IEEE 802.

11b Wireless LANs

The Basics
IEEE 802.11 is the protocol of wireless LAN (WLAN) Security
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) not secure at all!

Some Features
Infrastructure mode or ad hoc mode Access Point (AP) sends beacon frames
Mobiles choose AP based on signal strength

Multiple channel access protocols supported

Carrier Sense multi access with collisionavoidance CSMA/CA

MAC-layer can provide error control, retransmission, rate adaptation, etc. Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)
signal spread across 14 22-MHz channels

Compared with Ethernet

Similarities: LAN; limited geographic coverage; multiple stations; shared transmission medium; CSMA-based Medium Access Control protocol; 48-bit MAC addresses; comparable data rates

Compared with Ethernet

Differences:
wireless (air interface) versus wired (TP/ coax) wireless propagation environment (multi-path) higher error rate due to interference, etc. successful frames are ACKed by receiver mobile stations; hidden node problem; potential asymmetries CSMA/CA versus CSMA/CD multiple data transmission rates

Where does 802.11 live in the OSI?

Telnet, FTP, Email, Web, etc.

Application Presentation

Session
TCP, UDP IP, ICMP, IPX Logical Link Control - 802.2 (Interface to the upper layer protocols) MAC

Transport Network

Data Link

Wireless lives at Layers 1 & 2 only!

802.3, 802.5, 802.11

Physical Layer Convergence Protocol LAN: 10BaseT, 10Base2, 10BaseFL WLAN: FHSS, DSSS, IR

Physical

11 Mbps bandwidth shared by all devices in the Cell!

Wireless Cells
Access Point coverage area is called a Cell
Access Point Channel 6 ESSID: NAI

Range per Access Point is 100m

Each Access Point coverage area is called a Cell Computers can roam between cells

Wireless Cells
1 1 6

11
11 1

Computers can roam between cells

CSMA-CA + Acknowledgement
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance

How CSMA-CA works:

Device wanting to transmit senses the medium (Air)

If medium is busy - defers

If medium is free for certain period (DIFS) - transmits frame

Latency can increase if air is very busy! Device has hard time finding open air to send frame!
* DIFS - Distributed Inter-Frame Space (approx 128 s)

CSMA-CA + Acknowledgement
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance
Air is free for DIFS time period send frame

source destination
DIFS

others
NAV: defer access

data
SIFS

All other devices must defer while air is busy

Receive ACK back that frame was received intact!

ack

Every frame is acked - except broadcast and multicast!

* SIFS - Short Inter-Frame Space (approx 28 s)