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[Antti Kaijanmäki <antti.kaijanmaki@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

** Changed in: indicator-network (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Triaged

** Changed in: indicator-network (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided => Wishlist

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1415098

Title:
  [connectivity-service] Extend the connectivity-api for WiFi scanning

Status in indicator-network package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged

Bug description:
  I am currently trying to build a WiFi scanner app for Ubuntu Touch.
  Since Click apps are confined and have no root rights, all other
  approaches failed. I hereby propose to expose the needed information
  and API calls through the connectivity-api.

  
  The minimum amount of information needed is:

  - A list of all broadcasting stations (BSS/IBSS) in range

  - Broadcast station MAC address

  - SSID (may be emtpy)

  - Center frequency or channel (the one can be converted into the
  other)

  - Signal strength

  - Available authentication and encryption schemes

  - Timestamp when the station was last seen

  This is basically the same information as encapsulated in an
  android.net.wifi.ScanResult object on Android.

  Optional, but "nice to have" information would be:

  - The contents of the "Capability Info" field of the beacon frame.

  - Supported data rates, so one can distinguish between 802.11b/g/n/ac
  networks. This information is encoded in the "Rates" and ""Supported
  MCS Set" fields of the beacon frame.

  - The contents of the "HT Capability Info" field (if present) of the
  beacon frame.

  This optional information is already recorded by the kernel and is
  e.g. decoded/displayed by a call to `iw dev wlan0 scan`.

  
  Since the network management service has to monitor its surroundings anyways, e.g. to detect and connect to an already known network or to switch to a better access point during movement, the information should be readily available. A single `scanResults()` call returning a list of broadcast station objects should therefore already be enough.

  I propose the following additional API features:

  - A method to register a callback function which is called after every
  successful scan. This frees the application from polling the API, may
  save power and the app can process new information instantly.

  - A method to set the scan interval within a pre-defined range. The
  network management service may decide to adapt its scan interval to
  the current situation to save power, e.g. a longer interval when not
  currently connected and a short one when connected. A scanner app may
  require a short, constant interval.

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