INTRODUCTION TO WIRELESS NETWORKING

The planet is becoming increasingly more mobile over the past few years. The worlds
conventional ways of networking have proved insufficient to address the challenges raised by
our current collective lifestyle. When users need to be connected by physical cables to a
network, their movement is drastically reduced.

However, wireless networking does not face such a constraint and enables the network user
to move much more freely. As a result, wireless technologies invade “fixed” or “wired”
networks in the conventional realm. To someone who travels daily, this move is apparent.

INTRODUCTION

A whole new industry has been developed by wireless networking for voice telephony.
Adding mobile access to the telephony mix had profound influences on the voice calls market
because callers could be connected to individuals, not computers. We are at the height of an
equally profound shift in networking for computers.

Wireless telephony has been popular because it allows people to communicate with each
other regardless of venue. For Internet access, modern technology aimed at computer
networks promise to do the same. Thus far, 802.11 has become the most popular wireless
data networking technology.

In this,we are going to discuss the following:

 The definition of wireless networking.

 How wireless network works.
 Types of wireless networks.
 Wireless networking standards.
 Benefits of wireless networking.

A QUICK LOOK AT NETWORKING

Computer network refers to devices, such as computers, fax or even printers connected or
linked to each other to communicate and share resources. It makes use of transmission media
such as wires and cables. For example, in Local Area Networks (LAN), computers are
interconnected in a small area such as an office via communication cables.

The main reason for connecting several devices on a network is to share resources. For
example, an office has one shared printer. It can be connected to all computers within this
office on a network to allow each department’s usage.

WHAT’S WIRELESS NETWORKING?

A wireless network allows devices to remain linked to the network yet to roam without any
cables unattached. Wi-Fi signals are amplified by access points, meaning a computer can be
far from a router but still be linked to the network. You connect to that organization’s
wireless network when you connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot at a cafe or another public location.

The only difference between wireless and wired network is that wired network uses cables to
link devices to the Internet or another network, such as laptops or desktop computers. As
opposed to a wireless network, a wired network has several drawbacks. The main downside is
that a router is tied to your computer. The most popular wired networks use cables attached to
an Ethernet port on the network router and the other end to a computer or other system.

WHY WIRELESS?

At this point, digging into a particular technology is getting a little ahead of the story,
however. Wireless networks share some significant benefits, regardless of how the protocols
are built or what kind of information they bring.

Mobility is the most apparent value of wireless networking. Wireless network users can link
to existing networks and are then able to travel freely. In a single call, a mobile phone user
will travel miles because the phone links the user via cell towers.

Mobile telephony was costly initially. These costs limited its use to highly mobile
professionals such as sales managers and significant executive decision-makers who would
need to be reached at a moment’s notice regardless of their venue. However, mobile
telephony has proved to be a useful service and is now increasingly popular.
Usually, wireless networks have a lot of versatility, which can translate into rapid
implementation. Wireless networks use a variety of base stations to connect users to an
existing network.

HOW WIRELESS NETWORKS WORK

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) serves the same function as a wired one to connect a
group of computers. Since “wireless” does not require expensive wiring, the primary
advantage is that it is typically simpler, quicker, and cheaper to set up.

By contrast, it can be labour-intensive and costly to build a network by dragging wires over
an office’s walls and ceilings. But a wireless network can be a cost-effective way to extend or
increase it, even though you have a wired network already in place.

Wireless networks operate using Radio Frequency (RF) technology, a frequency associated
with radio wave propagation within the electromagnetic spectrum. An electromagnetic field
is generated when an RF current is supplied to an antenna that can then spread through space.

A system recognized as an access point (AP) is the core of a wireless network. An access
point’s primary role is to broadcast a wireless signal sensed and tuned into by computers.
Since wireless networks are typically linked to wired networks, access points often act as a
gateway to a wired network’s resources, such as an Internet connection.

Computers need to be fitted with wireless network adapters to connect to an access point and
join a wireless network. These are mostly built right into the device, but if not, by using an
add-on adapter attached to an empty expansion slot, USB port, or, in the case of notebooks, a
PC card slot, just about any computer or notebook can be made wireless-capable.

TYPES OF WIRELESS NETWORKS

We now know how wireless network works, let’s focus our attention to different types of
wireless.

1. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN)

WLAN refers to the type of network connecting two or more computers via a wireless
distribution method. They have high-frequency radio waves and an AP (access points) to the
internet.

They are advantageous to use as it allows users to move around the coverage area, not
restricted to a single location. They are also known as Local Area Wireless
Network(LAWN).

2. Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWAN)

WWAN is also known as wireless broadband, it makes use of cell towers. These towers
transmit radio signals spanning thousands of miles, in contrast to WLAN that spans a few
hundred feet. It comprises three major technologies, Global System for Mobile
communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and the newer
WiMAX.A point to note is that Wide Area Networks do not connect to your individual
computers but instead to several Local Area networks.

3. Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMAN)

MWAN has a coverage range size approximately that of a city. It’s smaller as compared to
WWAN but larger than WLAN. It belongs to a single entity such as the government, Internet
Service Provider, or cooperation. MWAN restricts access to authorized users or subscriber
devices only. An example of a form of WMAN would be *WiMAX.

WIRELESS NETWORKING STANDARDS

What is IEEE standards

IEEE stands for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. It is a professional

association with non profit organization with its headquarter in New York in United States of
America. It is composed of engineers, scientists, allied professionals, advancing innovation
and technological excellence for the benefit of humanity. IEEE mainly focuses in the areas
Electrical Engineering, Electronics & Communication Engineering, Computer Engineering,
and Information Technology. The IEEE is best known for developing standards for the
computer and electronics industry.

History
On January 1, 1963 IEEE merged with two institutions, the AIEE (American Institute of
Electrical Engineers) was founded in 1884 and the IRE (Institute of Radio Engineers) was
founded in 1912 to form the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). In the
starting, it had 150, 000 members and 140, 000 from the United States.

List of IEEE standards in Computer Networks and their functions

Standards Description

IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Overview and architecture

IEEE 802.1 LAN/MAN Bridging and management

IEEE 802.1s Multiple spanning tree

IEEE 802.1 w Rapid reconfiguration of spanning tree

IEEE 802.1x Port-based network access control

IEEE 802.2 Logical Link Control (LLC)

IEEE 802.3 CSMA/CD access method (Ethernet)

IEEE 802.3ae 10 Gigabit Ethernet

Token passing bus access method and Physical

IEEE 802.4
layer specifications

Token Ring access method and Physical layer

IEEE 802.5
specifications

Distributed Queue Dual Bus (DQDB) access

IEEE 802.6
method and Physical layer specifications (MAN)

IEEE 802.7 Broadband LAN

IEEE 802.8 Fiber Optic

IEEE 802.9 Isochronous LANs (standard withdrawn)

IEEE 802.10 Interoperable LAN/MAN Security

 Wireless LAN MAC and Physical layer
IEEE 802.11
specifications

Demand-priority access method, physical layer and

IEEE 802.12
repeater specifications

IEEE 802.13 Not used

IEEE 802.14 Cable modems (proposed standard was withdrawn)

IEEE 802.15 Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN)

Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (Wireless

IEEE 802.16
MAN)

IEEE 802.17 Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) Access

Advantages

 Data communication system is faster than the speed of transportation.

 Multi-path propagation increases the transmission rate and reduces the error
incidence.

 Manually fix the modulation used by the transmission.

 Developing standards for computer and electronic industry.

 It is a non-profit professional association and works for the benefit of Humanity.

Disadvantages

 It requires periodic maintenance.

 Network security needs to stay secure.

 It has unauthorized use.

BENEFITS OF WIRELESS NETWORKING

  It has contributed significantly to the Voice over Internet (VoIP) as calls can now be
made easily over this protocol.
 It has enabled mobility, a more significant advantage to its users as servers can be
accessed anywhere as long as Access Point access exists.
 They are relatively cheap when compared to wired networks, which involve a lot of
expenses when purchasing cables.
 The network can be secure due to data encryption method and current technologies.
This allows the sharing of sensitive information.

SPECIFIC THREATS AND VULNERABILITIES TO WIRELESS NETWORKS AND

HANDHELD DEVICES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

1. All the vulnerabilities that exist in a conventional wired network apply to wireless
technologies.
2.Malicious entities may gain unauthorized access to an agency’s computer network through
wireless connections, bypassing any firewall protections.
3.Sensitive information that is not encrypted (or that is encrypted with poor cryptographic
techniques) and that is transmitted between two wireless devices may be intercepted and
disclosed.
4.DoS attacks may be directed at wireless connections or devices.
5.Malicious entities may steal the identity of legitimate users and masquerade as them on
internal or external corporate networks.
6.Sensitive data may be corrupted during improper synchronization.
7.Malicious entities may be able to violate the privacy of legitimate users and be able to track
their movements.
8.Malicious entities may deploy unauthorized equipment (e.g., client devices and access
points) to surreptitiously gain access to sensitive information.
9.Handheld devices are easily stolen and can reveal sensitive information.
10.Data may be extracted without detection from improperly configured devices.

11.Viruses or other malicious code may corrupt data on a wireless device and subsequently
be introduced to a wired network connection.
12.Malicious entities may, through wireless connections, connect to other agencies or
organizations for the purposes of launching attacks and concealing their activities.
13.Interlopers, from inside or out, may be able to gain connectivity to network management
controls and thereby disable or disrupt operations.
14.Malicious entities may use third-party, untrusted wireless network services to gain access
to an agency’s or other organization’s network resources.
15.Internal attacks may be possible via ad hoc transmissions.