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Monitor Information

Link Test (802.11b Only)

This tab displays information on the quality of the wireless link to clients and other 802.11b APs in the Wireless
Distribution System. During a Link Test, the Access Point and the selected device exchange a series of packets to test
the strength of the connection. The devices start by exchanging packets at the 11 Mbits/sec rate but fall back to the
slower rates if necessary.
NOTE
The Remote Link Test feature is only available for 2.4 GHz (802.11b) clients. Also, this feature is not available
if you are using an ORiNOCO 802.11a/b ComboCard or a non-ORiNOCO client.
Follow these steps to perform a Link Test:
1. Login to the AP’s Web browser interface.
2. Click Monitor > Link Test.
3. Click Explore.
– Result: A list of detected stations will appear. If the list does not appear automatically, click Refresh .
Figure 6-9 Remote Link Test Screen
4. Select a Station from the list by clicking the circle to the left of the Station’s entry.
5. Click Link Test to start the test.
– Result: A new Link Test window opens and displays the following information for the Access Point (referred to
as the Initiator Station) and the wireless client (referred to as the Remote Station):
•Station Name: The Access Point’s System Name or the client’s Windows Networking name.
•MAC Address
•SNR (dB): The Signal to Noise ratio for the received signal. The displayed value is the running average
since the start of the test and is reported in decibels (dB). Higher numbers correspond to a stronger link.
The bar graph also displays the relative strength of the link (a green bar indicates a strong link, a yellow
bar indicates a fair link, and a red bar indicates a weak link).
•Signal (dBm): The strength of the received signal in dBm (decibels referenced to 1 milliwatt). The
displayed value is the running average since the start of the test and is reported as a negative number.
Higher numbers correspond to a stronger link. For example, -40 dBm corresponds to a stronger signal
than -50 dBm. The bar graph also displays the relative strength of the signal (a longer bar represents a
stronger signal).