Course Title: Conduct field tests of radio/wireless networks

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2009

Course Code: EEET6554C

Course Title: Conduct field tests of radio/wireless networks

School: 130T Vocational Engineering

Campus: City Campus

Program: C6080 - Advanced Diploma of Telecommunications Engineering

Course Contact: Program Manager

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4468

Course Contact Email: engineering-tafe@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Noor Sateh noor.sateh@rmit.edu.au

Nominal Hours: 60

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

This course is designed to assist learner to gain the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to undertaking field tests of radio-wireless networks, includes understanding the fundamental structure of radio networks, the technique to conduct field test in radio-wireless network, the concept to plan and simulate a radio network over designated coverage area.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

ICTTC096C Conduct field tests of radio/wireless networks

Element:

Analyse test results

Performance Criteria:

•Appropriate personnel are consulted to ensure the work is coordinated effectively with others involved on the work site
•Systems' commissioning procedures are checked against requirements
•Materials necessary to complete the work are obtained in accordance with established procedures and checked against requirements
•Tools, equipment and testing devices needed to carry out the commissioning work are obtained in accordance with established procedures and checked for correct operation and safety
•Preparatory work is checked to ensure no unnecessary damage has occurred and complies with requirements

Element:

Conduct tests

Performance Criteria:

• OH&S policies and procedures are followed
• Systems are checked as being isolated where necessary using specified testing procedures
•Unplanned events or conditions are responded to in accordance with established procedures
•Systems’ commissioning procedures are performed in accordance with requirements, without damage or distortion to the surrounding environment or services
•Contingency measures are managed and implemented in accordance with established procedures to ensure the system operates as intended or designed
•On-going checks of the quality of the work are undertaken in accordance with established procedures

Element:

Obtain tools

Performance Criteria:


•Final inspections and performance checks are undertaken to ensure that the commissioning procedures of advanced system and associated apparatus conforms to requirements
•Commissioning results and work completion are notified in accordance with established procedures

Element:

Plan tests

Performance Criteria:

Commissioning procedures are planned and prepared to ensure OH&S policies and procedures are followed, the work is appropriately sequenced in accordance with requirements
•Appropriate personnel are consulted to ensure the work is coordinated effectively with others involved on the work site

Element:

Undertake administrative tasks

Performance Criteria:

•Final inspections and performance checks are undertaken to ensure that the commissioning procedures of advanced system and associated apparatus conforms to requirements
•Commissioning results and work completion are notified in accordance with established procedures
•Final inspections and performance checks are undertaken to ensure that the commissioning procedures of advanced system and associated apparatus conforms to requirements
•Commissioning results and work completion are notified in accordance with established procedures


Learning Outcomes



Details of Learning Activities

This course covers the theory and application for the following concepts:
• Radio Frequency Fundamentals
• RF Components, Measurements & Mathematics
• Spread Spectrum
• Antenna Concepts
• Different types of Wireless Network standards and standardization body: 802.11, 802.16, 802.20
• Key Features of WLAN, WMAN, WWAN
• Wireless LAN Topologies & Devices
• 802.11 Medium Access
• RF Site Survey
• Configuration and Setup of WLAN
• WLAN Security
• Troubleshooting


Teaching Schedule


Week 1 Course Outline, Assessment Criteria
Technology Overview, Wireless Standards & Standardization Body,
How Wireless Network Works, Where to Setup a Wireless Network, Security Issues

Week 2 Radio Frequency Fundamentals
Radio Frequency Characteristics: Wavelength, Amplitude, Frequency, Phase, Polarity, Keying Methods
Basic concepts of RF behaviour: Wave Propagation, Absorption, Reflection, Loss (Attenuation), interference, crosstalk
Basic components of RF mathematics: Watt, Milliwatt (mW), Decibel (dB), dBi, dBd, dBm
Various antenna types: Omni-directional, Semi-directional & Highly-directional Antenna

Week 3 Spread Spectrum
Different uses for spread spectrum technologies.
Various types of spread spectrum and differences between them.
Frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS).
Direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS).
Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM).
Concepts relevant to the operation of spread spectrum technology.

Week 4 WLANs standards and standardization body: 802.11
Different 802.11 standards, its variances
Network Architecture of different 802.11 standards.
Operating frequency, data rate and range of different 802.11 standards.
Equipments used for different 802.11 standards.

Week 5-6 Key Features of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs)
Interference, Reliability, Bandwidth, Throughput, Security, Human safety, Mobility, Roaming
WLANs Service Sets.

Lab: Collect information about LAN installation equipments and cost.

Week 7 WMANs standards and their properties: 802.16
Planning of different 802.16 standards.
Working frequency, data rate and range of different 802.16 standards.
Equipments used for different 802.16 standards

Lab: Identify RF site survey requirements.

Week 8 Key features of Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMANs)
Structural design of WMANs.
Single Base Station (BS)
Multiple fixed Subscriber Stations (SS)

Lab: Perform RF site survey.


Week 9-10 Key issues usually related with WMANs
Data Rate, Range, Line-of-Sight, Throughput, Quality of Service (QoS)
Applications of WMANs.
Fixed vs. Mobile characteristics in WMANs.
spectral efficiency of WMANs

Lab: Configure a Wireless LAN.

Week 11 Different WWANs standards and their properties: 802.20
Planning of different 802.20 standards.
Applications of various WWANs standards.

Week 12 Key features of Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWANs)

Week 13 RF Site Survey
Importance of an RF site survey.
Important things in performing a site survey.
Necessary tasks of an RF site survey.
RF site survey reporting procedures

Week 14 Configuration and setup of WLANs
WLANs based on RF site survey.
Configuration requirements to setup WLANs.
Configure a WLAN.

Lab: Secure Wireless LAN using WEP.


Week 15-16 WLAN Security
Strengths, weaknesses and appropriate uses of the WLAN security techniques.
Types of wireless LAN security attacks, and how to identify and prevent them.
Appropriate security solution from the available wireless LAN security solutions.
Uses of the corporate security policies and how they are used to secure a wireless LAN.
How and where the security precautions are used to secure a WLAN.
Week 17 Revision of Lectures
Week 18 Written Final Exam


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

Coleman, DD and Westcott, DA, (2006)
Certified Wireless Network Administrator Study Guide
Wiley Publishing, Inc. Indianapolis, Indian


References


Other Resources


Overview of Assessment

The assessment is conducted in both theoretical and practical aspects of the course according to the criteria set in the National Training Package. The students are required to undertake summative assessments that bring together skills and knowledge as follows:

• Theoretical Written assessment.
• Work Simulation Projects.
• A Pass in schedule practical exercises


Assessment Tasks

Lab #1
Setting up Wireless LAN   :Student will set up basic wireless LAN and will do the configuration .

Lab #2
Connecting to RMIT Wireless Network
Assignment

ab #3
RF Site Survey
Lab #4
Setting up radius server

Practical exam

Written Exam


Assessment Matrix

Project work / Assignment 20%
Prepare lab journal 10%
Lab Exam 30%
Final exam 40%

Course Overview: Access Course Overview