Developing and deploying a laboratory infrastructure to support testing 5G and open radio-access network (Open RAN) systems can present a daunting and complex task. Prior to Open RAN, this task was only possible by engaging directly with the large network system vendors. Since then, several open-source projects and organizations have developed materials based on 3GPP and O-RAN Alliance specifications. Those tools and resources make it possible to create a complete 5G deployment, spanning from the mobile core to RAN, providing...
WiFi News Articles
The road to lower costs & improved customer satisfaction is built on effective Wi-Fi testing
October 21, 2021
By Lincoln Lavoie, Broadband Forum Technical Chair
Poor signal, coverage, and performance – these Wi-Fi ‘experience killers’ within the subscriber network have been exacerbated over the past year or two with the switch to home working and schooling.
A common view is that these components are part of the overall broadband offering. Take slow loading time and the speed of access – the common perception amongst customers is that, when these components fail or falter, it means that...
Repeatable Wi-Fi Testing is Key for Device Performance Validation
June 2, 2021
Developing and implementing testing for Wi-Fi shares many of the same challenges you would expect in testing any wireless or RF technology. With the new TR-398 Issue 2 test plan, a strong focus has been on creating a repeatable set of test procedures, setup, and configurations. It’s been necessary to ensure the testing can produce repeatable pass or fail results from absolute performance requirements.
This focus sets the TR-398 testing apart from much of the other...
UNH-IOL addresses Broadband Forum’s Wi-Fi test plan
May 30, 2018
Everyone knows Wi-Fi these days—and seeks it out. Whether it’s looking for the sticker in the window when choosing a cafe (probably because you’re working remotely between meetings), pulling out a mobile device to look for the best network you can “see,” or asking your friend what their “Wi-Fi password” is when over for a visit, everyone knows what Wi-Fi is and expects some level of performance when using it. Really, it’s the last part that is starting to cause...
Wi-Fi Testing Now Includes Performance
May 9, 2018
Boston — Just because your Wi-Fi router complies with 802.11 standards and has passed interoperability tests doesn't mean that you'll be happy with its performance. That's why the Broadband Forum is developing WT-398. When approved, WT-398 will specify tests for Wi-Fi router performance. In parallel with that document's development, the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Lab (UNH-IOL) has announced testing services for Wi-Fi performance. The impetus for WT-398, which is not yet available publicly, came from service providers that deliver...
Wi-Fi testing: More than Compliance
February 26, 2018
You probably have a Wi-Fi router at home and probably in your office as well. While all access points, routers, computers, phones, and other devices must comply with IEEE 802.11 and Ethernet Alliance standards, that's no assurance the device will meet your expectations. The UNH-IOL has announced Wi-Fi testing services that go beyond 802.11 specifications. Why is such testing needed? IEEE specifications don't cover measurements such as throughput vs. signal strength, but users care about that because it affects connectivity...
UNH-IOL Appeals to Service Providers’ Broadband QoE Desires with Wi-Fi Testing Suite
February 16, 2018
The University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) has introduced a new set of Wi-Fi testing capabilities, reflecting a movement to help service providers and gateway vendors enhance broadband customers’ Wi-Fi broadband experience.
These new Wi-Fi testing capabilities are made possible through UNH-IOL’s acquisition of test and measurement equipment from Octoscope. By leveraging Octoscope’s equipment, UNH-IOL is aiming to enable repeatable, real-world Wi-Fi scenario testing to satisfy the growing end-user expectations for increased high-capacity, low-latency wireless broadband services....
802.11ac Benefits: The Myths And The Reality
December 5, 2013
As the ever-ambitious wireless manufacturers rush to get their own iterations of devices supporting 802.11ac on the shelves, hype about how the average end user will benefit from this new wireless standard overshadows its real advantages.
Like 802.11n before it, there are so many impressive and exciting features defining 802.11ac that people are having difficulty grasping the reality of the standard and how it will improve user experience. As a result, many manufacturers try to nonchalantly summarize the new...
Founders Celebrate Decade of WiFi in Downtown
June 22, 2013
PORTSMOUTH — Ten years of free wireless Internet access in the downtown came full circle for its founders Thursday in Market Square.