Internet, research at least three different real world implementations of
wireless mesh networks. Why were they installed? What were their advantages?
What were their disadvantages?
• City Scale Systems
There are several IoT systems in use at the scale of a city today. Examples
include:
- Street lighting
- Air pollution monitoring
- Trash can usage monitoring
City-scale deployments are large and the devices are often placed in
clusters.
Wireless mesh networking is a good choice for city-scale systems because
they cover large areas and because they self-extend as more devices are
added.

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City-scale deployments are also affected by weather conditions. In damp

weather, wireless signal propagation changes. A wireless mesh network
automatically adapts: devices automatically choose the best network
structure.
• Electricity and Microgrids
In the electricity and utility area, IoT is used for many different systems,
including power line monitoring and microgrid control for renewables.
Because a wireless mesh network extends its range automatically, and
don’t require any third-party infrastructure, they are a good fit.
Reliability and robustness is important because electrical systems are
deployed in locations that may be hard to reach. Therefore, mesh networks
are a good fit because of their inherent robustness: if parts of the network
goes down, the rest of the network takes over.
• Lighting
In lighting, wireless communication is typically needed for two reasons.
One is to control lamps and the other one is To collect data from the
lamps, such as temperature or other useful information. This means that
two-way communication are needed.
Lighting systems are often deployed in large spaces. Horticultural lighting
systems may cover vast areas. Industrial lighting systems are placed in
large industrial halls. This means that we need to have very good wireless
coverage.
Wireless mesh networking is therefor a great match. Mesh networks are
inherently robust. And they can cover very large areas and in a wireless
mesh lighting system, each light is a node in the network. As we add more
lights, the network grows both larger and stronger.
In general, Wireless Mesh Networks has their own advantages and disadvantages:
Advantage:
• They use the same set of standards as most Wi-Fi networks -- 802.11a, b and g.
• They use less power.
• They can effectively provide coverage to home Wi-fi mesh networks without
reducing bandwidth, unlike Wi-Fi range extenders.
• They require only one node in the network to be physically wired for internet
connection.
• They provide collaborative, redundant backup technology, which ensures data
security in the event of disk failure.

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Disadvantages:
• The lack of a central server can make mesh systems more complicated to monitor,
control and troubleshoot.
• For homes, node devices can be less cost-effective than traditional router/modem Wi-
Fi networks.
• Initial network setup can be complex, as ideal node placement across different points
in the area likely involves some trial and error.
• Networks with low processing capabilities may have more latency, as data must often
hop through several different nodes.
• The lack of centralization can make routing and resource management processes
more complex than with other types of wireless networks.

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