Department of Computer & Information Sciences

ASSESSMENT BRIEF (2024-25 Sem 2)

Module Title: Wireless Networks and Security
Module Code: KF7031
Academic Year / Semester: 2024-25 / Semester 2
Module Tutor / Email (all Nauman Aslam
queries): [email protected]
% Weighting (to overall
50%
module):
802.11 WLAN Design and Performance
Assessment Title:
Evaluation
Date of Handout to w/c Feb 17, 2025 (During the workshop
Students: session)
Mechanism for Handout: Module Blackboard Site
Deadline for Attempt
May 19, 2025 11.59 pm GMT
Submission by Students:
Document upload to Module Blackboard
Mechanism for Submission:
Site
Please upload your written report as a
Submission Format / Word
single PDF document. Your report should
Count
not exceed 3000 words in length.
Date by which Work,
Feedback and Marks will be June 16, 2025
returned:
Mark and individual written feedback will
Mechanism for return of be available on Blackboard Module Site.
Feedback and Marks: For further queries please email module
tutor.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
The learning outcomes (LOs) for this module are:
LO1 Be able to describe, explain critically and analyse wireless data communication
technology along with associated security issues.
LO2 Be able to analyse and model wireless behaviour using appropriate mathematics.
LO3 Be able to critically analyse enterprise requirements for wireless systems.
LO4 Be able to critically analyse 802.11 protocol information.
LO5 Be able to Make critical decisions about designing secure wireless networks.
LO6 Be able to understand the global nature of WLAN standards and design.

This assessment addresses learning outcomes LO3, LO4, LO6

Introduction
In a role as a Wireless LAN Network Engineer at Northumbria University IT team, your first task
requires a new design for upgrading wireless LAN deployment plan for the new Computer Science
Building. The building consists of three floors with computer laboratories, teaching spaces, staff
offices, student project space and open space/café at the ground floor. The computer labs on the
first floor are used to computer vision and gaming which requires high bandwidth and data rates.
There is an existing wireless network, however that is based on old 802.11b technology. The new
design requires good coverage, speed (data rate) and security as three essential design parameters.
Due to some special constraints, only 2.4 GHz based technology is allowed. You are required to
produce a report based on the requirements and the given structure to summarise the work you
have done. The report must complete the following two tasks.

Tasks
You have the following 2 tasks to conduct:

1) You are required to propose a WLAN design and deployment plan for this building to meet the
coverage, speed and security requirements. The design should follow professional practices.
Your customer has provided the following design requirements:
a. Data Rate: minimum 100 Mbps/user
b. Available Spectrum Technology only within 2.4 GHz
c. Peak User Density: 200 users/floor
d. Applications supported: video streaming, gaming and computer vision, web
browsing, emails, file servers, office applications
e. Security: Network security is essential
f. Costs: Realistic deployment plan costs

In the report, you need to identify and justify the solutions that meet the above requirements.

2) After your deployment plan is implemented for a while, students report that during peak hours,
the wireless connection on the first-floor computer laboratories drops intermittently. It is
suspected that the network performance deteriorates due to the increase in network scale, i.e.,
the number of wireless users connected to the WLAN. You are required to use a network
simulator OMNeT++ to investigate how the network scale affects the throughput performance.
You need to simulate an 802.11n infrastructure BSS and examine how the network throughput
varies against the network scale at different PHY data rates. The throughput recorded should be
the average network throughput across multiple wireless stations over the simulation duration.
You can assume that all stations have the same length of application packets to emphasize the
impact of network scale on throughput. In the report you need to explain the simulation
procedure, present the results, and discuss the reasons behind observations.
Structure of the report:
You are recommended to follow the following structure for your report:

Section Percentage Comment

Task 1 50% The solutions should be clearly identified and justified as to how your solutions
Solutions and Justification meet the customer requirements. 10% marks for each requirement’s solution and
justification.
Task 2 50% The simulation method is described and explained clearly. Make sure the
Simulation method 25% information presented allows other people who have already known OMNeT++ to
reproduce the simulation. Use screenshots where appropriate. Display the
Results – what you recorded 15% simulation results using plots or tables where appropriate. Discuss the
Discussion – observations and the 10% observations and the possible reasons behind.
reasons behind
Marking Criteria:
Section Fail (<50%) Pass (50%~60%) Satisfactory (60%-70%) Good (70%-80%) Excellent (>80%)
Task 1 Failed to provide the The solution is provided The solutions and The solutions and The Required solutions
solution. but justifications are justifications are provided justifications are provided and justifications are
weak, and explanation but the explanation has but there are minor included and explained
is inadequate or some unclear or misleading omissions or misleading clearly with no omissions
unclear. explanation. information. or misleading
information.
Task 2 No clue of how the The simulation methods Main simulation steps are Proper description of the Clear description of the
simulations were are provided, but lack of provided, but with some simulation procedure, simulation procedure.
carried out. Major a clear systematic major omissions. although with some minor Sufficient info is provided
steps are missing. description of the Necessary results are omissions or misleading to reproduce the results.
No/inadequate procedure. Necessary displayed in a clear way. explanation. Proper Nice presentation of
results are provided. results are displayed, Some of the explanations presentation of results results using plots/tables.
Lack of explanation but not in a clear way. for observations are not using plots/tables. Brief and clear
and reasoning of the Weak explanation on clear. Attempted the Explanation on the explanation on the
observations. observations. Lack of reasoning for observations, observations is clear. observations. Reasoning
reasoning for the but some of the reasons Correct reasoning for for the observations
observations. have flaws. observations but with shows excellent
some omissions. understanding of the
802.11 technology.