Scribd
Upload
55 views5 pages

Wireless Network

Wireless networks use radio waves to connect network nodes without cables. They allow devices to connect to the network and roam within the network's coverage area. Examples include wireless LANs, wireless WANs, and cellular networks. Wireless LANs (WLANs) specifically use radio waves to connect devices in a limited area like a home or office, allowing mobility within the covered area. Common WLAN standards are 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n.

Uploaded by

Soumitri Mukherjee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
55 views5 pages

Wireless Network

Wireless networks use radio waves to connect network nodes without cables. They allow devices to connect to the network and roam within the network's coverage area. Examples include wireless LANs, wireless WANs, and cellular networks. Wireless LANs (WLANs) specifically use radio waves to connect devices in a limited area like a home or office, allowing mobility within the covered area. Common WLAN standards are 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n.

Uploaded by

Soumitri Mukherjee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

A 

wireless network is a computer network that uses wireless data connections between network


nodes.[1]
Wireless networking is a method by which homes, telecommunications networks and business
installations avoid the costly process of introducing cables into a building, or as a connection
between various equipment locations.[2] Admin telecommunications networks are generally
implemented and administered using radio communication. This implementation takes place at the
physical level (layer) of the OSI model network structure.[3]
Examples of wireless networks include cell phone networks, wireless local area networks (WLANs),
wireless sensor networks, satellite communication networks, and terrestrial microwave networks

Computer networks that are not connected by cables are called wireless networks. They
generally use radio waves for communication between the network nodes. They allow
devices to be connected to the network while roaming around within the network
coverage.

Types of Wireless Networks


● Wireless LANs − Connects two or more network devices using wireless
distribution techniques.
● Wireless MANs − Connects two or more wireless LANs spreading over a
metropolitan area.
● Wireless WANs − Connects large areas comprising LANs, MANs and personal
networks.
Advantages of Wireless Networks
● It provides clutter-free desks due to the absence of wires and cables.
● It increases the mobility of network devices connected to the system since the
devices need not be connected to each other.
● Accessing network devices from any location within the network coverage or
Wi-Fi hotspot becomes convenient since laying out cables is not needed.
● Installation and setup of wireless networks are easier.
● New devices can be easily connected to the existing setup since they needn’t be
wired to the present equipment. Also, the number of equipment that can be
added or removed to the system can vary considerably since they are not limited
by the cable capacity. This makes wireless networks very scalable.
● Wireless networks require very limited or no wires. Thus, it reduces the
equipment and setup costs.
Examples of wireless networks
● Mobile phone networks
● Wireless sensor networks
● Satellite communication networks
● Terrestrial microwave networks

Wireless standards

Type Coverage Performance Standards Applications


Wireless Within reach of a person Moderate Wireless PAN Within reach of a Cable
PAN person Moderate Bluetooth, IEEE replacement
802.15, and IrDa Cable replacement peripherals
for peripherals
Wireless Within a building or campus High IEEE 802.11, Wi-Fi, and HiperLAN Mobile extens
LAN of w
networks
Wireless Within a city High Proprietary, IEEE 802.16, and WIMAX Fixed wire
MAN between hom
and busines
and the Intern
Wireless Worldwide Low CDPD and Cellular 2G, 2.5G, and 3G Mobile access
WAN the Internet fr
4G 5G outdoor areas
Wireless LANs refer to LANs (Local Area Networks) that use high frequency radio
waves instead of cables for connecting the devices. It can be conceived as a set of
laptops and other wireless devices communicating by radio signals. Users connected by
WLANs can move around within the area of network coverage. Most WLANs are based
upon the standard IEEE 802.11 or WiFi.

Types of WLAN Protocols


IEEE 802.11 or WiFi has a number of variations, the main among which are −
● 802.11a Protocol− This protocol supports very high transmission speeds of
54Mbps. It has a high frequency of 5GHz range, due to which signals have
difficulty in penetrating walls and other obstructions. It employs Orthogonal
Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM).
● 802.11b Protocol − This protocol operates within the frequency range of 2.4GHz
and supports 11Mbps speed. It facilitates path sharing and is less vulnerable to
obstructions. It uses Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance
(CSMA/CA) with Ethernet protocol.
● 802.11g Protocol − This protocol combines the features of 802.11a and 802.11b
protocols. It supports both the frequency ranges 5GHz (as in 802.11a standard)
and 2.4GHz (as in 802.11b standard). Owing to its dual features, 802.11g is
backward compatible with 802.11b devices. 802.11g provides high speeds,
varying signal range, and resilience to obstruction. However, it is more expensive
for implementation.
● 802.11n Protocol − Popularly known as Wireless N, this is an upgraded version
of 802.11g. It provides very high bandwidth up to 600Mbps and provides signal
coverage. It uses Multiple Input/Multiple Output (MIMO), having multiple
antennas at both the transmitter end and receiver ends. In case of signal
obstructions, alternative routes are used. However, the implementation is highly
expensive.

Common term used in wireless networking

WLAN:

Wireless LANs (WLANs) are wireless computer networks that use high-frequency radio
waves instead of cables for connecting the devices within a limited area forming LAN
(Local Area Network). Users connected by wireless LANs can move around within this
limited area such as home, school, campus, office building, railway platform, etc.
Most WLANs are based upon the standard IEEE 802.11 standard or WiFi.

Components of WLANs
The components of WLAN architecture as laid down in IEEE 802.11 are −
● Stations (STA) − Stations comprises of all devices and equipment that are
connected to the wireless LAN. Each station has a wireless network interface
controller. A station can be of two types −
o Wireless Access Point (WAP or AP)
o Client
● Basic Service Set (BSS) − A basic service set is a group of stations
communicating at the physical layer level. BSS can be of two categories −
o Infrastructure BSS
o Independent BSS
● Extended Service Set (ESS) − It is a set of all connected BSS.
● Distribution System (DS) − It connects access points in ESS.

Types of WLANS
WLANs, as standardized by IEEE 802.11, operates in two basic modes, infrastructure,
and ad hoc mode.
● Infrastructure Mode − Mobile devices or clients connect to an access point (AP)
that in turn connects via a bridge to the LAN or Internet. The client transmits
frames to other clients via the AP.
● Ad Hoc Mode − Clients transmit frames directly to each other in a peer-to-peer
fashion.

Advantages of WLANs
● They provide clutter-free homes, offices and other networked places.
● The LANs are scalable in nature, i.e. devices may be added or removed from the
network at greater ease than wired LANs.
● The system is portable within the network coverage. Access to the network is not
bounded by the length of the cables.
● Installation and setup are much easier than wired counterparts.
● The equipment and setup costs are reduced.

Disadvantages of WLANs
● Since radio waves are used for communications, the signals are noisier with
more interference from nearby systems.
● Greater care is needed for encrypting information. Also, they are more prone to
errors. So, they require greater bandwidth than the wired LANs.
● WLANs are slower than wired LANs.

You might also like