BCMSN30S06L03.ppt

Wireless LANs Explaining WLAN Technology and Standards Unlicensed Frequency Bands Radio Frequency Transmission Radio frequencies are radiated into the air via an antenna, creating radio waves. Radio waves are absorbed when they are propagated through objects (e.g., walls). Radio waves are reflected by objects (e.g., metal surfaces). This absorption and reflection can cause areas of low signal strength or low signal quality. Radio Frequency Transmission Higher data rates have a shorter transmission range. The receiver needs more signal strength and better SNR to retrieve information. Higher transmit power results in greater distance. Higher frequencies allow higher data rates. Higher frequencies have a shorter transmission range. WLAN Regulation and Standardization Regulatory agencies FCC (United States) ETSI (Europe) Standardization IEEE 802.11 /getieee802/ Certfication of equipment Wi-Fi Alliance certifies interoperability between products. Certifications include 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, dual-band products, and security testing. Certified products can be found at . 802.11b Standard Standard was ratified in September 1999 Operates in the 2.4-GHz band Specifies direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) Specifies four data rates up to 11 Mbps 1, 2, 5.5, 11 Mbps Provides specifications for vendor interoperability (over the air) Defines basic security, encryption, and authentication for the wireless link Is the most commonly deployed WLAN standard 2.4-GHz Channels 2.4-GHz Channel Use 802.11b/g (2.4 GHz) Channel Reuse 802.11b Access Point Coverage 802.11a Standard Standard was ratified September 1999 Operates in the 5-GHz band Uses orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) Uses eight data rates of up to 54 Mbps 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54 Mbps Has from 12 to 23 nonoverlapping channels (FCC) Has up to 19 nonoverlapping channels (ETSI) Regulations different across countries Transmit (Tx) power control and dynamic frequency selection required (802.11h) 5-GHz Ch