Cisco Aeronet WLAN card (power control)

Hi,
I have been told that the Aeronet WLAN card by Cisco allows the user
to control transit power. How much flexibility does the card offer?
For example, can I use my own software/firmware module to send power
control commands to the card?
Any details would be helpful.
Thanks,
Aditya
Stanford University

In article <(E-Mail Removed) >,
Aditya <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
:I have been told that the Aeronet WLAN card by Cisco allows the user
:to control transit power. How much flexibility does the card offer?
:For example, can I use my own software/firmware module to send power
:control commands to the card?

My research indicates that this is Transmit Power Control (TPC)
from IEEE 802.11h, possibly still draft. I have not found a copy
of the [draft?] standard itself yet.

I would normally think it likely that there would be an SNMP interface
to this, but a document I found about 802.11k pointed out that
some of the smaller devices don't have the horsepower for an SNMP
server, so the 802.11k document went into other interfaces for
transfering data.

There -are- ways of adjusting the power remotely, but I have not
seen yet what the mechanism is. The documentation for the Cisco WLSE
device indicates that that device is able to remotely adjust power
automatically. Unfortunately, the WLSE 1130 version 2.5 sells
for about $US6800 (!), which is beyond my budget at the moment. Too bad,
as it looks like a very useful device in some its features.
--
millihamlet: the average coherency of prose created by a single monkey
typing randomly on a keyboard. Usenet postings may be rated in mHl.
-- Walter Roberson

This is very easy adjust transmit power, from PC to any electronic device,
do not forget computer is first electronic device and second is logical.

"Aditya" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> Hi,
> I have been told that the Aeronet WLAN card by Cisco allows the user
> to control transit power. How much flexibility does the card offer?
> For example, can I use my own software/firmware module to send power
> control commands to the card?
> Any details would be helpful.
> Thanks,
> Aditya
> Stanford University

Hi Walter,
Are there any WLAN dev. kits you could recommend that would enable
dynamic TPC through software/firmware. Basically we are trying to set
up a wireless testbed to validate some power control protocols
developed theoretically. Airborne from DPAC Tech, AVS Wireless Kit,
Synad Mercury are a few names I have heard. Any inputs from you?
I am still not very clear about Cisco Aeronet. Does it actually let
you send TPC commands to it, or does it regulate transit power on its
own?
Thanks
Aditya

(E-Mail Removed) (Walter Roberson) wrote in message news:<bqj5pn$5fs$(E-Mail Removed)>...
> In article <(E-Mail Removed) >,
> Aditya <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> :I have been told that the Aeronet WLAN card by Cisco allows the user
> :to control transit power. How much flexibility does the card offer?
> :For example, can I use my own software/firmware module to send power
> :control commands to the card?
>
> My research indicates that this is Transmit Power Control (TPC)
> from IEEE 802.11h, possibly still draft. I have not found a copy
> of the [draft?] standard itself yet.
>
> I would normally think it likely that there would be an SNMP interface
> to this, but a document I found about 802.11k pointed out that
> some of the smaller devices don't have the horsepower for an SNMP
> server, so the 802.11k document went into other interfaces for
> transfering data.
>
> There -are- ways of adjusting the power remotely, but I have not
> seen yet what the mechanism is. The documentation for the Cisco WLSE
> device indicates that that device is able to remotely adjust power
> automatically. Unfortunately, the WLSE 1130 version 2.5 sells
> for about $US6800 (!), which is beyond my budget at the moment. Too bad,
> as it looks like a very useful device in some its features.

In article <(E-Mail Removed) >,
Aditya <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
:Are there any WLAN dev. kits you could recommend that would enable
:dynamic TPC through software/firmware.

Sorry, no clue.

:Basically we are trying to set
:up a wireless testbed to validate some power control protocols
>developed theoretically. Airborne from DPAC Tech, AVS Wireless Kit,
:Synad Mercury are a few names I have heard. Any inputs from you?

I found some promising information by googling on TPC DFS development-kit
The chip manufacturers usually have SDK's available.


:I am still not very clear about Cisco Aeronet. Does it actually let
:you send TPC commands to it, or does it regulate transit power on its
wn?

It is remotely controllable, but I have no information about the
protocol used. I deduce that it is controllable by reading the
documentation for the features of the Cisco WLSE (Wireless Lan Solutions
Engine). I would suggest you look more closely at the WLSE, and in
particular it's "site survey" facilities, as it offers a feature for
measuring signals from a survey and figuring out what the best AP
placement would be, subject to contraints you can input about the
coverage you want [e.g., so that you can tune the signal to be within
an annex of a building instead of overflowing on to the parking lot.]
--
Usenet is one of those "Good News/Bad News" comedy routines.