Hunter Kyleanne Wireless Networks, Group 1 Lynksys WAP 11 - Instant Wireless Network Access Point The "push" to go wireless is a phenomenon which has flooded the technology market in recent years. With the advancements in cellular telephone technology, there is a bigger and bigger push to successfully transfer it to the Internet. The Lynksys "WAP11 -Instant Wireless Network Access Point" and "WPC11 - Instant Wireless Network PC Card" is an attempt to do just that. Its technology enables a user to connect to a network and maintain the convenience of mobility. This is especially attractive for laptop users, as they are able to fully take advantage of the portability of their system. The technical specifications for the WAP 11 boast transfer rates up to 11 Mbps, support of up to 32 user nodes, and a range up to 500 meters outdoors (1640 feet). It also claims to provide roaming, load balancing, and network traffic filtering when a wireless LAN infrastructure has been setup as well as be best access point selection. Also, 24/7 technical support is provided with a one year warranty. Such features make the appeal of such a device extremely attractive. The initial setup of the device was relatively straightforward. However, we lacked the CD-ROM needed for driver instillation. This was remedied by retrieving them from the Lynksys website and proceeding with installation. Access card installation was extremely simple as well. Windows automatically detects the presence of the new hardware, and installation process begins at startup. After setup, testing the range and strength of the device began. A handy configuration tool is provided, which informs the user to signal strength, download speed, and connection quality at all times. This aided greatly in monitoring the success of the system, as well as the keeping track of trends in signal strength, quality, and speed. However, one problem that we did encounter in trying to test the product was limited hardware capacity. Testing a transfer rate of 11 Mbps is impossible given the LAN architecture of Georgetown's system. At max testing, we were able to achieve a transfer rate of 400 Kbps (on a file of about 15 Megs from the server). Georgetown The transfer took less than a minute when the receiver and transmitter with in a direct line of site at a distance of about 2-2.5 meters. We were unable to test the load balancing feature and user capacity due to a lack of laptops and the absence of a complete LAN network setup. Concerning distance of reception, the specs given were greatly overstated from what we were able to achieve. Our findings in this department were extremely disappointing. Though a 150-meter indoor range was given, we were barely able to achieve 10 feet. As soon as the laptop was taken out of the room, reception quality dropped substantially, and one step to either side of the door cut off transmission almost completely. To try to increase the possibility to test direct line of sight range, we moved the transmitter into the hallway. Though we now had a relatively long corridor with a direct line of sight, the results of these tests were disappointing as well. Even with the direct line of sight, we did not reach NEAR the 150-meter mark. Connection was lost before we reached the end of the 17-meter hallway. Yet to the credit of the device, download speed remained good even when the signal was weak.
Unfortunately, Lynksys did not provide their testing methodology with their specifications, so their exact tests could not be replicated. This would have been ideal, especially since our data was so divergent from that provided. Though we most likely could not have replicated their testing exactly, we may have been able to set our conditions to more accurately meet theirs. The push toward wireless will most likely continue and improvements on existing technology grow at a rapid pace. The Lynksys WAP 11 is a good start, but is still lacking in many departments. If it did actually live up to its stated specifications, it may be a worthy investment, however, given its inability to penetrate walls or perform at a range beyond a few feet, in actuality it may not be worth the investment. Yet the possibilities given improvements are great. It could be very useful in an office building if it were able to penetrate the floors, or a small community if it were able to go through the walls of people's homes.