Virtual Lab Projects
Unity Virtual Labs
Unity is a cross-platform game engine developed by Unity Technologies, first announced and released in June 2005 at Apple Inc.'s Worldwide Developers Conference as a Mac OS X-exclusive game engine.
As of 2018, the engine had been extended to support more than 25 platforms. The engine can be used to create three-dimensional, two-dimensional, virtual reality, and augmented reality games, as well as simulations and other experiences.
The engine has been adopted by industries outside video gaming, such as film, automotive, architecture, engineering and construction.
Do you want to develop games, run physics simulations, or just write some interesting C# code? Unity can let you do all this and more!
Unity can be used to create three-dimensional, two-dimensional, virtual reality, and augmented reality games, as well as simulations and other experiences. The engine has been adopted by industries outside video gaming, such as film, automotive, architecture, engineering and construction.
You can write scripts in C# or JavaScript, but in these tutorials all the code will be written in C#. Before you begin any projects, first let us install the software. If you already have Unity installed, you can skip this and go to the next tutorial.
Go to The Unity download page and download Unity Personal. You do not need to pay anything if you are receiving less than $100,000 in revenue or funding. Agree to the terms and download Unity Hub. Unity Hub is a workspace that allows you to manage different versions of Unity and keep track of your projects.
While you are on the Unity website, register an account. You will need it to sign-in to Unity Hub, and it gives you access to the Unity Asset store.
Follow the steps the the installer gives you.
After you finish the installation, you will see that you have no Unity license active.
First, log-in with your Unity account information. Select Unity Personal as your license
and confirm that you make less than $100,000 in the last year.
Now you are licensed to use Unity!
Currently you have no versions of the actual engine installed. To fix this, go to
the installs tab in Unity Hub. Install the latest official release. You can install
any modules you want, but most of the labs will not use any modules. If you intend to develop for the Magic Leap headset you should install Lumin OS build
support. Agree to any terms and conditions and your install will begin.
After your install is finished, navigate to the projects tab and click New Project.
Leave the settings for the project alone and change the name of the project to test-project. Click create and wait a moment while the engine sets up your project. This may take
a few minutes your first time.
If there are no errors with the project starting, then congratulations! You are now
ready to get started with Unity Development.
If you got stuck at any point in this installation, please reach out the Innovation Lab.
The first thing we need to look at is the Unity editor, and define some terms we will use in later tutorials. Create a new project and let's get started!
Scene and Game Viewer
In the center of the screen, you will see the Scene and Game Viewer. The Screen viewer will allow the user to view where GameObjects are located inside the scene. The Game viewer is where you will see the rendered result of the game.
To move around the scene, you can left click and drag the mouse to move up, down,
left, and right. You can right click and drag the mouse to rotate the camera within
the scene. You can scroll the mouse wheel to zoom in and out.
Project and Console
At the bottom of the screen, you can see the Project and Console tabs. The project
tab is a file explorer where we can see all the folders and assets available to use
in the project. The console tab is where console messages will be displayed. Keep
this in mind when debugging!
Hierarchy
The hierarchy is where we can see any GameObjects inside our scene. A GameObject is a character, sound, 3D model, or piece of code that is inside our scene. Let's create one now!
Right click on the hierarchy and select 3D Object -> Cylinder. You will see a Cylinder
appear in the scene view.
Inspector
On the right side of the screen you will see the Inspector. The inspector is where you can see the attributes of the selected GameObject. Make sure the the Cylinder is selected by left clicking on it in the scene, or the hierarchy. Then in the Inspector we can see the assets that make up the GameObject.
Don't worry about what all these mean, we'll get to that later.
Toolbar
Above the hierarchy we have the toolbar. The toolbar contains tools that are used for moving objects around a scene. Let's look at each of the tools individually.
- Hand tool - the hand tool allows you to move the camera around the scene.
- Move tool - the move tool allows you to move GameObjects in the scene.
- Rotate tool - the rotate tool allows you to rotate GameObjects in the scene.
- Scale tool - the scale tool allows you to scale GameObjects.
- Rect tool - the rect tool is for arranging UI in the scene.
Practice using these tools to manipulate the cylinder you placed in the scene.
Challenge
Using the tools in the tool bar, movements in the scene view, and by adding 3D objects
to the scene, try to recreate the scene below.
Play around in the scene to become comfortable with moving the camera. If this is
your first time working in a 3D environment like this, it can take some some time
to get used to.
Try modifying the light by selecting the Directional Light in the hierarchy and changing the attributes in the inspector.
If you have any issues or questions with this Virtual Lab, please reach out to the Innovation Lab.
Learning what a GameObject is and how you can interact with it is one of the fundamental aspects of using the Unity game engine. Everything you include in your game is a GameObject. This means that lights, characters, cameras, special effects, and any objects in the world are GameObjects. You can create empty GameObjects and add characteristics to them or import GameObjects with characteristics already attached. GameObjects with characteristics already attached are called prefabs. Let’s get into a project.
Open Unity Hub and create a new 3D project called GameObjects.
In the SampleScene hierarchy, you can see that the default scene contains two GameObjects already in it: a camera called Main Camera and a light called Directional Light.
Select the Directional Light to see the characteristics attached to the GameObject
in the Inspector.
Here we see there are two components attached to Directional Light. There is a Transform component and a Light component. Every GameObject will have a transform component because every GameObject has a location in the scene (even if there is nothing to render). We can also see that there are many sliders, dropdown menus, and values we can enter. However, changing these values will not do anything because there is nothing in the scene to interact with.
To create a new GameObject, right click on the SampleScene hierarchy and select 3D object -> Sphere.
Now that the sphere is added into the scene, observe the components. The most important one in this case is the Mesh Renderer. The Mesh Renderer is how the lighting engine knows how light should interact with this object. If you remove the Mesh Renderer, the sphere will still be in the scene, but it will not be visible.
Select the Directional Light again. Now that we have something in the scene for light to hit, we can make some fun changes. Select the color and change it to blue. As you can see, the sphere appears to change to blue. Remember though, the GameObject you are changing is the Directional Light, so the sphere is still gray, but the light hitting it is now blue.
Press play about the scene editor. Here we can see the rendered view of our sphere in blue light. Pretty boring! Let’s add some physics to the sphere. Select the sphere and click Add Component. Type in Rigidbody and select it. A Rigidbody will allow objects to be impacted by the physics engine. Now our sphere will be effected by gravity and friction!
Press the play button again and now our sphere will fall into the void.
Enough messing around with the editor, let’s write some code! Right click on the Assets folder and select Create -> C# script. Name the script movingSphere.
You will now write a script that will return the sphere to the coordinates 0, 0, 0 when it drops below y = -20.
Inside the Start() function write the following code:
float floor = -20.0f;
This is the lowest value we want the sphere to be at. Now in the Update() function write:
if(this.transform.position.y < floor){
this.transform.position = new Vector3(0, 0, 0);
}
The if statement checks if the y value of the GameObject is below the floor value we set earlier. If it is lower than that value, it will reset the position of whatever GameObject you attach the script to back to (0,0,0).
Your final code should look like this:
The final step is to add the script to the sphere. Click you script and drag it onto the bottom of the hierarchy.
Now when you hit play, the sphere will fall 20 units and be moved back to (0,0,0).
You will also notice that the speed of the ball remains the same, so it will continue
to speed up forever.
If you have any issues or questions with this Virtual Lab, please reach out to the Innovation Lab.
GameObjects make up everything in a scene. In this virtual lab, we will write a few scripts that will create and manipulate GameObjects.
Create project and script
Create a new Unity Project. Right click on the project tab and create a new C# script.
Double click on the script icon in the project tab to open it in your preferred IDE.
Here we have two functions already created for us. The Start function and the Update
function.
- The Start function is called as soon as the scene loads. Use this to spawn objects, set up initial AI behavior, and make references to other scripts. Start is only called during the first frame of the scene. This means that calling the script again will not run the Start function again.
- The Update function is called once every frame. This is for actions that take place in real time. Almost all behavior will be done in this part of the script.
Random Level Generator
Let's use the Start function to build a basic level. Usually you want to manually add 3D objects to a scene using the scene editor and toolbar, but if you wanted to create a level that is different every time, you would need to include this in the start function.
Add the following code to your Start function:
There are two lines in this function:
- GameObject cube = GameObject.CreatePrimitive(PrimitiveType.Cube) - This line will create a 1 x 1 x 1 Cube named cube.
-
cube.transform.position = new Vector3(0, 0.5f, 0) - This line will place the cube we just created at the coordinates 0, 0.5, 0.
When moving objects around a 3D environment it is important to become comfortable with 3 dimensional vectors. Think of the first value x as the depth of the screen, the second value y as the height of the screen, and the third value z as the left and right axis. Practice is the best way to become comfortable with it.
The next step is to add our script into the scene. Remember, everything in our scene
must be a GameObject, so we can't just add the script into the scene. Right click
on the hierarchy and select Create Empty to create a GameObject with no attributes.
Then drag the script on to the empty GameObject to include it into the scene.
Click on the play button to run the scene, and see your script run. You should see
a cube appear in the scene and in the hierarchy.
Next, let's make a script that is a little more interesting. Return to your code and add this to your script:
There are some new lines here so let's take a look:
- floor.transform.localScale += new Vector3(15,0,15) - This line scales our plane along the x and z axes.
- Rigidbody gameObjectsRigidBody = cubes[i].AddComponent<Rigidbody>() - This line will add a Rigidbody to all of the cube objects in the list. A Rigidbody allows the cube to be affected by physics.
This simulation is a little weird because all the cubes are being created in exactly the same spot (0, 0, 0). Let's make it so all the cubes are spawned in randomly.
Fantastic, next let's take what we already have and turn it into a random level by removing the Rigidbodies and by randomly changing the scale of the cubes.
Now we have a great little level, but we can't really play in it. Let's add a First
Person Controller so that we can explore our level. Visit the Unity Asset Store and download the free First Person Controller. Select the First Person AO folder
and select import.
Click and drag the FirstPerson-AIO.prefab asset into the hierarchy. Make sure that you move it to the edge of the floor so that cubes do not spawn inside of the prefab.
Now you can walk around your randomly generated level!
If you have any issues or questions with this Virtual Lab, please reach out to the Innovation Lab.
This tutorial will show you how to use some of the physics options in the Unity game
engine.
Create the scene
Make a scene that looks similar to the one below. There is a plane on the bottom, four cubes on the side, and a sphere. Rename the sphere ball and click on add component, and select Rigidbody to attach a Rigidbody to the ball. Also, move and rotate the camera so it is about the plane and rotate it so it facing down at the plane.
Scripting Forces
Create a new C# script and open it in your preferred IDE and enter the following code:
Run your game and you will see that if you click the left mouse button the ball will roll. Notice that if you select the ball, you can see in the inspector that you can adjust the amount of force. This is because we created it as a public variable. Let's try to change it so that we can control it with the arrow keys on the keyboard.
If the controls are opposite or not working, this is because the camera is rotated
different. To fix it, just change the key in the if statement so that makes sense.
Following Camera
Next let's add in a camera that follows our ball. There are a few steps to take.
- Create a new script and attach it to our camera.
- Add in the camera controller below:
- Select the camera, then click and drag the ball object into the target slot in the inspector. This is how the script knows what GameObject to follow.
- Run the game to see that the camera now follows the ball. It will be strange to control because the force that we apply has nothing to do with the angle of the camera.
Goal
Now we can add a goal into our scene for the ball to reach. You can edit the level however you want, in my case I just made the platform longer. Add in a new cube and name it "goal". Place it where you want and uncheck (or remove) the Mesh Renderer and check the box titled "Is trigger" in the Box Collider.
Select our ball, and directly under the name you will see a dropdown menu for tags. Click it and select "Player". We will need this for the upcoming script.
Create a new script and attach it to the goal enter the following code:
Now, when you reach the end of the level you will see a victory message in the console.
Feel free to edit the level how ever you want, you can create ramps by adding in Cubes or planes and rotating them.
If you have any issues or questions with this Virtual Lab, please reach out to the Innovation Lab.
If you look back to the GameObject tutorial, you may remember that we brought in a first person controller to explore the area. Your Unity account has access to the Unity Asset store. There you can find assets and packages to import. Be careful, while it can be fun to bring in packages to speed up development, always make sure that you understand everything you import. Otherwise, you are just compiling the work of others instead of creating something yourself.
In this tutorial, we will be using some of the assets provided by Unity to create some interesting scenes.
The Unity Asset Store
The Unity asset store is a great resource for both game developers as well as artists and programmers that want to sell their own assets. Visit the site here. Take some time exploring the asset store for inspiration. To import an asset from the store:
Sign-in to your Unity account.
Navigate to the asset you want to download. In this virtual lab, the asset is the Terrain Tools Sample Asset Pack, but the process will be the same for all of them.
Select the Add to my Assets button, and Open in Unity Editor.
You will see a new tab called Package Manage open, here you will see all the packages
that you have used in the past. Click the download button, and once the download is
finished, the Import button.
You will notice the the screen shots here are different from other virtual labs. This
is because these are using HDRP to get better graphics. Here is a basic overview of
the different rendering pipelines:
BIRP, URP, and HDRP
There are three rendering engines for Unity. Let's take a look at the differences between them.
- Built-in Rendering Pipeline (BIRP) - When you create a 3D project, this is the rendering pipeline that is used to render your game. It is limited in what it can do, the only way to modify it is with command buffers and callbacks.
- Universal Rendering Pipeline (URP) - The URP is a prebuilt Scriptable Render Pipeline that is designed to work on a range of devices from high-end personal computers to mobile devices. Compare the URP to the Built-In pipeline.
- High Definition Rendering Pipeline (HDRP) - The HDRP is another Scriptable Render Pipeline that is built for high-end personal computers. If you try to develop using the HDRP, check the requirements before you start to make sure that it is painless as possible.
The easiest way to use URP or HDRP is to select the corresponding template when you first start your project.
Terrain Asset
Let's use the Terrain Tools Sample Asset Pack we imported earlier. Add in a Terrain 3D object.
Now we will have the options from the Terrain Tools Pack to modify the terrain object. For more information on how to use these terrain tools visit the official Unity Documentation.
Now you can browse the asset store for any thing you might need. You can find 3D models, code snippets, and even entire game systems.
If you have any issues or questions with this Virtual Lab, please reach out to the Innovation Lab.
Packet Tracer Virtual Labs
Packet Tracer is a cross-platform visual simulation tool designed by Cisco Systems that allows users to createnetwork topologies and imitate modern computer networks. The software allows users to simulate the configuration of Cisco routers and switches using a simulated command line interface.
Learn how to set up and configure networks without the expense of physical equipment,
or the headaches of virtual machines.
Understanding how packets move through a network is an invaluable skill for any network administrator. Unfortunately, the physical equipment required for building these complex networks is expensive and is time consuming to setup. The Cisco Packet Tracer is software that allows the user to simulate network equipment and traffic. This Virtual Lab will take you through the installation and configuration of Packet Tracer.
Cisco Network Academy
In order to use Packet Tracer, you must have a Cisco Network Academy account. Click this link and enter your information to register your account. With this account you can register for a variety of free courses and download Packet Tracer for your operating system.
Follow the installation instructions and wait for the installation to finish.
Accept the licensing agreement
To avoid issues in the future, select Yes to run multi-user.
Allow Packet Tracer access through the firewall.
Sign-in with your Network Academy credentials
If you reach this screen, congratulations Packet Tracer is now installed!
If you got stuck at any point in this installation, please reach out the Innovation Lab.
Before we begin setting up complex networks, it is important to understand the functions of networking equipment and common terms used in network administration.
Networking Terms
These are some terms you will see throughout the Virtual Labs.
- Wide Area Network (WAN) - A WAN is a network that consists of many networks over a large geographical area.
- Local Area Network (LAN) - A LAN is a network that consists of networks over a small area.
- Most of the networks that will be created in upcoming virtual labs are LANs.
- Internet - The Internet is the largest computer network in the world.
- Packet - A network packet is data that is formatted to be transmitted over a network.
- A network consists of two parts:
- Control Information - Information about delivering the payload
- Payload - User data that needs to be transmitted
- A network consists of two parts:
- Network Interface Controller (NIC) - Computer hardware that allows a computer to connect to a network.
- Media Access Control (MAC) Address - A MAC address is an identifier assigned to a NIC. MAC addresses are assigned by device manufacturers and are stored in hardware, so they are also referred to as physical addresses.
- Internet Protocol (IP) Address - An IP address is an identifier that uses the Internet Protocol to identify the
NIC and provide the location of the host in the network.
- It is the job of a network administrator to assign an IP address to every device on a network.
Network Equipment
These are the key devices that are used to build networks.
- Node - A network node is any device that is capable of creating, receiving, or transmitting
information in a network.
- Data Communization Equipment: modems, hubs, and switches.
- Data Terminal Equipment: digital phones, printers, servers, and personal computers.
- Switch - A switch is a networking device that connects devices using packet switching to receive and forward data between devices.
- Hub - A hub is a more basic form of a switch. Because hubs operate on the physical layer, they do not use software, so they are less efficient. Hubs are generally obsolete.
- Router - A router is a networking device that transmits data between computer networks.
- Modem - A modem is a networking device that converts data so that it can be communicated over telephone or cable lines.
- Access Points - Access points allow wireless devices to connect to a network.
Packet Tracer
Now that we know some the functions of basic network equipment, let's look at where they are located in Packet Tracer. All of the devices are modeled after real networking equipment.
At the bottom left of the Packet Tracer you will see two menus that contain devices that can be added into our network. By default, you should see a list of routers. If not, use the keystroke "ctrl + alt + r" to see a list of routers.
If you select the second icon on the bottom list or press "ctrl + alt + s" to see a list of switches.
Clicking the third icon or pressing "ctrl + alt + u" will show us a list of hubs.
The fourth icon or "ctrl + alt + w" will display a list of wireless devices.
By selecting the 2nd icon on the top row or with the keystroke "ctrl + alt + v" we will change to the End Devices category. Here we see Data Terminal Equipment that will act as endpoints on your networks.
To add any device to a network, left click on the icon and then left click the scene to place the device in the network. If you double click a device, a window with more information about the device will appear.
Make sure you understand the purpose of each of these network devices, in the next virtual lab we will connect and configure these devices into a working network.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out the Innovation Lab.
In this Virtual Lab, we will be building a simple home network consisting of 2 personal computers and a router.
First, add in a 1841 router into the network.
Next, change to the End Devices tab and add in two PCs.
Change to the Connections tab and select the Copper Cross-over Cable. Connect PC0 FastEthernet0 to Router0 FastEthernet0/0 by left clicking with the cable selected. Then connect PC1 FastEthernet0 to Router0 FastEthernet0/1.
This is the equivalent of plugging in two PCs to a router. Now we need to configure the router.
Left click on Router0 and navigate to the Command Line Interface (CLI) tab at the top of the window. When prompted with "Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog?" enter "no".
- Press return (Enter) as the prompt suggests and type "enable". Enable allows us to go from user mode to privilege mode so we can use monitoring and maintenance commands. You should see a "Router#" which tells us we are in privilege mode similar to a UNIX system.
- Use the command "config t" to enter into global configuration mode. Global Configuration Mode will allow use to modify the configuration of the running system.
- Use the command "hostname Router0" to name the router.
- Use the command"enable secret cisco" to set "cisco" as the password for privilege mode. This is not an acceptable password for a real-world scenario, but for these virtual labs, it is recommended that you use an easy to remember password.
- Use the command"line con 0" and then "password cisco" to set the console line password. Again, in a real-world scenario you should never use the same password for privilege mode and console line.
- Use the command"login". This will enable password prompting.
- Use the command"exit" to return to virtual configuration mode.
These are the steps for configuring router set-up and security. Now we can begin setting up our interfaces.
- Use the command "interface FastEthernet0/0" to enter interface configuration mode.
- Use the command "ip address 192.168.1.1 225.225.225.0" to set the IP address and the
subnet mask.
- IP address - Numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network.
- Subnet Mask - A logical subdivision of an IP network.
- Use the command "no shutdown" to enable the interface and "exit" to return to global configuration mode.
- Repeat these steps for FastEthernet0/1 except use the IP address "192.168.2.1".
- Use the command "exit" to leave interface config mode. Then use "exit" again to leave global configuration mode.
- Use the command "show running-config" to display the current running interfaces, use enter to scroll down.
- To save these configurations for every time the router starts up, use the command "copy running-config startup-config".
Router configuration is now complete! Next we must configure the PCs.
- Left click on PC0 and navigate to the Desktop tab.
- Left click "IP configuration" to enter the IP configuration menu
- Enter "192.168.1.2" as the IP address.
- A subnet mask of "255.255.255.0" should appear, leave it as is.
- Enter "192.168.1.1" as the Default Gateway.
- Default Gateway - The route for network traffic to take when no destination is specified in a packet.
- Close the PC0 window and repeat these steps for PC1 except use "192.168.2.2" as the IP address.
PC configuration is now complete! Let's test to make sure both these PCs are able to communicate with each other.
- Click on PC0, change to the Desktop tab, and select Command Prompt.
- Use the command "ipconfig" to view IP information
- Use the command "ping 192.168.2.2" to ping PC1.
Now we will try a live simulation so we can visualize traffic moving through the network.
- At the bottom right of the Packet Tracer window, you should see two options: Realtime and Simulation. Change to Simulation.
- Click the "Edit filters" button and clear all exceptICMP
- Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) - an error reporting protocol that sends error message when there are issues with packet delivery.
- Click on the closed envelope in the toolbar at the top of Packet Tracer (or press
"P") to create a new PDU, then click on PC0 followed by PC1. This designates PC0 as
the source and PC1 as the destination.
- Protocol Data Unit (PDU) - A single unit of information transmitted in a computer network.
- Click the play icon in the simulation to see the envelope move from PC0 to Router0 to PC1 and back.
If the envelope does not move and flashes an "X" symbol, then there was a mistake
somewhere in the network. You can troubleshoot the router and PCs, but in my experience
it is easier to start from scratch and look for steps I may have taken too quickly.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out the Innovation Lab.
In this Virtual Lab, you will be creating a more complex office network consisting of several workstations, switches, and routers. We will be using subnetting to split up the network.
- Subnetting is a logical division of an IP network.
To get started, add in these following components into the network:
Add in PCs in groups of two. In a real office, you could think of each of these groups
as a room in an office. You could technically add up to 255 PCs for each "room." But
if the network works for 2 PCs, it will work for the other 253.
Next, we will add in switches for each of the "rooms."
Then, add in 3 routers to connect the networks.
Finally, we will connect all of our components using the "Automatically Choose Connection
Type" connection.
Now we added in components, we configure them to have the correct settings.
Double click on PC0, click the "Desktop" tap, and select IP configuration.
Set the following settings to PC0:
- IPv4 address: 1.168.0.2
- Subnet Mask: 255.0.0.0
- Default Gateway: 1.168.0.1
Set the following settings to PC1:
- IPv4 address: 1.168.0.3
- Subnet Mask: 255.0.0.0
- Default Gateway: 1.168.0.1
Next, double click on Router0 connecting the switches, change to the config tab, and select the FastEthernet0/0 interface.
Change the following settings:
- Change the Port Status to On
- IPv4 address: 1.168.0.1
- Subnet Mask: 255.0.0.0
Select PC2 and change the following settings:
- IPv4 address: 192.168.0.2
- Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0
- Default Gateway: 128.168.0.1
Select PC3 and change the following settings:
- IPv4 address: 192.168.0.3
- Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0
- Default Gateway: 128.168.0.1
Select Router0, change to the config tab, and select FastEthernet1/0.
Change the following settings:
- Change the Port Status to On
- IPv4 address: 1.168.0.1
- Subnet Mask: 255.0.0.0
Select PC4
The process of setting up a wireless network is roughly the same as any other network, but there are a few extra steps to take to ensure that everything can connect properly.
First, let's add in the basic components that we will use for this network:
- A 1841 Router
- A 2950-24 Switch
- A PC End Device
Now change to the Wireless Devices tab and add a wireless access point.
Next, we will add in a few end devices to connect to the wireless access point. Add a PC, a Laptop, a Tablet PC, a Smart Device, and a printer. Notice that the Tablet PC and the Smartphone will automatically connect to the access point.
The next step is to configure the rest of the network. This will be roughly the same
as the networks in the previous networks. Begin by connecting the PC, the switch and
the router using the Automatically Choose Connection Type option.
Next we will configure the router. Select the router and change to the FastEthernet0/0
interface. Change the IP address to 192.168.2.1 and turn the Port Status to on.
Next we will configure the PC. Select the PC, navigate to the Desktop and select IP
Configuration. Change the IP address 192.168.2.2 and the Default Gateway to 102.168.2.
The next step is to connect the wireless accesspoint to the network we just set up.
Connect the wireless access point to the switch using Automatically Choose Connection
Type.
Time to configure the access point! Select the wireless access point and change to
the Port 1 in the config tab. Set the SSID to PantherWeb. Change the authentication to WEP and set the WEP key to 1234567890.
Notice that when you set the WEP key, the Tablet and the Smartphone are no longer
connected to the access point.
- Service Set IDentifier (SSID) is your network's name. When you select a wireless network from a PC or a smartphone, you will recieve a list of SSIDs to choose from.
- Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is the first security algorithm for wireless networks. Currently it has been replaced by Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), but we will use it in the example because it is simple.
Now let's connect our 2nd PC to the network via the access point. On the Physical
tab, click the orange button to power off the PC, remove the current network card,
select the WMP300N card and drag it into our PCs network card slot, and then power
the PC back on.
Now let's configure the PC. Select the PC and select PC wireless from the Desktop
tab. You should see "PantherWeb" appear in the list of connections. Click on the Connect
button and enter the WEP key we set earlier to connect to the network.
The last step is to configure the IP address. Close out of PC wireless and change
to IP configuration. Change from DHCP to Static, set the IP Address to 192.168.2.3,
and set the Default Gateway to 192.168.2.
Fantastic! Now the PC is connected to the network via the wireless access point. To
test this connection, press "P" to send a simple PDU. Click on the PC to set it as
the source, and the router to select is as the destination. You should see a message
in the bottom right corner that has the Last Status as Successful.
Try on your own to connect the rest of the devices. If you have any questions or concerns,
contact the Innovation Lab.