Mobile Communications

Chapter 7: Wireless LANs

Slides by Jochen Schiller
with modifications by Emmanuel Agu

 Characteristics  HIPERLAN
 IEEE 802.11  Bluetooth / IEEE 802.15.x
 PHY  IEEE 802.16/.20/.21/.22
 MAC  RFID
 Roaming  Comparison
 .11a, b, g, h, i …

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.1

 Mobile Communication Technology according to IEEE

WiFi
Local wireless networks 802.11a 802.11h
WLAN 802.11 802.11i/e/…/w
802.11b 802.11g

ZigBee
Personal wireless nw 802.15.4 802.15.4a/b
WPAN 802.15 802.15.5

802.15.2 802.15.3 802.15.3a/b

802.15.1
Bluetooth
Wireless distribution networks
WMAN 802.16 (Broadband Wireless Access) WiMAX
+ Mobility
802.20 (Mobile Broadband Wireless Access)

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.2

 Characteristics of wireless LANs

Advantages
veryflexible within reception area
Ad-hoc networks do not need planning
(almost) no wiring difficulties (e.g. historic buildings, firewalls)
more robust against disasters like, e.g., earthquakes, fire
Disadvantages
low bandwidth compared to wired networks (1-10 Mbit/s)
many proprietary solutions, especially for higher bit-rates,
standards take their time (e.g. IEEE 802.11)
many national restrictions for wireless, long time to establish
global solutions like, e.g., IMT-2000

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.3

 Design goals for wireless LANs

 global, seamless operation

 low power for battery use
 no special permissions or licenses needed to use the
LAN
 robust transmission technology
 simplified spontaneous cooperation at meetings
 easy to use for everyone, simple management
 protection of investment in wired networks
 security (no one should be able to read my data), privacy
(no one should be able to collect user profiles), safety
(low radiation)
 transparency concerning applications and higher layer
protocols, but also location awareness if necessary

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.4

 Comparison: infrared vs. radio transmission

Infrared Radio
uses IR diodes, diffuse light, typicallyusing the license free ISM
multiple reflections (walls, furniture band at 2.4 GHz
etc.)
Advantages
Advantages experience from wireless WAN and
simple, cheap, available in many mobile phones can be used
mobile devices coverage of larger areas possible
no licenses needed (radio can penetrate walls, furniture
Shielding is simple etc.)
Electrical devices do not interfere Higher transmission rates than IR
with IR transmission Disadvantages
Disadvantages limited license free frequency
interference by sunlight, heat bands
sources etc. shielding more difficult, electrical
many things shield or absorb IR interference
light
low bandwidth

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.5

 Comparison: infrastructure vs. ad-hoc networks

infrastructure
network
AP: Access Point
AP

AP wired network
AP

ad-hoc network

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.6

 802.11 - Architecture of an infrastructure network

Station (STA)
802.11 LAN terminal with access mechanisms to
802.x LAN
the wireless medium and radio contact to
the access point
STA1 Basic Service Set (BSS)
BSS1 group of stations using the same radio
Access Portal frequency
Point Access Point
Distribution System station integrated into the wireless LAN
and the distribution system
Access
ESS Point Portal
bridge to other (wired) networks
BSS2 Distribution System
interconnection network to form one
logical network (EES: Extended Service
Set) based on several BSS
STA2 802.11 LAN STA3

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.7

 802.11 - Architecture of an ad-hoc network

Direct communication within a limited

range
802.11 LAN
 Station (STA):
terminal with access mechanisms to the
wireless medium
STA1  Independent Basic Service Set
IBSS1 STA3
(IBSS):
group of stations using the same radio
frequency

STA2

IBSS2

STA5

STA4 802.11 LAN

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.8

 IEEE standard 802.11

fixed
terminal
mobile terminal

infrastructure
network

access point
application application
TCP TCP
IP IP

LLC LLC LLC

802.11 MAC 802.11 MAC 802.3 MAC 802.3 MAC

802.11 PHY 802.11 PHY 802.3 PHY 802.3 PHY

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.9

 802.11 - Layers and functions

MAC PLCP Physical Layer Convergence Protocol

access mechanisms, fragmentation, clear channel assessment signal (carrier
encryption sense)
MAC Management PMD Physical Medium Dependent
synchronization, roaming, MIB, power modulation, coding
management
PHY Management
channel selection, MIB
Station Management
coordination of all management
functions

LLC
DLC

Management
MAC MAC Management

PLCP
Station
PHY

PHY Management
PMD

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.10

 802.11 - Physical layer (classical)

3 versions: 2 radio (typ. 2.4 GHz), 1 IR

data rates 1 or 2 Mbit/s
FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum)
spreading, despreading, signal strength, typ. 1 Mbit/s
min. 2.5 frequency hops/s (USA), two-level GFSK modulation

DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum)

DBPSK modulation for 1 Mbit/s (Differential Binary Phase Shift Keying), DQPSK
for 2 Mbit/s (Differential Quadrature PSK)
preamble and header of a frame is always transmitted with 1 Mbit/s, rest of
transmission 1 or 2 Mbit/s
chipping sequence: +1, -1, +1, +1, -1, +1, +1, +1, -1, -1, -1 (Barker code)
max. radiated power 1 W (USA), 100 mW (EU), min. 1mW

Infrared
850-950 nm, diffuse light, typ. 10 m range
carrier detection, energy detection, synchronization

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.11

 802.11 - MAC layer I - DFWMAC

Traffic services
 Asynchronous Data Service (mandatory)
 exchange of data packets based on “best-effort”
 support of broadcast and multicast
 Time-Bounded Service (optional)
 implemented using PCF (Point Coordination Function)
Access methods
 DFWMAC-DCF CSMA/CA (mandatory)
 collision avoidance via randomized „back-off“ mechanism
 minimum distance between consecutive packets
 ACK packet for acknowledgements (not for broadcasts)
 DFWMAC-DCF w/ RTS/CTS (optional)
 Distributed Foundation Wireless MAC
 avoids hidden terminal problem
 DFWMAC- PCF (optional)
 access point polls terminals according to a list

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.12

 802.11 - MAC layer II

Priorities
 defined through different inter frame spaces
 no guaranteed, hard priorities
 SIFS (Short Inter Frame Spacing)
 highest priority, for ACK, CTS, polling response
 PIFS (PCF IFS)
 medium priority, for time-bounded service using PCF
 DIFS (DCF, Distributed Coordination Function IFS)
 lowest priority, for asynchronous data service

DIFS DIFS
PIFS
SIFS
medium busy contention next frame
t
direct access if
medium is free  DIFS

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.13

 802.11 - CSMA/CA access method
contention window
DIFS DIFS (randomized back-off
mechanism)

medium busy next frame

direct access if t
medium is free  DIFS slot time
 station ready to send senses medium (based on PHY layer CCA,
Clear Channel Assessment)
 if the medium is free for the duration of an Inter-Frame Space (IFS),
the station can start sending (IFS depends on service type)
 if the medium is busy, the station has to wait for a free IFS, then the
station must additionally wait a random back-off time (collision
avoidance, multiple of slot-time)
 if another station occupies the medium during the back-off time of the
station, the back-off timer stops (fairness)
 If multiple stations have backed off, when 1 timer expires, other timers
frozen

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.14

 802.11 - CSMA/CA access method

Sending unicast packets

station has to wait for DIFS before sending data
receivers acknowledge at once (after waiting for SIFS) if the packet was received
correctly (CRC)
automatic retransmission of data packets in case of transmission errors

DIFS
data
sender
SIFS
ACK
receiver
DIFS
other data
stations t
waiting time contention

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.15

 802.11 – DFWMAC-DCF with RTS/CTS extension.

Sending unicast packets

stationcan send RTS with reservation parameter after waiting for DIFS (reservation
determines amount of time the data packet needs the medium)
acknowledgement via CTS after SIFS by receiver (if ready to receive)
sender can now send data at once, acknowledgement via ACK
otherstations store medium reservations distributed via RTS and CTS by setting its
NAV.NAV specifies the earliest point at which the station can try to access the medium again.
DIFS
RTS data
sender
SIFS SIFS
CTS SIFS ACK
receiver

NAV (RTS) DIFS

other NAV (CTS) data
stations t
defer access contention

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.16

 Fragmentation

DIFS
RTS frag1 frag2
sender
SIFS SIFS SIFS
CTS SIFS ACK1 SIFS ACK2
receiver

NAV (RTS)
NAV (CTS)
NAV (frag1) DIFS
other NAV (ACK1) data
stations t
contention

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.17

 DFWMAC-PCF I

t0 t1
SuperFrame

medium busy PIFS SIFS SIFS

D1 D2
point
coordinator SIFS SIFS
U1 U2
wireless
stations
stations‘ NAV
NAV

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.18

 802.11 - Frame format

Types
 control frames, management frames, data frames
Sequence numbers
 important against duplicated frames due to lost ACKs
Addresses
 receiver, transmitter (physical), BSS identifier, sender (logical)
Miscellaneous
 sending time, checksum, frame control, data
bytes 2 2 6 6 6 2 6 0-2312 4
Frame Duration/ Address Address Address Sequence Address
Data CRC
Control ID 1 2 3 Control 4

bits 2 2 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1
Protocol To From More Power More
version Type Subtype DS DS Frag Retry Mgmt Data WEP Order

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.19

 802.11 - MAC management

Synchronization
 Clock skew may happen
 Infrastructure: AP broadcasts beacons, other nodes correct skew
 Ad hoc: All nodes broadcast beacons
Power management
 Save battery, nodes can go to sleep, wake up periodically to receive
 Infrastructure: AP buffers packets for sleeping nodes
 Ad hoc: sender buffers packets for sleeping destinations
Association/Reassociation
 Roaming: Move from access point to access point as user moves
 scanning, i.e. active search for a network
 Node sends message to new AP, says goodbye to old AP
MIB - Management Information Base
 All information for managing network, node stored in SNMP MIB
 MIB can be read (access) or written to (update)

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, http://www.jochenschiller.de/ MC SS05 7.20

 802.11 - Synchronization

• All STAs within a BSS are synchronized to a common

clock
–Infrastructure mode: AP is the timing master
•periodically transmits Beacon frames containing Timing Synchronization
function (TSF)
•Receiving stations accepts the timestamp value in TSF
–Ad hoc mode: TSF implements a distributed algorithm
•Each station adopts the timing received from any beacon that has TSF value
later than its own TSF timer
• This mechanism keeps the synchronization of the TSF
timers in a BSS to within 4 s plus the maximum
propagation delay of the PHY layer

ICPWC'02
 Synchronization using a Beacon (infrastructure mode)

beacon interval

B B B B
access
point
busy busy busy busy
medium
t
value of the timestamp B beacon frame

ICPWC'02
Source: Schiller
 Synchronization using a Beacon
(ad-hoc mode)

beacon interval

B1 B1
station1

B2 B2
station2

busy busy busy busy

medium
t
value of the timestamp B beacon frame random delay

ICPWC'02
 802.11 - Power management

• Idea: switch the transceiver off if not needed

• States of a station: sleep and awake
• Timing Synchronization Function (TSF)
–stations wake up at the same time
• Infrastructure
–Traffic Indication Map (TIM)
•list of unicast receivers transmitted by AP
–Delivery Traffic Indication Map (DTIM)
•list of broadcast/multicast receivers transmitted by AP
• Ad-hoc
–Ad-hoc Traffic Indication Map (ATIM)
•announcement of receivers by stations buffering frames
•more complicated - no central AP
•collision of ATIMs possible (scalability?)

ICPWC'02
 802.11 - Energy Conservation

• Power Saving in infrastructure mode

–Nodes can go into sleep or standby mode
–An Access Point periodically transmits a beacon
indicating which nodes have packets waiting for them
–Each power saving (PS) node wakes up periodically to
receive the beacon
–If a node has a packet waiting, then it sends a PS-Poll
•After waiting for a backoff interval in [0,CWmin]
–Access Point sends the data in response to PS-poll

ICPWC'02
 Power saving with wake-up patterns (infrastructure)

TIM interval DTIM interval

D B T T d D B
access
point
busy busy busy busy
medium

p d
station
t
T TIM D DTIM awake

data transmission
B broadcast/multicast p PS poll d
to/from the station

ICPWC'02
Source: Schiller
 Power saving with wake-up patterns (ad-hoc)

ATIM
window beacon interval

B1 A D B1
station1

B2 B2 a d
station2

t
B beacon frame random delay A transmit ATIM D transmit data

awake a acknowledge ATIM d acknowledge data

ICPWC'02
 802.11 - Roaming

• Bad connection in Infrastructure mode? Perform:

• scanning of environment
–listen into the medium for beacon signals or send probes into the medium
and wait for an answer
• send Reassociation Request
–station sends a request to a new AP(s)
• receive Reassociation Response
–success: AP has answered, station can now participate
–failure: continue scanning
• AP accepts Reassociation Request and
–signals the new station to the distribution system
–the distribution system updates its data base (i.e., location information)
–typically, the distribution system now informs the old AP so it can release
resources