Page 1 Of 2 Lab 4 Exercises In A Wireless Soho Small Office

Page 1 Of 2lab 4 Exercisesin A Wireless Soho Small Officehome Offi

In a wireless SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) network, the strength of the radio signal is a function of the distance between the wireless Access Point (AP) and the computers wirelessly connected. The maximum range is approximately 125 ft. Create a program that estimates the radio signal strength (percentage) for computers at different distances from the AP, using five distance zones and proportionally assigning signal strength ranges. If the distance exceeds 125 ft, the program should handle this appropriately.

The program should prompt the user for multiple input distances, be user-friendly, and inform the user how to terminate the session. It must implement at least three modules and display outputs clearly. The program should be tested with various distances to ensure correctness.

Paper For Above instruction

Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), especially in small office and home office (SOHO) environments, rely heavily on radio signals for connectivity. The signal strength between the wireless Access Point (AP) and client devices diminishes as the distance increases, affecting the quality of the connection. Accurate estimation of radio signal strength based on distance can help in planning network deployment, troubleshooting, and optimizing coverage. In this paper, we develop a structured program to estimate signal strength as a percentage based on the distance of a device from the AP, following the IEEE 802.11g specifications, which approximate a maximum range of 125 feet.

The problem involves creating a program that accepts multiple distances from the user, calculates the signal strength for each, and outputs the results in an easily understandable format. The program must encompass a modular design, be user-friendly, and handle unusual cases—such as when the distance exceeds the maximum range. This implementation aligns with best practices for software development, emphasizing modularity, usability, and robustness.

Design and Implementation

The program's core task is to translate a given distance into a percentage signal strength value. To achieve this, we establish five distance zones relative to the maximum range of 125 ft, with each zone assigned a proportional signal strength range. For simplicity and clarity, the following proportional zones are used:

• 0 - 25 ft: 100% - 80% signal strength
• 26 - 50 ft: 79% - 60%
• 51 - 75 ft: 59% - 40%
• 76 - 100 ft: 39% - 20%
• 101 - 125 ft: 19% - 0%

Distances beyond 125 ft are considered to have negligible or zero signal strength, or alternatively, the program can flag such distances as out of range.

Modular Structure

The program is segmented into three main modules:

1. Input Module: Handles user prompts and input collection. It informs users on how to terminate the program (e.g., entering a specific sentinel value like -1).
2. Processing Module: Calculates the signal strength based on the distance, utilizing the established zones and proportional calculations.
3. Output Module: Presents the estimated signal strength in a user-friendly format on the console, including appropriate labels and formatting.

This modular approach improves code readability, maintainability, and scalability.

Algorithm Description

The pseudocode begins with displaying a program title for clarity. It then enters a loop where it prompts for the user to input distances continuously. If the input is the termination signal (-1), the loop exits. Otherwise, it invokes the processing module to determine the signal strength range and then calls the output module to display the results.

The calculation logic involves checking the input distance against the pre-defined zones and computing the signal percentage proportionally within each zone. For distances exceeding 125 ft or negative inputs other than the termination signal, the program responds with a suitable message indicating out-of-range or invalid input.

Conclusion

Estimating radio signal strength based on distance is vital for effective wireless network management. The outlined program provides a practical tool for such estimations, demonstrating principles of modular programming, user interface design, and basic physics modeling. Testing with various inputs affirms that the program handles edge cases appropriately and produces accurate signal strength ranges, thereby helping network administrators optimize device placement and troubleshoot connectivity issues.

References

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