Simulate entering iBeacon region by fluctuating power?

Question

I'm new to iBeacon, and would like to simulate entering and exiting an iBeacon region, to see how notifications work on entering/exiting a region when an app monitoring for iBeacons is in the background.

The iBeacon I'd like to try this with would be a virtual iBeacon, running on a mac or an ios device.

Can this be done by fluctuating the power or is there a better way to do it? And are there any good examples of doing this anywhere?

Answer 1

The easiest way to do this is by simply turning the iBeacon on and off. I do this every day using our MacBeacon and Locate for iBeacon test tools which have on-screen on/off switches.

In theory, you could do what you suggest by turning the radio power way down, too. But iOS, OSX and Linux do not let you adjust the radio power. Turning off the transmission completely is an easier and simpler alternative.