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Network Testing and Emulation Solutions

CT520-abg LANforge WiFIRE 802.11a/b/g WiFi Traffic Generator with 32 Virtual STA Interfaces

The CT520-abg wireless traffic generator is an excellent choice for testing Access Points and other WiFi networks. The CT520-abg uses a modified Wireless driver for WiFi NICs based on the Atheros chipset. It can support up to 32 Virtual Stations. Each of the Virtual Stations has it's own IP address, IP port space, MAC address and routing table. The Virtual Stations can be assigned to communicate to a particular Access Point, use a particular ESSID and Nickname, and have a WEP (64 or 128bit) or WPA key assigned. There is a single WiFi radio per CT520-abg but multiple CT520-abg systems can be clustered together for more realistic radio interference patterns and increased traffic generation capability. The radio supports 802.11 a, b, or g mode. The radio's channel, frequency, sensitivity, rate, RTS and Tx-Power can also be configured.

The Virtual Stations may be configured with all of the virtual interfaces on the same subnet, or different subnets, depending on the testing requirements. When used with something like VoIP, it allows all of the VoIP calls to use the standard IP ports (with one call per virtual interface).

The CT520-abg has no moving parts (other than the three removable external antenna on swivel mounts) and will fit into a small travel bag or briefcase for easy portability. It is also completely silent, so you can include it in your customer demos and presentations. No additional hardware or software is required, but it is suggested that you manage the system using the LANforge-GUI on a separate machine. The CT520-abg can also be managed over a serial console in text mode or through directly connected VGA monitor and keyboard.


Larger Images: front back
NOTE: This product may have a different hardware configuration than the system pictured above.
Refer to your official quote for details.


Candela Technologies Inc., 2417 Main Street, Suite 201, P.O. Box 3285, Ferndale, WA 98248, USA
www.candelatech.com | sales@candelatech.com | +1 360 380 1618


NOTE: This product may have a different hardware configuration than the system pictured above.
Refer to your official quote for details.


Candela Technologies Inc., 2417 Main Street, Suite 201, P.O. Box 3285, Ferndale, WA 98248, USA
www.candelatech.com | sales@candelatech.com | +1 360 380 1618

Example Network Diagram


Candela Technologies Inc., 2417 Main Street, Suite 201, P.O. Box 3285, Ferndale, WA 98248, USA
www.candelatech.com | sales@candelatech.com | +1 360 380 1618

Quick Start Guide

  1. Connect Management Ethernet port to Management network or management PC. If connecting directly to a PC, an Ethernet cross-over cable should be used.
  2. Connect eth1 wired Ethernet interface to wired Ethernet interface on the AP or network under test. This usually is considered the 'server' side of the network.
  3. The Client side of the network will be the Virtual Stations configured on the CT520-abg WiFi NIC(s).
  4. Connect power brick to standard US or European AC power source.
  5. Install the LANforge-GUI on a separate management PC or Laptop. Windows and Linux GUIs are supported: Select the correct one from the CDROM or Candela Technologies Download page and install it. The CT520-abg appliance has a web server that also provides the LANforge GUIs.
  6. The CT520-abg should now boot. If DHCP is enabled on the Management network, the CT520-abg will automatically acquire an IP address. If DHCP is not available, the IP address will be set to 192.168.1.101 by the LANforge scripts.
  7. Start the LANforge-GUI on the management PC and click the 'Discover' button. It should find the CT520-abg appliance and add the IP address to the drop-down box in the Connect widget. Press 'Connect' and you will be connected to the CT520-abg.
  8. Select the Port Mgr tab in the GUI. Double-click on the device called 'wiphy0'. This is the Radio device, and should be configured for the correct, channel, country-code, etc. Next, select one or more of the Virtual Station interfaces and click 'Modify'. Enter the correct IP address information, SSID and WEP or WPA/WPA2 key (if Enabled). After applying these changes, the Virtual Station interface should associate with the AP and be ready to send traffic. You may create up to 32 Virtual Station interfaces per CT520-abg with the 'Create' button.
  9. Once the interfaces are configured correctly, you can click on the Layer 3, VOIP/RTP and other LANforge-FIRE related GUI tabs and configure/modify/start/stop particular traffic patterns that utilize the virtual stations and wired Ethernet interface. In most cases, you will want one of the FIRE endpoints to be on the wired interface and the other to be on the WiFi Virtual Station interface. It is also valid to generate traffic between two Virtual Station interfaces. The GUI Plugins menu (and right-click on some tables) provides some plugins to do automated testing and reporting. Contact support if you have suggestions for improvements.
  10. Any GUI modifications take place immediately after you click 'Submit'.

  11. Candela Technologies Inc., 2417 Main Street, Suite 201, P.O. Box 3285, Ferndale, WA 98248, USA
    www.candelatech.com | sales@candelatech.com | +1 360 380 1618


    LANforge WiFIRE Related Images

    Virtual Station Configuration Screen


    Candela Technologies Inc., 2417 Main Street, Suite 201, P.O. Box 3285, Ferndale, WA 98248, USA
    www.candelatech.com | sales@candelatech.com | +1 360 380 1618

    Layer 3 (Ethernet, UDP, TCP) Connections

    Layer 3 Create/Modify Screen

    Software Features


    Candela Technologies Inc., 2417 Main Street, Suite 201, P.O. Box 3285, Ferndale, WA 98248, USA
    www.candelatech.com | sales@candelatech.com | +1 360 380 1618

    Hardware Specification


    Additional Feature Upgrades

    Unless otherwise noted in the product description, these features usually cost extra:


    Candela Technologies Inc., 2417 Main Street, Suite 201, P.O. Box 3285, Ferndale, WA 98248, USA
    www.candelatech.com | sales@candelatech.com | +1 360 380 1618


    Candela  Technologies, 2417 Main Street, Suite 201, Ferndale, WA 98248, USA
    www.candelatech.com | sales@candelatech.com | +1.360.380.1618
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    Last modified: Wed Dec 10 16:15:56 PST 2014