Essential Wireless Testing Interview Questions & Answers:

SOME MOBILE PHONE TEST CASES
This is not an exhaustive list. As you see mobile phone testing is a rigorous process that can easily require numerous test cases.

START UP
1) Can fully charge battery
2) Inserting SIM is intuitive and fool-proof
3) Inserting battery is intuitive and fool-proof
4) Can power on the mobile phone
5) Power-on splash screen meets requirements (ex: format branding)
6) Set-up page asks if you want to set time and date
a) returning 'yes' allows you to complete set-up
b) returning 'no' skips set-up
7) Completing or skipping set-up goes to main page

MAIN PAGE
1) Text graphics format color scheme and branding meet requirements
2) Time and date are properly displayed on screen
3) Signal strength is properly displayed on screen
4) Battery level is properly displayed on screen
5) Left soft button text reads 'Call'
6) Right soft button text reads 'Menu'
7) Pressing left soft button displays Call Log
8) Pressing right soft button displays Applications Menus
9) Pressing left return button does nothing
10) Pressing right clear button does nothing

PLACING A CALL
1) Pressing a number key opens foreground window
2) Foreground window has proper dimensions and graphics
3) Selected number is displayed along bottom left of window
4) The text related to soft key changes from 'Calls' to 'Call'
5) Pressing additional numbers adds corresponding numbers from left to right
6) Pressing clear button deletes right-most number
7) Can clear entire entry
8) With numbers populated in the foreground window pressing back button

returns to main page
9) Enter a valid local phone number and place call
10) Enter a valid long distance number and place call
11) Place call when phone has weak signal (1 bar)
12) Attempt to place a call with no signal
13) Place call with low battery
14) Place call when battery runs out

OTHER TEST CASES TO CONSIDER
1) Receiving calls
a) during another call
b) during an IM session
c) while authoring an SMS
d) while reading and e-mail
e) while playing a game
f) while listening to a song
e) while taking a picture
2) Sending and receiving short messages (SMS) with and without attachments
3) Mobile e-mail
4) Mobile Instant Messaging
5) Mobile internet
6) Bluetooth interface
7) Camera
8) Themes
9) Ringtones
10) Battery life
11) Signal strength
12) No-signal conditions

Test cases can get quite complex. For example consider the steps required to verify that a Mobile IM session re-establishes itself after receiving no signal and going back to a good signal area. And we've just scratched the surface! It would likely take an entire day to produce all of the test cases needed to fully test a cell phone!

2. Explain how is quality of wireless testing measured?

The quality of a wireless signal is measured with respect to thresholds of:
- BER (Bit Error Rate) which should be < 10^-6 or BLER (Block Error Rate)
- RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator)
- SWR (Standing Wave Ratio)
- SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) which is P/N
- SINR (Signal to Interferance and Noise Ratio) or P/(N+I)
- SINADR (Signal-to-Interference plus Noise And Distortion Ratio).. and many more.

These parameters are evaluated based on the technology or standard in use. For example, in WiFI or 802.11, the RSSI is used as the link quality parameter to be used. However, all of the above contribute in one way or the other to the quality of the wireless link as noise, interference, environmental characteristics, power, frequency used... contribute to the loss or gain in the link's quality.

3. Explain requirement of simulators?

Best way to test network apps to test connectivity.

4. Build Installation medium?

Wireless (OTA/WiFi/BT) wired: using Data Cable, PC Suit.

5. Builds for devices?

sort out builds on basis of
- make (Brand) due to their specific key functionalities.
- resolutions 128x128, 240x320, 176x220 (208), 320x240 or higher resolution.

6. Find out what to test? is the application in stand alone or client server?

If application is clent server - you need wifi (if Device support) and GPRS (device should be enbled and GPRS Access Points should be configured according to requirement).
For CDMA there is no need to set access point. And devices should be according to service operators.

7. Tell me how is test environment prepared for wireless testing?

There are wireless simulators to which you connect ur mobile and test. Simulator acts like wireless tower in real network

8. Is there any automation tool for mobile(wireless) application testing?

TestQuest and MTS are two mobile automation tools.
TestQuest is used to test wireless handsets.
MTS is a scalable automated application testing tool for Windows Mobile 5.0.
There are also ways to produce automated tests on various mobile browsers with wireless handset simulation tools such as OpenWave.

9. Explain what is wireless testing? how do we do it? What are the concepts a test engineer should have knowledge of? How do u classify testing of wireless products?

Wireless testing you can classify into 3 types:
1) Platform testing: To do this testing, tester should have programming knowledge of cpp, java
2) Protocol testing: To do this, tester should have a knowledge of Networking concepts like, making lan connections, read protocol logs in wireshark, ethereal (both are protocol logging tools), all protocol definitions TCP/IP, UDP.. etc etc
3) Application testing: Testing mobile application is almost testing windows applications but bit different. Some basic networking concepts are must. If the application is to be testing in JUnit, then Java knowledge is a must.

10. Explain how must the testers update themselves and what all must be learn by testers to perform wireless testing?

1.Should know the Functional units for new technology.
2.Tester should know the latest Mobile technology knowledge.
3.Should know about the Test Environment.
4.Should able to configure and troubleshoot the device.
5.Should able to follow the standards and verify the checklist.
6.Should be innovative thinking and make Test scenario for the running the application.
7.Should able to Test the full part of coverage.

11. Tell me what are the prerequisites to become a mobile tester?

Mobile Tester Should know about the
1. Mobile Technology
2. Development Technology
3. Mobile Platform(OS)
4. Knowledge on Device Supporting Tools.
5. Mobile Protocols

12. How to test protocols in Mobile testing. and how many protocols are used in Mobile application?

I just came across this url and could not help myself to comment on this. Your question looks little vague. I mean, are you talking about network level protocols or application level protocols. Or is it related to OBEX protocol implementation in Mobile Apps. Actually the same TCP/IP concepts go in mobile apps also, but when it comes down to browsing apps/downloading apps, it is generally done via WAP gateway (Not WAP Server which generally people confuse with). WAP is a standard defined to serve as a common platform as we cannot directly hook on from normal TCP/IP network to a mobile network. But it is definitely possible to call, SMS, sending mail from any browser to a mobile device, and vice versa. So how does this happen? Also are you talking about what happens at the server end, after the gateway or before that. Also, which carier network are you referring to GSM/CDMA. If I have sensed right it is "OBEX" you are referring to.

13. Explain difference between 2g and 3G in mobile phone testing?

2G and 3 G is a family of standards for mobile telecommunications defined by the International Telecommunication Union,which includes GSM EDGE, UMTS, and CDMA2000 as well as DECT and WiMAX. Services include wide-area wireless voice telephone, video calls, and wireless data, all in a mobile environment.

2G Stands for second generation mobile telephony standards, where 3G defined the third generation mobile telephony standards to facilitate growth, increase bandwidth, and support more diverse applications.For example, GSM (the current most popular cellular phone standard) could deliver not only voice, but also circuit-switched data at download rates up to 14.4 kbps. But to support mobile multimedia applications, 3G had to deliver packet-switched data with better spectral efficiency, at far greater bandwidths.

14. Tell me what areas of applications can be covered under wireless testing?

Basically Call module should be covered for wireless testing, after that all the applications should be tested how those applications behave when a call is received being in that application.

15. Do you know when and Why does WPA/WPA2 came into picture?