Lesson 5 - Chapter 3: Troubleshooting Wi-Fi

Question 1

The first step to breaking down a wireless network issue is to figure out what?

Answer 1

figure out the scope of the wireless networking problem

Question 2

What are 3 questions to ask yourself to narrow down the scope of the issue? WWW

Answer 2

1. Who? (is affected?)
2. What? (is the nature of the issue? type of error? all network services affected?)
3. When? (did it start? has changed?)

Question 3

Where do you go to troubleshoot a suspected Wi-Fi hardware problem?

Answer 3

Windows Device Manager

Question 4

Windows Device Manager: what does it mean to see a big exclamation point next to the device?

Answer 4

driver error

Question 5

Windows Device Manager: what does a downward-facing arrow next to the device indicate?

Answer 5

it has been disabled

[enable it or reinstall if needed]

Question 6

Windows Device Manager: what if you don’t see the device at all?

Answer 6

perhaps it’s not seated properly or plugged all the way in

Question 7

Hardware issues are ruled out, which leaves software. What 2 things should come to mind to check?

Answer 7

1. wireless adapter configuration utility
2. WAP’s firmware version

Question 8

Remember, some wireless devices won’t work properly unless you install what?

Answer 8

the vendor-provided drivers and configuration utility BEFORE plugging in the device

(if you forgot, uninstall in Device Manager and start again)

Question 9

How would outdated WAP firmware manifest?

Answer 9

erratic behavior (slow speeds, frequent timeouts, no Internet until WAP is rebooted, Apple devices can’t connect, etc)

Question 10

How do you update the WAP’s firmware?

Answer 10

Get the device’s exact model number and hardware version and the current firmware version and go to the manufacturer’s site to find the latest version (follow the manufacturer’s specific instructions!)

(don’t install the wrong firmware version or you might make WAP useless!!)

Question 11

What does it mean when something has been bricked?

Answer 11

it’s useless as a brick (unusable)

Question 12

Most wireless connectivity problems come down to either 2 things:

Answer 12

1. Incorrect configuration
2. Low signal strength

Question 13

Weak signals can result in 2 things:

Answer 13

1. Slow overall data transfer
2. Intermittent wireless connections

Question 14

What’s the process to diagnose/repair a wireless network?

Answer 14

same as wired: Check wireless NIC’s link lights if it’s passing data packets to/from network, then check the NIC’s configuration utility

Question 15

If your link state indicates that your PC is disconnected, you may have a problem with your…?

Answer 15

WAP

Question 16

If your signal is too weak to receive a signal, then you may be…

Answer 16

out of range or a device is causing interference

Question 17

Why would you adjust the antennas to try to improve the Wi-Fi signal?

Answer 17

Because the signals bounce off of objects

Question 18

Besides adjusting the antennas, what else can you do to try to improve the signal? (3)

Answer 18

1. swap out the standard antenna for a higher-gain antenna
2. relocate the PC/access point
3. locate/move the device causing interference

Question 19

What are 3 things you can try if you’re experiencing interference from other wireless devices?

Answer 19

1. change the channel the network uses
2. change the channel the offending device uses
3. try moving the interfering device to another area or replace it with another device

Question 20

The most common type of wireless networking problem is?

Answer 20

misconfigured hardware or software (user error)

(SSID and security configuration most likely)

Question 21

Changing the SSID of a WAP will prevent the client from connecting and may see what error? How do you fix it? (2)

Answer 21

“SSID not found”

(change the SSID back or update the client configuration)

Question 22

If a client can’t connect to a new WAP even if it has the same SSID and connection configuration as the old one, what can you do?

Answer 22

delete the old connection profile from the client and create a new one

Question 23

If a client has trouble accessing a WAP and you’re using MAC address filtering, what should you make sure?

Answer 23

make sure the MAC address of the client is on the list of accepted users

(especially if you swap out NICs on a PC or introduce a new PC to the network)

Question 24

Do access points have the capability to export encryption keys onto a thumb drive/removable media?

Answer 24

Yes (this can prevent mistyping an encryption key and being denied access)

Question 25

For a Wi-Fi network, each host (node) needs a….?

Answer 25

NIC or built-in equivalent and at least 1 WAP (switches, routers)

Question 26

What is the maximum range of current Bluetooth devices?

Answer 26

100 meters