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Experiment 2 Setting Up Wireless Networks

This document outlines the setup and configuration of wireless networks using Packet Tracer, detailing the available wireless devices and modules. It describes the process of establishing a wireless network with different SSIDs, testing connectivity, and configuring advanced features like RADIUS authentication and WPA2 security. The lab demonstrates the physical range of wireless devices and the integration of various technologies in a simulated environment.

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6 views8 pages

Experiment 2 Setting Up Wireless Networks

This document outlines the setup and configuration of wireless networks using Packet Tracer, detailing the available wireless devices and modules. It describes the process of establishing a wireless network with different SSIDs, testing connectivity, and configuring advanced features like RADIUS authentication and WPA2 security. The lab demonstrates the physical range of wireless devices and the integration of various technologies in a simulated environment.

Uploaded by

a.s.m.44557a
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Experiment 2

Setting Up Wireless Networks


Wireless networks are growing everywhere; one can find Wi-Fi hotspots at
most public places. Packet Tracer has a limited number of wireless devices
but provides an unlimited number of possibilities. When configuring a
wireless network, we consider the physical range of connectivity. Even though
it is only a simulator, the physical workspace of Packet Tracer will enable us
to test the wireless range of our network using its capability of moving around
devices. Towards the end of this Lab, we'll also configure a RADIUS server to
provide authentication for our wireless network.

Wireless devices and modules


Packet Tracer provides wireless modules for PCs/laptops and for routers to enable
wireless connectivity. Following are the wireless modules:
• Linksys-WMP300N: This is available for servers, PCs, and laptops. It
provides one 2.4 GHz wireless interface with protocols supporting
Ethernet. Once plugged in, this module is configurable through the PC
Wireless utility available in the Desktop tab.
• PC-HOST-NM-1W: This is a basic wireless interface that provides one
2.4 GHz wireless interface with support for Ethernet. This module isn't
configurable.
• PC-HOST-NM-1W-A: This is similar in features to the preceding
module, except that it provides a 5 GHz wireless interface.
• HWIC-AP-AG-B: This is a router module that works with 1841 and
2811 routers. It functions as an integrated access point and
supports single band 802.11b/g or dual band 802.11a/b/g radios.
Setting Up a Wireless Network
Now, we will investigate the devices; Packet Tracer has wireless end devices
as well as access points.
• TabletPC-PT / PDA-PT / WirelessEndDevice-PT: These three devices
provide the same functionality; they only represent different things.
These devices come with a built-in wireless interface.
• AccessPoint-PT / AccessPoint-PT-A / AccessPoint-PT-N: These are
generic wireless access points with minimal configuration options. All
of them have an antenna and a port to connect to a device, such as a
router or DHCP server.
• Linksys-WRT300N: This wireless device provides a web interface like
the one provided by a real Linksys model for configuring a SSID
(Service Set Identifier), wireless authentication, WAN port, and much
more. This device has 4 Ethernet LAN ports and 1 Ethernet WAN port
which can be connected to a router or model that provides internet.
Now that we know the network devices available in Packet Tracer, let's
start configuring a wireless network. We will use two access points with
two different SSIDs shown in the following figure:

For a change, we will use Tablet PC-PT and PDA-PT as wireless end devices. Once this topology
is created, you'll find that these devices pair haphazardly with different access points. So, we
will set the SSID field of Access Point0 to Office and that of AccessPoint 1 to Guest.
Chapter 9

Open each access point, go to the Config tab, select Port 1, and change the SSID
field, as shown in the following screenshot:

Now open each wireless end device, go to its Config tab, choose the Wireless
option under INTERFACE, and change its SSID, as shown in the following
screenshot:
Setting Up a Wireless Network

You'll now see wireless lines from each end device connecting to their
respective access point. Assign IP addresses to all of them from the
same subnet space and use the simple PDU tool to check connectivity.

Wireless Network and Physical Workspace


In the real world, each wireless device has a range up to which it can provide
wireless connectivity. Packet Tracer simulates this range with the use of
physical workspaces. We can see what happens when a laptop with a wireless
interface is moved out of wireless range. For this exercise, we'll use the
following topology:

This topology has a wireless access point (Access Point0) connected to a


switch (Switch0), which is connected to a PC (PC0). We also have a laptop
with a wireless interface.
Configure IP addresses on both the PC and laptop; we'll use IP addresses
10.0.0.1nand 10.0.0.2 respectively. Now ping these devices from one another to
test connectivity. Moving to the physical workspace, navigate to Home City |
Corporate Office. You'll find a round mesh that represents the range of the
wireless access point. We are now going to move the laptop to the new office
building, out of the wiring closet, and place it in the corporate office, as shown
in the following screenshot:
Going back to the corporate office, move the laptop out of this wireless range
and test the connectivity by pinging the PC. We will find that this fails because
the laptop is out of range, as shown in the following screenshot:

Thus, we've demonstrated the range of wireless devices using the


physical workspace.

Configuring a Linksys access point


So far, we have configured wireless networks without additional features such
as encryption or DHCP. In this section, we'll use the Linksys devices available
in Packet Tracer and create a topology with all these features.
We will also add a server (RADIUS) to this topology and enable RADIUS
authentication. WPA2-PSK enterprise will be the mode of authentication we
will choose in the Linksys router (Wireless Router0). After building this topology,
switch the default module of the laptop (Laptop0) with a Linksys-WMP300N
module. Open the Linksys router, go to the GUI tab, navigate to the Wireless
tab, and change the SSID field. We'll be using Linksys for this demo, as shown
in the following figure:

Open the server, navigate to the Config tab, select AAA, and configure RADIUS
authentication with four user credentials. Configuration will be as follows.
Network configuration will be as follows:

ClientName ClientIP ServerType Key


Linksys 192.168.0.1 Radius password

User setup will be as


follows:
UserName Password
alice pwd
bob s3ret
john secr3t
user1 passwd

Configure a static IP for the server as 192.168.0.50. Next, under the GUI tab of the Linksys
router, navigate to Wireless | Wireless security and enter the following settings:

Security Mode WPA2 Enterprise


Encryption AES
RADIUS Server 192.168.0.50
RADIUS Port 1645
Shared Secret password

Move on to the wireless end devices, go to the Config tab, select Wireless, and enter the following
settings:
• SSID: Linksys
• Authentication: WPA2
• User ID: john
• Password: secr3t

Make sure you use a different pair of credentials for each wireless end device. Once this is
configured, the end device will get an IP address and you'll see the wireless link indicating a
connection.
Now, we'll configure the laptop that has the Linksys module. Go to the Desktop tab, open the PC
Wireless utility, choose the Profiles tab, and click on New. Enter any name here, you'll see a list with
the SSID name shown, click on Advanced Setup and a wizard will guide you through the process.
Use the simple PDU tool to test the connectivity. If you use the simulation mode before a
wireless connection is established between two devices, you will see the RADIUS packet being
sent to the server by the router.

Summary
This Lab introduced you to the wireless devices used in Packet Tracer. We also configured a simple
wireless topology without any authentication and used the physical workspace to demonstrate the
range of wireless devices. Finally, we mixed technologies such as WPA2, RADIUS, and DHCP and
created a topology that uses Linksys devices.

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