WLAN scanning

[dracula78]

I use the following function to scan for WLAN's:

void CMyWlanScanner::ScanWlan( CArrayFix<TWlanProperties>& aWlanList )	
{
	CWlanScanInfo* scanInfo = CWlanScanInfo::NewL();
	CleanupStack::PushL( scanInfo );
	
	iWlanMgmtClient->GetScanResults( *scanInfo );
	
	aWlanList.Reset();
	
	for( scanInfo->First(); !scanInfo->IsDone(); scanInfo->Next() )
	{
		TWlanProperties wlan;
		
		wlan.iSecurity = scanInfo->SecurityMode();
		wlan.iCapability = scanInfo->Capability();
		wlan.iQuality = scanInfo->RXLevel();
		wlan.iBeaconInterval = scanInfo->BeaconInterval();

		TWlanBssid cBssid;
		scanInfo->Bssid( cBssid );
		
		TBuf<64> bssbuf;
		for( TInt k = 0; k < cBssid.Length(); k++ )
			bssbuf.AppendFormat( _L("%02x:"), cBssid[k] );
		//remove last :
		if ( bssbuf.Length() > 0 )
			bssbuf.Delete( bssbuf.Length()-1, 1 );
		
		wlan.iBssid.Copy( bssbuf );
				
		TUint8 ieLen( 0 );
		const TUint8* ieData( NULL );
		TInt ret = scanInfo->InformationElement( KWlan802Dot11SsidIE, ieLen, &ieData );
		if ( ret == KErrNone )
		{
			TPtrC8 ptr( ieData, ieLen );
			wlan.iSsid.Copy( ptr );
		}
		
		aWlanList.AppendL( wlan );
	}
	
	CleanupStack::PopAndDestroy( scanInfo );
}

where TWlanProperties is a simple class to hold data:

class TWlanProperties
{
public:
	TBuf<64>	iBssid;
	TBuf<64>	iSsid;
	TWlanConnectionMode	iMode;
	TUint8 		iQuality;
	TWlanConnectionSecurityMode iSecurity;
	TInt32		iBeaconInterval;
	TUint16		iCapability;
};

What I'm seeing is that the Signal Quality value is sometimes carried over between two subsequent WLAN's.

So a scan would show:

WlanSsid01 -- WPA infra -- [74]
WlanSsid02 -- Open infra -- [68]
WlanSsid03 -- WEP infra -- [20]
WlanSsid04 -- WPA infra -- [20]

In this example, the number at the end denotes the signal quality (lower = better). WlanSsid04 would be a distant weak signal, but it sometimes shows up with the same quality as WlanSsid03.
This pattern of 2 (or even 3) identical signal qualities for subsequent WLAN's keeps appearing repeatedly.

Am I doing something wrong?


Another question related to the WLAN scanning: does the N95 keep updating an internal "available WLAN UID" list, returned by iWlanMgmtClient->GetAvailableIaps( availableIaps ) independent of any API calls or WLAN scans? I noticed that it returns valid data immediately, and only changes once every 6-8 seconds... I'm wondering whether it has any impact on battery usage if I'd be repeatedly calling this GetAvailableIaps method.

[wizard_hu_]

You should read docs from FN main site: www.forum.nokia.com, Documentation / Symbian C++ on the left, Networking. You will like "WLAN Control in S60 APIs" for example.

[dracula78]

I read the document and I read the wiki examples. However, it doesn't answer the question why it returns wrong signal strengths randomly.


Another related question:

void CMyWlanEngine::GetIapList( CArrayFix<TIapProperties>& aIapList, TBool WlanOnly )
{
	CCommsDatabase* db = CCommsDatabase::NewL();
	CleanupStack::PushL( db );
	
	TInt bearerFilter = ( WlanOnly ? EApBearerTypeWLAN : EApBearerTypeAllBearers );
	
	CApSelect* ap = CApSelect::NewLC(
				*db,
	 			KEApIspTypeAll,
	 			bearerFilter,
	 			KEApSortNameAscending,
	 			0,
	 			EVpnFilterBoth,
	 			ETrue );

	RArray<TUint> availableIaps;
	iWlanClient->GetAvailableIaps( availableIaps );
	
	if (! ap->MoveToFirst()) {
		CleanupStack::PopAndDestroy(2); // db, ap
		return;
	}
	
	aIapList.Reset();
	
	for ( TUint i = 0; i < ap->Count(); i++, ap->MoveNext() ) {

		TIapProperties iap;
		iap.iName.Copy( ap->Name() );
		
		TUint uid = iap.iUid = ap->Uid();
		TInt bearer = iap.iBearer = ap->BearerType();

		iap.iAvailable = EFalse;
		
		if ( bearer & EApBearerTypeWLAN ) {
			// Check whether this WLAN is available
			for( TInt j = 0; j < availableIaps.Count(); j++)
				if ( uid == availableIaps[j] )
					iap.iAvailable = ETrue;
			
		} else {
			// GPRS/UMTS always available
			iap.iAvailable = ETrue;
		}
		
		aIapList.AppendL( iap );
	}

	CleanupStack::PopAndDestroy( 2 );   // db, ap
}

Again with TIapProperties being a data class:

class TIapProperties
{
public:
	TBuf<40>	iName;
	TUint32		iUid;
	TInt		iBearer;
	TBool		iAvailable;
};

For my newly created 3G connection, it returns ap->Uid()=35. However, when starting the connection with IapId=35 it results in KErrNotFound. I found out that its actual IapId is 54.

So... is this returned Uid() the same as the IapId that is used for defining the access point? If yes, why does it return a different value? If no, how do I obtain the IapId for the phone's stored Access Points.

[wizard_hu_]

Uid and IAP Id are two different things. Check CApUtils::IapIdFromWapIdL

[dracula78]

Aah I see, thanks.

CApUtils seems to be deprecated, but I have another similar thing that converts the UID to IapId.