Dr. Tahseen Al-Doori 1

Ad Hoc Wireless Networking

Dr. Tahseen Al-Doori 2

Tasks to perform•KIC Scenario•Learn the Basics of Ad Hoc wireless networks•Create a wireless Ad Hoc network with two Windows clients•Secure the wireless LAN•Test the WLAN by sharing Windows files over the WLAN

Dr. Tahseen Al-Doori 3

Scenario 

You have ordered the wireless equipment for the KIC network but they have not yet arrived.In the meantime, you want to experiment with some wireless settings between two Windows XP client machines. This will better acquaint you with the wireless client settings. Also, you want to see how an ad hoc network is configured in case you need to implement it later, at KIC. By doing these exercises, you will be better prepared for the future wireless configuration options, when the equipment arrives. You have borrowed two user's Laptop machines to test these exercises.You will call them CLIENT1 and CLIENT2. 

Dr. Tahseen Al-Doori 4

Definitions: 

Ad Hoc Wireless Network = a wireless network with no central hub or concentrator. For example, PC to PC. Infrastructure Wireless Network = a wireless network with a central hub or concentrator (access point). For example, PC to AP to PC.

Dr. Tahseen Al-Doori 5

What you need to know about Ad Hoc Wireless

 •Sometimes called peer-to-peer•Sometimes called IBSS (Independent Basic Service Set)•Not used every day•Great for meetings or gaming•A neat example of wireless in action•Fixed amount of bandwidth is available•Ad Hoc has a theoretical maximum bandwidth of 11Mbps, whether it is 802.11b or g.•Ad Hoc has especially bad issues with "hidden node" (where not all nodes can hear each other - in more detail later)

Dr. Tahseen Al-Doori 6

What you need to know about Ad Hoc Wireless 2

 •Doesn't scale beyond 5 to 10 due to all computers communicating with each other but can support up to 256•You cannot mix a, b, and g•All clients must be set to the same SSID (Service Set Identifier) - the wireless network name•All clients must be set to the same channel•All clients must be set to operate in ad hoc mode

Dr. Tahseen Al-Doori 7

•Windows file sharing, or some other application must be enabled•Firewalls can get in the way of applications•Ad hoc can be troublesome as the Wi-Fi Alliance didn't originally test Ad Hoc in their certification program•You can use Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) for IP addresses 169.54 network

Dr. Tahseen Al-Doori 8

Hidden Nodes

Dr. Tahseen Al-Doori 9

AD HOC Wireless Lab

Follow the lab notes that has been handed over to you