B1.

SURVEY

Dimensions: 11m (length), 6m (width)

Red circles: locations of access points
Blue circle: locations of measurements

(The status of doors (‘closed’ or ‘opened’) is exactly the same as it was while measuring)
Software: Netspot for Laptop (Window)
• Recorded features: Network Name, MAC address, Signal strength, % Signal strength,
Mode, Band and Channel.
• For SNR, Netspot only provided a bar without specific number, and for free version,
there is no noise level.
Collected information for Wi-fi access point 1:
Location Network MAC address Signal % Signal 802.11 Band Channel
Name strengt Signal to version(s)
h strengt noise supported
h ratio
(SNR)
1 WiFi-6BC0 B0:95:75:56:6B:C0 -33 73% High n 2.4 6
2 WiFi-6BC0 B0:95:75:56:6B:C0 -48 56% Normal n 2.4 6
3 WiFi-6BC0 B0:95:75:56:6B:C0 -64 37% Normal n 2.4 6
4 WiFi-6BC0 B0:95:75:56:6B:C0 -63 38% Normal n 2.4 6
5 WiFi-6BC0 B0:95:75:56:6B:C0 -62 40% Normal n 2.4 6

Collected information for Wi-fi access point 2:

Location Network MAC address Signal % Signal 802.11 Band Channel
Name strengt Signal to version(s)
h strengt noise supported
h ratio
(SNR)
1 Duy’s 02:8E:BC:45:1A:DC -66 35% Normal n 2.4 6
iPhone
2 Duy’s 02:8E:BC:45:1A:DC -53 50% Normal n 2.4 6
iPhone
3 Duy’s 02:8E:BC:45:1A:DC -63 44% Normal n 2.4 6
iPhone
4 Duy’s 02:8E:BC:45:1A:DC -60 42% Normal n 2.4 6
iPhone
5 Duy’s 02:8E:BC:45:1A:DC -50 53% High n 2.4 6
iPhone
B2. REPORT
For calculating the interactions between APs and devices, an area of about 11 meters in length
and 6 meters in width was used. As we could observe, the Wi-fi signal of two different APs was
recorded at five individual locations.
The first AP: a router is named ‘WiFi-6BC0’ with MAC address is ‘B0:95:75:56:6B:C0’
The second AP: an iPhone is named ‘Duy’s iPhone’ with MAC address is ‘02:8E:BC:45:1A:DC’
According to figures, two APs used the same band which is 2.4 GHz and default channel is 6.
Although they are configured using overlapping channels so there is no phenomenon of
occupying channels. However, it reduces the network signal to each other. Fortunately, there are
two ways to improve their signals. First, we could configure to change the band APs to 5 GHz,
with 23 independent channels in comparison with 3 of 2.4 GHz. Second, we change the default
channels of APs, for example, if AP1 used channel 6, then we would use channel 1 or 11 for
AP2.
For location 2 and location 3 for both APs, although the distances to each AP are the same, the
signal strength of location 3 is less than location 2. The most difference between two points is the
surrounding walls. After many experiments that took the wall as barrier, the result showed that
wall make attenuation signal strength. And not only the wall, materials generally cause
attenuation of signal. Data was collected below, experiment used iPhone as AP:
MATERIALS ATTENUATION
Glass window 2-4 dB
Wooden materials 3-6 dB
Bricks 6-12 dB
Wall 12-20 dB

Collate the obtained results with collected data from location 2 and 3, for AP1 location 3 is 16
dB less than location 2, and figure is near 12 dB for AP2.
Moreover, we know that the best signal strength is higher than -60 dB. However, the APs and
measured locations are on the same floor with a limit space only 66 square meters, network
signal was different for each location which means if the desired area is increased, AP could not
cover sufficiently. But for the present area, the local AP is enough to cover 66 square meters. To
enhance the signal strength, we could use the result from the mentioned experiment by arranging
study and working space is opened and not located in narrow places with many obstacles. Or
simpler, setup the AP at empty area high area like top of closet or on the table for better signal.
Furthermore, basically there is one more way to increase the signal of AP, it is reducing number
of people in the area using Wi-fi, rather than reduce the amount of devices. In order to prove this
statement, we did another experiment. First, we calculate the signal of the AP in a clear, empty
area with milestones of 3 meters, 7 meters and 11 meters. Then around 8 people came inside that
area and the signal was calculated again. It showed that the existence of many people caused
around 14% to 26% reduction of Wi-fi signal. However, human’s body only contains proteins
and 70% water. Therefore, with this result we compared with many available researches and
found that water is main reason cause the weak signal strength [*]. And because of 70% of
human’s body is water so many ‘water bags’ in the same area made 14% to 26% reduction as
mentioned earlier.

[*] Hang Song, Bo Wei, Qun Yu, Xia Xiao, Takamaro Kikkawa
Measurement of Dielectric Property with Commodity WiFi Device - An application to
Ethanol/Water Mixture (March 2020)