Wireless LANs
McGraw-Hill ©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000
IEEE 802.11
IEEE has defined the specifications for a wireless
LAN, called IEEE 802.11, which covers the physical
and data link layers.
Topics discussed in this section:
Architecture
MAC Sublayer
Physical Layer
Note
A BSS without an AP is called an ad hoc
network;
a BSS with an AP is called an
infrastructure network.
Basic service sets (BSSs)
Extended service sets (ESSs)
MAC layers in IEEE 802.11 standard
CSMA/CA flowchart
CSMA/CA and NAV
SIFS-Short Inter-Frame Space ; DIFS- DCF Inter-frame Space ; Distributed coordination
function (DCF) is the fundamental MAC technique of the IEEE 802.11 based WLAN
standard. DCF employs a CSMA/CA with binary exponential backoff algorithm.
Example of repetition interval
Point coordination function (PCF) is a Media Access Control (MAC)
technique used in IEEE 802.11 based WLANs
Frame format
Subfields in FC field
Control frames
Values of subfields in control frames
Addresses
Addressing mechanisms
Hidden station problem
Note
The CTS frame in CSMA/CA handshake
can prevent collision from
a hidden station.
Use of handshaking to prevent hidden station problem
Exposed station problem
Use of handshaking in exposed station problem
IEEE-802.11 / Wireless LAN
IEEE:
Abbreviation of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
The IEEE is best known for developing standards for the computer and
electronics industry. In particular, the IEEE 802 standards for local-area networks
are widely followed.
802.11:
802.11 refers to a family of specifications developed by the IEEE for wireless LAN
technology. 802.11 specifies an over-the-air interface between a wireless client
and a base station or between two wireless clients.
IEEE-802.11 / Wireless LAN
•802.11 -- applies to wireless LANs and provides 1 or 2 Mbps transmission in the
2.4 GHz band using either frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) or direct
sequence spread spectrum (DSSS).
•802.11a -- an extension to 802.11 that applies to wireless LANs and provides up
to 54 Mbps in the 5GHz band. 802.11a uses an orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing encoding scheme rather than FHSS or DSSS.
•802.11b (also referred to as 802.11 High Rate or Wi-Fi) -- an extension to 802.11
that applies to wireless LANS and provides 11 Mbps transmission (with a fallback
to 5.5, 2 and 1 Mbps) in the 2.4 GHz band. 802.11b uses only DSSS. 802.11b was a
1999 ratification to the original 802.11 standard, allowing wireless functionality
comparable to Ethernet.
•802.11g -- applies to wireless LANs and provides 20+ Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band
•Wi-Fi – Wireless Fidelity
Physical layers
Industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band
Physical layer of IEEE 802.11 FHSS
Physical layer of IEEE 802.11 DSSS
Physical layer of IEEE 802.11 infrared
Physical layer of IEEE 802.11b
BLUETOOTH
Bluetooth is a wireless LAN technology designed to
connect devices of different functions such as
telephones, notebooks, computers, cameras, printers,
coffee makers, and so on. A Bluetooth LAN is an ad
hoc network, which means that the network is formed
spontaneously.
Topics discussed in this section:
Architecture
Bluetooth Layers
Baseband Layer
L2CAP
Piconet
Scatternet
Bluetooth layers
Single-secondary communication
Multiple-secondary communication
Frame format types
L2CAP data packet format
