Dummies, Wireless

Chapter 7: Setting Up a Wireless Windows Network
The Network and Sharing Center includes a helpful Signal Strength meter
(which you can see from the View Status screen). We found in our tests that
the Windows meter is not as fast to respond as some of the vendors’ software
that comes with your wireless network card. But if your vendor does not give
you a signal meter, this one works fine to find weak coverage areas in your
house.
Tracking Your Network’s Performance
After you have your network adapters and APs installed and up and running,
you may think that you have reached the end of the game — wireless network
nirvana! And, in some ways you have, at least after you go through the
steps in Chapter 9 and get your network and all its devices connected to the
Internet. But part of the nature of wireless networks is the fact that they rely
on the transmission of radio waves throughout your home. If you have ever
tried to tune in a station on your radio or TV but had a hard time getting a
signal (who hasn’t had this problem — besides kids who have grown up on
cable TV and Internet radio, we suppose), you probably realize that radio
waves can run into interference or just plain peter out at longer distances.
The transmitters used in Wi-Fi systems use very low power levels — at least
compared with commercial radio and television transmitters — so the issues
of interference and range that are inherent to any radio-based system are
even more important for a wireless home network.
Luckily, client software — usually in the form of a link test program — comes
with some wireless network adapters, and signal meters are built into Windows
XP and Vista. These tools enable you to look at the performance of your network.
With most systems (and client software), you can view this performancemonitoring
equipment in two places:
� In your system tray: Most wireless network adapters install a small
signal-strength meter on the Windows system tray (usually found in the
lower-right corner of your screen, although you may have moved it elsewhere
on your screen). This signal-strength meter usually has a series of
bars that light up in response to the strength of your wireless network’s
radio signal. It’s different with each manufacturer, but most that we’ve
seen light up the bars in green to indicate signal strength. The more bars
that light up, the stronger your signal.
� Within the client software itself: The client software you installed along
with your network adapter usually has a more elaborate signal-strength
system that graphically (or using a numerical readout) displays several
measures of the quality of your radio signal. This is often called a link test
function, although different manufacturers call it different things. (Look
in your manual or in the online help system to find it in your network
adapter’s client software.) The link test usually measures several things:
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