How to create or mock 100+ wifi networks for testing purposes?

Question

We have found an issue while testing our application in a specific location; whenever there are too many wifi networks in the vicinity, the app crashes.

Does anyone know:

1. How many wifi networks can a phone show at one time?
2. If there is a way to mimic 100+ SSIDs and see if the phone hangs/crashes while it keeps on searching?

Answer 1

I think the quickest and most straightforward solution would be to test this in real life - which means putting in a potential fix, and then taking your device to the location it keeps crashing in (assuming it's local to you?).

It'd save you having to simulate the 100+ networks, it's cost and time effective, and it gets you out the office for 10 minutes.

Answer 2

I googled "simulate multiple wifi aps", the first results:

Simulating Multiple Wireless Access Points Using CommView for WiFi

This is a software solution if you run on a Linux desktop

If you have more money to spend Ixia has test equipment to help you

Answer 3

Check out Candela Technologies**, providers of a commercial off-the-shelf solution to simulate wireless access points (and many other network features).

This mainly talks about their client features, but not Access Points specifically: https://www.candelatech.com/datasheet_fire.php#wifire

This is an example of how to create multiple (only 7 in this example) Access Points: http://candelatech.com/cookbook.php?vol=wifire&book=Emulating+many+vAP+with+one+radio

** Full disclosure: it's my brother's employer.

Answer 4

You could do this with a WiFi router that runs openwrt or similar Linux based router firmware. Most WiFi chipsets support many WiFi networks , as it looks like you only need to advertise the networks for your test this would suffice, if you do plan to use them it might be a problem.

You can configure HostAPd to do this it's what a lot of routers use underneath, you might get lucky and have direct control via web UI but otherwise you need a shell .

HostAPd can be remote controlled by editing it's configuration file and the using kill to send it a signal to re-read it's config