Develop Wireless LAN Design & Validation Tools

"Although wireless 802.11 networks can be exceptionally convenient to install and flexible to use, as compared to a wired network, there are also potential downsides. Quirks in the host facility, signal multi-pathing, and electromagnetic interference allcan create difficult design and validation issues. Add the realities of a Navy shipboard environment or a shore-side industrial installation, and simple site survey tools and design techniques become inadequate.To achieve a WLAN's promised convenience and flexibility, Syntonics will develop WLAN site survey, installation validation and troubleshooting tools that can cope with shipboard and other military installations. Springboarding from commercially availablesoftware and hardware tools with customization to meet the unique requirements of military WLANs, Syntonics believes developing a set of appropriate tools for the Navy is possible and practical.The objective of Phase I is to develop a set of tools that perform three tasks in a military environment:Interference detection and source localization; Multi-path identification and diagnosis; and Traffic injection and point-to-point network performancemeasurementTool concepts, performance metrics and life-cycle cost estimates will also result from this work. The commercial potential of WLAN tool products is substantial. The adoption of WLAN technology is exploding and with it the need to survey prospective installations, support installa