Using the Link Status Meter
This section explains how to use the
LSM utility to determine the performance of the RF link between the client
adapter and its associated access point.
To open LSM in Windows 95, 98,
NT, 2000, XP, or Me, double-click the ACU icon on the desktop
. Next, click on
the Link Status Meter icon. The Link Status Meter screen appears
. The Link Status Meter screen provides a graphical display of the
following:
- Signal strength – The strength of the client adapter radio signal at the
time packets are being received. It is displayed as a percentage along the
vertical axis.
- Signal quality – The quality of the client adapter radio signal at the time
packets are being received. It is displayed as a percentage along the
horizontal axis.
The diagonal line represents the combined result of the signal strength
and signal quality
. The
location of the line on the graphical display determines whether the RF link
between the client adapter and its associated AP is poor, fair, good, or
excellent.
This information can be used to determine the optimum number
and placement of APs in the RF network. By using LSM to assess the RF link at
various locations, areas of weak performance can be avoided to eliminate the
risk of losing the connection between the client adapter and the AP.
The
AP that is associated to the client adapter and its MAC address are indicated
at the bottom of the display.
The parameters that control LSM operation can be set by the user. To do so,
select Preferences from the Options pull-down menu
.
Click
OK at the bottom of the LSM Preferences screen to save any
changes.