Wireless LAN - WLAN: Mohamed Mokdad Ecole D'ingénieurs de Bienne
Wireless LAN - WLAN: Mohamed Mokdad Ecole D'ingénieurs de Bienne
Agenda
WLAN Basics WLAN Configurations Customer considerations Components Frequencies Frames
First approach
(Wired) LAN is a data network Wireless LAN is an RF extension to LAN Data over the air interface No wires
i.e. Connectivity & Mobility
Why WLAN?
Mobility for data
As for voice, i.e. GSM (PWLAN)
Installation flexibility
Easy reconfiguration
Scalability
WLAN can expand easily (Roaming)
Infrared
Very high frequencies just below visible spectrum (Not very used in WLAN)
Frequency-Hopping - FHSS
Simple implementation Less power consumption Can add overlapping capacity with orthogonal hopping sequences
Typical configuration
An Access Point - AP - connects
The LAN to Wireless LAN
An AP can support a small group of users in a range of 100 to 300 m. The antenna is attached to the AP and defines the coverage area.
Isotropic or directional antennas
- This configuration needs no AP and no network in order to connect the 2 PCs - The existing PCMCIA Cards generally allow this configuration
Typical configuration
Roaming or Handover? This means mobiles can move between different coverage areas
The extension point extends the coverage area of the AP without adding any complexity to the AP architecture. E.g. Hot Spot in Airports
LAN
Customer considerations
Range and coverage
Distance over which equipment can communicate Radiated power in the coverage area - CA
Throughput
The mean bit rate (bps) a user can expect N users need less bandwidth than N x times
Customer considerations 2
Compatibility with the existing network
Many different backbones supported WLAN should be multivendor compatible
Customer considerations 3
WLAN Licensing issues
Free spectrum or licensed - Hyperlan? ISM?
Simplicity/Ease of Use
A configured Wireless LAN can be moved with little or no modification at all
Security
WLANs are less secure than LANs
Cost
Main factors: Coverage area # of APs
Customer considerations 4
Scalability
Extension of coverage area Support of additional APs at no costs
Safety
Much less than hand held cellular phones Safety deals with human safety
ISM
Industrial/Scientific/Medical bands 902-928 MHz
Crowded: Cordless phone, wireless speaker, garage door (telemetry)
2400-2483.5 MHz
Medium use, Microwave oven
5725-5850 MHz
US & Canada only Light use, some radar Expensive
OSI Layers
Configurations
Wireless LAN
Specified in IEEE 802.11 Specify Physical and MAC layers
Stations
Portable: fixed when used Mobile: mobile during usage
Emitted Power
100 mW (1 W in US and 10 mW in Japan) Impacts directly coverage area (bandwidth)
BSS: Basic Service Set This figures out a coverage area STA1: Station 1 BSA: Basic Service Area BSS
DS & ESS
DS: Distribution System AP: Access Point
LAN
Non overlapping
Set 1 2
Number of channels 3 6
Channels allocation
CHNL_ID 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Frequency 2412 MHz 2417 MHz 2422 MHz 2427 MHz 2432 MHz 2437 MHz 2442 MHz 2447 MHz 2452 MHz 2457 MHz 2462 MHz 2467 MHz 2472 MHz 2484 MHz
X'10' FCC X X X X X X X X X X X X'20' IC X X X X X X X X X X X Regulatory domains X'30' X'31' X'32' ETSI Spain France X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X'40' MKK X
Deauthentication Notification
Deassociation Notification
Frame Classes
Control Management Data Class 1
Control, Management & Data
Class 2
Management
Class 3
Control, Management & Data
Control Frames
Acknowledgment (ACK) CF-End + CF-Ack Clear To Send (CTS) Contention-Free (CF)-End Power Save (PS)-Poll Request To Send (RTS)
Management Frames
Announcement traffic indication message (ATIM) Association request Association response Authentication Beacon Deauthentication Disassociation Probe request Probe response Reassociation request Reassociation response
Data Frames
CF-Ack (no data) CF-Ack + CF-Poll (no data) CF-Poll (no data) Data + CF-Ack Data + CF-Ack + CF-Poll Data + CF-Poll Null function (no data)
Protocol Sub To From More Power More Type Retry WEP Order Version Type DS DS Fragment Mgmt Data Power Management = From Station to say 1: power save or 0: Active mode Retry for corrupted frames More fragments for segmented frames Duration ID = either AID (Station Association Identity) or Frame duration Sequence Control Field = Frames (12 bits) and Fragments (4bits) numbering
Protocol Sub To From More Power More Type Retry WEP Order Version Type DS DS Fragment Mgmt Data
Address Fields
DA RA SA TA BSSID
Destination Address of the MSDU Receiver Address - Address of STA in the AP Source Address of the MSDU Transmitter Address - Address of STA in the AP BSS ID
To DS = 1 & From DS = 0
Data frame destined for the DS.
To DS = 0 & From DS = 1
Data frame exiting the DS.
To DS = 1 & From DS = 1
Wireless distribution system (WDS) frame being distributed from one AP to another AP.
Architectural services
Station services
Authentication & Deauthentication Privacy - WEP MSDU delivery - Data delivery
Security
Service set identifier (SSID)
SSID associated with an AP or a group of APs. Client must know SSID
WEP
40 to 256 bits Devices can work with lower encryption level - 120 bits can work @ 64 and 40 bits Encryption level determined by key length Lower level with 10 Hex characters
i.e. 5 ASCII characters
Antenna
Antenna
Medium Access
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance CSMA/CA Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection CSMA/CD
LAN - CSMA/CD
Supports two or more nodes on common bus Node postpones transmission of data packets until network is clear of traffic Other nodes transmit in event of collision Back off period before retransmission
LAN - CSMA/CD
B will detect tranmission from A It stops its transmission and Send the ethernet jam sequence, i.e. 32 bits Collision detected with higher current values
Back-Off
Detect collision N
Start with N = 0
After a collision
Increment N and Increment K (if K < 10) Calculate number set and pick R (Random) {0,1,2,3} for N = 2 (and K = 2) {0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7} for N = 3 (and K = 3) Items number = 2K (max 2K = 1024) R defines the wait time, i.e. R*51.2 s
Back-Off
WLAN - CSMA/CA
Cannot detect data packet collision Detects medium busy Node can transmit Request to Send (RTS) to destination Destination can transmit Clear to Send (CTS) to originating node Destination can transmit Acknowledgement when data packet has been received
WLAN - CSMA/CA
D Node A MPDU S A D CW MPDU
Node B
Node C
ACK
D = DCF Interframe Space DCF = Distributed Coordination Function MPDU = MAC Protocol Data Unit S = Short Interframe Space CW = Contention Window A = Acknowledgment
Hidden Node B
Node B
Node C
CTS
ACK
C Not allowed for sending
Contention Window
Exposed Node
Solve
RTS
CTS
CTS