Chapter 4: Wireless Local Area Networks

Outlines
 WLAN overview
 IEEE 802.11 (WLAN) Standard
 HiperLAN
 WPAN Overview
 IEEE 802.15 (WPAN) Standards
 Wireless Sensor Networks and Zigbees

03/04/2025 WC & MC 1
WLANs: WLANs Overview
 It refers to type of network that allow devices to
connect and communicate wirelessly within small
coverage area like home, campus, office.
 They are cheap and flexible for users.
 The WLAN devices communicate with each other by
using wireless NIC that transmit and receive
information over wireless media.
 Wireless NIC is a component that allow a device to
connect to WLAN by converting data signal into radio
wave.
 The first generation of WLAN products, such as
Lucent’s WaveLAN, provided data rates of about 1-2
Mbps – a factor of 10 slower than the traditional
Ethernet
 Most of the current generation of wireless LANs offer
10-11 Mbps (with someWCapproaching
03/04/2025 & MC 54 Mbps) – still
2 a
WLANs: WLANs Overview
 WLAN has a lot of basic key features. Here it is some
them:
 Wireless connectivity: WLAN provide the flexibility
to connect devices without the need of cables,
enable mobility within the network area.
 High speed data transmission; current modern
WLAN allowing for transfer large amounts of data
quickly.
 Ease of deployment: WLAN is easy to deploy.
 Scalability: WLAN can be easily scaled by adding
more access points or use mesh networking.

03/04/2025 WC & MC 3
WLANs: WLANs Overview
 WLAN Architecture:
 A WLAN typically consists of the following
components:
 Access point (APs): it is a device that serve as a
bridge between wireless devices and wired
network. It helps to transmit and receive radio
signals, allowing a devices are connect each other
within the rang.
 Wireless clients: any wireless devices like laptop,
smartphone and others device that connect to
WLAN.
 Wireless controller: it is used to manage multiple
APs in enterprise, campus, company and other
organization which uses WLAN. It can handle
configuration, monitoring and security policies for
the APs.
03/04/2025 WC & MC 4
WLANs: WLANs Overview

Fig. A simple wireless LAN configuration

03/04/2025 WC & MC 5
WLANs: WLANs Overview
Benefits of WLANs are:
 Flexibility: allows the users to roam around a
building with their laptops. This is particularly
useful for wireless Internet access
 Improvements in Productivity: provide LAN
users with access to real-time information
anywhere in their organization
 Installation Speed and Simplicity: they
eliminate the need to pull cable through walls and
ceilings.
 Reduced Cost: lower overall installation cost
 Scalability: Wireless LANs can be configured in a
variety of topologies to meet the needs of specific
applications and installations

03/04/2025 WC & MC 6
WLANs: WLANs Overview
 The wireless LAN industry has grown at a notable
rate of between 40 and 60% per year since the
mid-1990s
 It is expected to keep growing at this rate in the
future
 Reasons for this growth are:
 First, a widely accepted wireless LAN standard
has been approved by the Institute of Electrical
and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
 Second, product prices have decreased
dramatically over the past several years
 Third, new wireless LAN applications are
continually being adopted.
 Fourth, the mobile computing paradigm is being
rapidly adopted by corporate users for office
settings
03/04/2025 WC & MC 7
WLANs: WLANs Overview
 Characteristics of WLANs
 Wireless connectivity : WLAN uses radio waves
to transmit data, eliminating the need for physical
cable.
 Mobility: it allowing users to move freely within
the network coverage area without losing
connectivity.
 Ease of installation and deployment: its simple to
set up and implement on the ground.
 Scalability: it is easy to accommodate more users
or cover larger areas by adding more Aps.
 Coverage Area: WLAN is covered limited area up
to around 300 meter. Range can be extended
using additional Aps or mesh networking.
 Data transfer speeds: modern WLAN supports
high data transfer WC
03/04/2025 rate,
& MC varying by the Wi-Fi
8
WLANs: WLANs Overview
 Frequency bands : WLAN operates on different
frequency bands, depending on the standard:
 2.4 GHz: longer range, more prone to
interference from other devices, like
microwaves and Bluetooth but lower data rate .
Example ;- Bluetooth and microwaves
 5 GHz: higher speeds, shorter range, less
interference but has shorter range than 2.4GHz.
 6 GHz: (WI-FI 6E) provide more bandwidth and
reduce interference.
 Cost-Effectiveness: it reduce costs cause doesn’t
need wire.
 Multi-Device Support: it support multiple device
simultaneously, enabling connectivity for laptop,
smartphone, IoT devices, printers and more.
 Interference
03/04/2025 and signal
WC & issues:
MC it is susceptible to
9
WLANs: WLANs Overview
 Security : it is use encryption protocols to secure
data transmission, such as:
 WEP (wired equivalent privacy): outdated
security protocol that was one of the first WLAN
encryption method and insecure. Its no longer
consider secure.
 WPA(Wi-Fi protected access)/WPA2: successor
to WEP, offering strong encryption and security
features. WPA2 is widely used and is much more
secure than WEP.
 WPA3 : latest security protocol, offering
enhanced security and protection against brute-
force attacks.
 MAC address filtering: allows only certain
devices based on their MAC address to access
the network.
03/04/2025 WC & MC 10
WLANs: WLANs Overview
 Integration with wired networks: it can integrate
seamlessly with wired networks, used in hybrid
network configuration to enhance flexibility.
 Roaming: it support roaming, allowing devices to
move between access points within the same
network without losing the connection.
 Critical for large networks in office buildings,
airport, campuses.
 Power consumption : WLAN device consume power
to transmit and receive signals.
 Specially portable devices use battery, so
efficient power management is essential.
 Standardization: WLAN operates based on
standardized protocols, such as IEEE
802.11,ensuring interoperability between devices
from
03/04/2025different manufacturers.
WC & MC 11
WLANs: WLANs Overview
 Wireless LAN Technologies
 Figure below shows the key wireless
technologies: LAN adapters, access points, and
wireless communication technologies

Fig. WLAN technologies

03/04/2025 WC & MC 12
WLANs: WLANs Overview
 Wireless LAN Technologies
 LAN adapter
 End users access WLANs through wireless LAN
adapters
 provide an interface between the client network
operating system (NOS) and the airwaves via an
omnidirectional antenna
 Access Point
 An access point is a transmitter/receiver
(transceiver) device that connects wireless LANs to
other wired or wireless
 It uses omnidirectional antenna
 It performs two functions:
1. it acts as a repeater between two wireless LANs
2. it acts as a connector (bridge) between wired
and wireless networks.
03/04/2025 WC & MC 13
WLANs: WLANs Overview
 Wireless LAN Technologies
 Microcells and Roaming
 Wireless communication is limited by how far
signals carry for a given power output
 Wireless LANs use cells, called microcells, similar
to the cellular telephone system to extend the
range of wireless connectivity
 Individual microcells overlap to allow continuous
communication within a wired network
 They handle low-power signals and “hand off”
users as they roam through a given geographic
area.

03/04/2025 WC & MC 14
WLANs: WLANs Overview
 Wireless LAN Technologies
 Microcells and Roaming

Fig. Microcells and Roaming in a Wireless LAN Environment

03/04/2025 WC & MC 15
WLANs: WLANs Overview
 Wireless LAN Technologies
 Wireless Communication Technologies
 use electromagnetic airwaves (typically radio) to
communicate between LAN users
 The data being transmitted is
modulated/demodulated on the radio waves
 Currently available wireless LANs use one of three
signal types to transmit data
• spread spectrum (most commonly used)
 transmitted signal is deliberately varied
• narrowband microwave
 Must use line-of-sight dish to accept
microwave
• Infrared
 Use infrared beam to send and receive
03/04/2025 WC & MC 16
WLANs: WLANs Overview
 Wireless LAN Topologies
 There are a few basic WLAN topologies:
 Ad-hoc Mode: devices communicate directly with
each other without using an AP, typically used for
temporary or peer to peer connections.
 Infrastructure Mode: devices communicate through
an AP, which provides access to a larger network.
This is the most common topology in homes and
enterprises.
 Mesh Network: APs connect with one another,
creating a self-healing network that can reroute
traffic if one AP fails.

03/04/2025 WC & MC 17
WLANs: WLANs Overview
 Wireless LAN Challenges
 There are a few basic challenges of WLAN :
 interference: devices like cordless phones and
microwaves operating in the same frequency can
interfere with WLAN signals, especially in the 2.4
GHz band.
 Range Limitation: the range of WLAN is limited and
signal may weaken due to walls or other obstacles.
 Network Congestion: high usage of WLAN can lead
to congestion, especially in crowded environments.
 Security Risks: WLANs are susceptible to attack
like eavesdropping, man in the middle attacks and
rogue APs if not properly secured.

03/04/2025 WC & MC 18
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 The IEEE 802 standards committee formed the
802.11 Wireless Local Area Networks Standards
Working Group in 1990
 The standard has been issued in several stages
 The first part, issued in 1997, is simply called
802.11 and operates at 1 and 2 Mbps.
 The second part, issued in 1999, is called 802.11a
and operates at data rates up to 54 Mbps and uses
5 GHz band, covers short range.
 The third part, also issued in 1999, is known as
802.11b and operates at data rates up to 11 Mbps
in 2.4 GHz band.
 The IEEE 802.11g was introduced in 2003 and
operates at 54 Mbps in 2.4 GHz band. It is
improved on 802.11b.
 03/04/2025 WC & MC
The IEEE 802.11n is issued in 2009, is known as
19
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 The IEEE 802.11ac is issued in 2013, is known as
WiFiv5. it is operate in 5 GHz bands, with speeds
up to 6.9 Gbps.
 The IEEE 802.11ax is issued in 2019, is known as
WiFiv6. it is operate in both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
bands, with speeds up to 9.6 Gbps. It support also
the new 6 GHz band (Wi-Fi 6E).
 802.11b, also known as Wi-Fi (abbreviated from
wireless fidelity), supports up to 11 Mbps data rates
and provides great vendor interoperability
 Security provisions in 802.11 are addressed in the
standard by a complex encryption such as:
 Wired Equivalent Privacy Algorithm (WEP)
• Protects transmitted data over the RF medium
by
RC4: 1 using
byte Stream Cipher

• use a 64-bit seed

03/04/2025 WC &key
MC 20
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 General LAN Protocol Architecture
 LAN protocol follow on OSI model, specifically it focus
on the lower layer of OSI model (data link and
physical layer).
 LAN protocol describe how the data is formatted,
transmitted and receive from the LAN environment.
 It concentrates on the first 2 layers
 Subdivided into two layers
1. Data link layer:- provides a reliable link between
directly connected devices by ensuring error free
data transfer one node to another over physical
medium. There are two sub layers in the data link
layer. Such as:-
1.1. Logical link control (LLC)
 provides an interface to higher layers through
service access point WC & MC
03/04/2025 21
 performs flow and error control
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
1.2. Medium access control (MAC) sub layer
 governs access to the LAN transmission medium
 Determines how devices share the medium in a
network.
 Add MAC addresses to frames.
 plays a central role in wireless transmissions
 This layer is responsible for dealing with ad hoc or
master-slave LANs
 Also responsible for handoffs between cells
 On transmission, assemble into frame and
disassemble the frame during reception

03/04/2025 WC & MC 22
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 General LAN Protocol Architecture
2. Physical Layer
deals with the wireless transmission medium
and includes specification of the transmission
medium
It is responsible:
• for encoding/decoding of signals (e.g.,
modulation)
• preamble generation/removal (for
synchronization)
• Bit transmission/reception over the wireless
medium
03/04/2025 WC & MC 23
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 Key terms used in the 802.11 standard are:
 Station. Any device that contains an IEEE 802.11
conformant MAC and physical layer. That means any
device that connected to the network and participate
in the communication is called station.
 Access point (AP). A station that provides access to
the distribution system.
 Basic service set (BSS) A collection of stations
 Distribution system (DS). A system that
interconnects several BSSs
 Extended service set (ESS). Two or more basic
service sets interconnected by DS

03/04/2025 WC & MC 24
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard

Fig. IEEE 802.11 Stack

03/04/2025 WC & MC 25
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 IEEE 802.11 Services
 IEEE 802.11 specifies several services that can be
categorized into association-related, distribution-
related, and privacy-related services.
1. Association-Related Services
 They are needed to identify what stations are
associated with an access point
 The standard defines different transition types based
on mobility:
• No transition – a station does not move or moves only
within the BSS
• BSS transition – a station moves from one BSS to
another BSS in the same ESS
• ESS transition – a station moves from a BSS in one
ESS to a BSS within another ESS.
03/04/2025 WC & MC 26
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 Association-Related Services
 To deliver a message to a station, the distribution
service needs to know the AP identification
 Thus a station must maintain an association with an
access point (AP)
 The following three services support this
requirement:
o Association – Establishes initial association between
station and AP
o Re-association – Enables transfer of association
from one AP to another, allowing station to move from
one BSS to another
o Disassociation – Association termination notice
from station or AP

03/04/2025 WC & MC 27
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
[Link]-Related Services
 They are needed to distribute messages within a DS
 Two types:
o Distribution service: is used to exchange MAC
frames from a station in one BSS to a station in
another BSS
o Integration service: is used to transfer data
between stations on an IEEE 802.11 LAN and
stations on an integrated IEEE 802.x LAN (wired
LAN).
 This supports exchange of information between
wired and wireless LANs.

03/04/2025 WC & MC 28
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
3. Access and Privacy Services
 have special requirements in the mobile environment
 The following three services are designed for
adequate security:
• Authentication is used to establish identity of
stations to each other
• De-authentication is invoked when existing
authentication is terminated
• Privacy prevents message contents from being read
by an unintended recipient

03/04/2025 WC & MC 29
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
1. IEEE 802.11 Physical Layer
 The physical layer of IEEE 802.11 has been issued in
several stages
 In 1997, IEEE 802.11 was issued, first part
 in 1999, IEEE 802.11a and IEEE 802.11b, were
issued.
 The IEEE 802.11g was introduced in 2002
 the physical layer level, IEEE 802.11 supports data
rates that range from 1 Mbps to 54 Mbps.

03/04/2025 WC & MC 30
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 Original IEEE 802.11 Physical Layer
 It is the oldest 802.11 physical layer specification
 It includes the following two RF (FHSS and DSSS)
transmission methods and one infrared
 All operating at data rates of 1 Mbps and 2 Mbps
 Frequency-Hopping Spread-Spectrum (FHSS)
Physical Layer
 It is the repeated switching of the carrier frequency
during radio transmission to reduce interference and
avoid interception
 data rate for an FHSS system is 1 Mbps
 It has 22 hop patterns to choose from
 Is required to hop across the 2.4GHz ISM (Industrial,
Scientific, Medical) band covering 79 channels
 Each channel occupies 1Mhz of bandwidth
03/04/2025 WC & MC 31
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 Original IEEE 802.11 Physical Layer
 Direct-Sequencing Spread-Spectrum (DSSS)
Physical Layer
 It makes the transmitted signal wider in bandwidth
than the information bandwidth.
 It supports both 1 Mbps and 2 Mbps data rates,
operating in the 2.4 GHz ISM band.
 It uses an 11-bit sequence to spread the data before
it is transmitted
 The receiver de-spreads the RF input to recover the
original data.
 This technique reduces the effect of interference

03/04/2025 WC & MC 32
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 Original IEEE 802.11 Physical Layer
 Infrared Physical Layer
 One infrared standard is supported which operates in
the 850-to- 950 nM band.
 The standard uses omnidirectional infrared
technology
 Operation of the WLAN in unlicensed RF bands

03/04/2025 WC & MC 33
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 IEEE 802.11a and IEEE 802.11b Physical Layers
 IEEE 802.11a
 The specification makes use of 5 GHz band to provide
data rates of 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54 Mbps
 It operates in the 5 GHz frequency band
 a much less congested frequency band than 2.4 GHz
 It supports twelve separate non-overlapping channels
• You can use up to twelve access points set to
different channels in the same physical location
 It uses orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
(OFDM).
 OFDM is similar to FDM but all subchannels are
dedicated to a single source

03/04/2025 WC & MC 34
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 IEEE 802.11a and IEEE 802.11b Physical Layers
 IEEE 802.11b
 is commonly known as wireless Ethernet because,
 it competes with the old copper Ethernet LANs
 It uses an extension of the 802.11 DSSS scheme
 It provides data rates of 5.5 and 11 Mbps

03/04/2025 WC & MC 35
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 IEEE 802.11g physical layer
 It’s an enhancement of 802.11b
 It offer data rate 54 Mbps within the 2.4 GHz band
 It uses OFDM technology
 It is compatible with 802.11b
 thus the 802.11b access points can be upgraded to
be 802.11g compliant relatively easily
 An issue with 802.11g and also with 802.11b is that
the 2.4 GHz band is very congested
 Many other devices such as Bluetooth and some
cordless phones operate in 2.4 GHz.

03/04/2025 WC & MC 36
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 802.11a Versus 802.11g
 both deliver the same data rates
Factor 802.11 a 802.11 g
Data rate 54Mbps 54Mbps
Frequency 5GHz 2.4GHz
Crowd Less crowded More crowded
Distance Shorter More distance
coverage distance coverage
coverage
Device cost Higher cost Less cost
Compatibility not Compatible
with Wi-Fi compatible
(802.11 b)
03/04/2025 WC & MC 37
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
2. IEEE 802.11 Medium Access Control (MAC)
Layer
 The MAC layer specification for 802.11 is similar to
the 802.3 Ethernet wired line standard
 It uses the carrier-sense, multiple access, collision
avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol
 The CSMA/CA protocol allows for options that can
minimize collisions by using different techniques
 It covers three functional areas:
o reliable data delivery,
o access control, and security

03/04/2025 WC & MC 38
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 Reliable Data Delivery
 MAC must handle interference, noise, fading, etc.
 IEEE 802.11 includes a frame exchange protocol
o source station transmits data
o The destination responds with acknowledgment
(ACK)
o If the source does not receive ACK, it retransmits
the frame
 The basic 802.11 data transfer mechanism only
supports two frame exchanges (a frame is sent and an
ACK is received).
 A four-frame exchange may be used to enhance
reliability.
o the source issues a request to send (RTS), the
destination responds with “clear to send” (CTS),
source transmits data,
03/04/2025 WC & MC
and destination responds
39
with ACK
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 Reliable Data Delivery
 It uses a clear channel assessment (CCA) algorithm
to determine if the channel is clear to avoid collision.
 This is accomplished by measuring the RF energy at
the antenna and determining the strength of the
received signal.
o If the received signal strength is below a
specified threshold
 the channel is declared clear and the MAC layer
is given the clear channel status for data
transmission.
o If the RF energy is above the threshold
 data transmissions are deferred in accordance with
the protocol rules

03/04/2025 WC & MC 40
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 Access Control
 To support centralized as well as ad hoc LANs, the
following two approaches are accepted .
1. Distributed Coordination Function (required)
that uses Ethernet-type CSMA. DCF is useful in ad
hoc networks
 It is used to prevent collisions in IEEE 802.11-based
WLAN standard (Wi-Fi)
2. Point Coordination Function (optional),
implemented on top of DCF, uses polling, typically done
by an access point. PCF is suitable for a centralized LAN
 It is an optional technique used to prevent collisions
in IEEE 802.11-based WLAN standard including Wi-
Fi
 It is used in centralized control system, and is
present
03/04/2025
in the access point (AP) of the wireless
WC & MC 41
network
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 Access Control
 Instead a delay, known as Inter-frame Space (IFS), is
used to avoid conflicts and prioritize handling of
requests
 Basically, MAC waits for a delay period of IFS before
transmitting
 In reality, DCF includes a set of delays (IFSs) with the
following values instead of one:
o Short IFS (SIFS). This is the shortest IFS and is used
for immediate response actions (high-priority)
messages.
o Point coordination function IFS (PIFS). This is a mid-
length IFS that is used by the centralized controller in
the PCF scheme when using polls.
o Distributed coordination function IFS (DIFS). This is
the longest IFS, used as
03/04/2025
a minimum delay for ordinary
WC & MC 42
asynchronous frames contending for access
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 Security Services and the Wired Equivalent
Privacy Algorithm (WEP)
 Security provisions are addressed to address
concerns about eavesdropping
 Data security is achieved by complex encryption
technique such as:
• Wired equivalent privacy algorithm (WEP)
• It is designed to protect wireless communication
from eavesdropping
• is also intended to prevent unauthorized access to
a wireless network
• It is s intended to provide modest security (only
encryption and authentication) for 802.11 LANs.
• It uses 64-bit seed key and the RC4 encryption
algorithm
03/04/2025 WC & MC 43
WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
3. IEEE 802.11 Logical Link Control (LLC)
 It is the highest layer in 802.11
 It should be noted that LLC is not specifically
addressed by 802.11 because of its emphasis on MAC
and physical layers.
 LLC services that are important to 802.11
 Basically, an LLC must support multi-access, shared-
medium nature of the link with the following services
 Unacknowledged connectionless service
(datagram)
 This service provides no flow and error-control
mechanisms and data delivery is not guaranteed
 Thus higher-level applications are responsible for
reliable delivery
 This LLC service, also known as “fire and forget,”
could
03/04/2025
be used with TCP
WC & MC 44
 WLANs: IEEE 802.11 Standard
 Connection-mode service
 This provides the logical connection that is set up
between two users with support for flow and error
control.
 It builds tables to keep track of session activities.
 Because this service takes care of many connection-
oriented details, it could be used in situations where
thin application software is needed.
 Acknowledged connectionless service
 This is a cross between the previous two. It is basically
a datagram service but the datagrams are
acknowledged.
 This service is useful in situations where no prior
logical setup between the communicating parties is
needed but some acknowledge is desirable.
 It can be used when many users are involved in a
session,
03/04/2025
but the connection-mode
WC & MC
tables could be45 too
WLANs: HiperLAN
 It stands for High Performance Radio Local Area Network
 It is wireless LAN standard developed by the European
Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in 1996
 It was designed to support high speed wireless communications for
LAN.
 The key feature of all HiperLAN networks is their integration of
time-sensitive data transfer services.
 Operates primarily in the 5 GHz band.(Unlicensed spectrum)
 The basic features of HiperLAN is high speed data transmission
(support up to 54 Mbps), quality of service, mobility (facilitates
seamless handovers between access points, supporting mobile
users in LAN environment), dynamic frequency selection (helps to
avoid interference with other device by automatically selecting the
best available frequency) and power control.
 There are two type of HiperLAN. Such as HiperLAN/1 and
HiperLAN/2.
03/04/2025 WC & MC 46
WLANs: HiperLAN
1. HiperLAN 1
 Introduced in 1996.
 data transfer at 23.5 Mbit/s
 It support priorities , packet life time, topology discovery,
user data encryption, network identification and power
conservation mechanisms
 should operate at 5.1–5.3 GHz with a range of 50 m at 1 W
transmit power
 Addressing is based on standard 48 bit MAC addresses.
 The service is compatible with the standard MAC service
known from IEEE 802.x LANs
 It focus on file sharing, peripheral connectivity and basic
multimedia.
 Used asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) principles to
support different types of traffic.

03/04/2025 WC & MC 47
WLANs: HiperLAN
 HiperLAN 1
 Confidentiality is ensured by encryption/decryption
algorithm
 An Innovative feature is its ability to forward data
packets using several relays
 Relays can extend the communication on the MAC
layer beyond the radio range
 For power conservation, a node may set up a specific
wake-up pattern.
 This pattern determines at what time the node is
ready to receive, so that at other times, the node can
turn off its receiver and save energy
 These nodes are called p-savers and need so-called p-
supporters

03/04/2025 WC & MC 48
WLANs: HiperLAN
 HiperLAN 1
 A p-supporter only forwards data to a p-saver at the
moment the p-saver is awake
 It provides QoS and a powerful prioritization scheme
 IEEE 802.11 in its standard versions does not offer
priorities, the optional PCF is typically not
implemented in products – yet 802.11 is very popular
 Elimination-yield non-preemptive priority multiple
access (EY-NPMA) is the heart of the channel access
providing priorities and different access schemes
 EY-NPMA divides the medium access of different
competing nodes into three phases

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WLANs: HiperLAN
 HiperLAN 1
 Prioritization: Determine the highest priority of a data
packet ready to be sent by competing nodes.
 Contention: Eliminate all but one of the contenders, if
more than one sender has the highest current priority.
 Transmission: Finally, transmit the packet of the
remaining node.
 MAC layer offer QoS by HMQoS parameters
 User can set priority for the data; 0 high P and 1 low P
 The user can determine the lifetime of an MSDU to
specify time bounded delivery; ranges b/n 0 – 16,000
ms
 MAC also offer encryption/decryption using simple XOR-
scheme together with random numbers

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WLANs: HiperLAN
2. HiperLAN 2 -
 Introduces in 2000s as advanced version.
 Uses connection oriented protocol, unlike WIFI’s
contention oriented protocol, make it suitable for
real time applications.
 Benefits
 5 GHz technology, up to 54 Mbit/s
 A high level of security
 QoS capabilities to support virtually any type of
service or application
 High and scalable capacity
 Based on orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing technology for robust performance in
multipath environment.
 Robust protocols that also optimize the overall
throughput of the available
03/04/2025 WC & MC
radio resource 51
 Ease of use through a set of auto-configuration
 WLANs: HiperLAN
Architecture Control
Plane
User Plane

CL

MAC RR AC DCC
EC
C F
CA RLC
C
PHY MAC
DLC
HiperLAN Type 1 Reference Model
PHY

HiperLAN Type 2 Reference Model

MAC: Medium Access Sub layer EC: Error Control

CAC: Channel Access Control Sub layer RLC: Radio Link Control
PHY: Physical Layer RRC: Radio Resource Control
DLC: Data Link Control Layer ACF: Association Control Function
CL: Convergence
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52
WLANs: HiperLAN
1. Physical Layer
Operates in the 5.2 Ghz frequency band
Transmission rate of up to 54 Mbps
Use of Orthogonal Frequency Digital
Multiplexing (OFDM)
It is very similar to 802.11a

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WLANs: HiperLAN
2. Data Link Control Layer

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WLANs: HiperLAN
Three main control functions for Radio link Control

 Association control function (ACF): authentication, key

management, association, disassociation, encryption

 Radio resource control function (RRC): handover, dynamic

frequency selection, mobile terminal alive/absent, power
saving, power control

 DLC user connection control function (DCC): setup and

release of user connections, multicast and broadcast

Connection-oriented

 After completing association, a mobile terminal may request

one or several DLC connections, with one unique DLC
address correspondingWC &to
03/04/2025 MC each DLC connection, 55
thus
WLANs: HiperLAN
DLC: Error Control

 Acknowledged mode: selective-repeat ARQ

 Repetition mode: typically used for broadcast

 Unacknowledged mode: unreliable, low latency

DLC: other features

 Radio network functions: Dynamic frequency selection;

handover; link adaptation; Multibeam antennas; power
control

 QoS support: Appropriate error control mode selected;

Scheduling performed at MAC level; link adaptation;
internal functions (admission, congestion control, and
03/04/2025 WC & MC 56
WLANs: HiperLAN
3. Convergence Layer
 This layer has two main functions:
I. adapting service requests from higher layers to the service
offered by the DLC
II. converting the higher-layer packets with variable or possibly
fixed size into a fixed size that is used within the DLC

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WLANs: HiperLAN
Applications of HiperLAN
• Enterprise networking
• High speed connectivity for offices and industries.
• Multimedia streaming
• Video and audio streaming with QoS guarantees.
• Broadband internet access
• Wireless access to broadband services
• Mobile networking
• Connectivity for mobile devices with a defined area.

Other related standards

1. HiperACCESS:
• focused on wireless broadband access for fixed network.
• Operates in higher frequency bands. (17 GHz)
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• Used for point toWC
multipoint
& MC
communication 58
WLANs: HiperLAN
Other related standards
2. HiperMAN:
• Designed for metropolitan area network
• Competes with IEEE 802.16 for broadband wireless
access.
• Operates in the 2-11 GHz frequency range.

• HiperLAN/1, HiperLAN/2, HiperACCESS and HiperMAN are the

part of the broader BRAN (Broadband radio Access Networks)
family of standards developed by ETSI.

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WLANs: HiperLAN

Hiperlan1 Hiperlan2 HiperAccess HiperLink

Description Wireless Wireless ATM Wireless Local Wireless Point-
Ethernet Loop to-Point
Freq. Range 5GHz 5GHz 5GHz 17GHz

PHY Bit Rate 23.5Mbps 6~54Mbps ~25Mbps ~155Mbps

(data rate) (data rate)

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WLANs: Wireless Personal Area Networks(WPANs)

WPANs
• Short range networks (< 10 meters)
• Used in homes, cars, small offices
• Can be interconnected to form large networks
• IEEE 802.15 is the main standards
environment
• Many active areas of work: Bluetooth, UWB,
Wireless sensor networks, Zigbees

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WLANs: IEEE 802.15 Standard
 The IEEE 802.15 Working Group (WG) has been
formed to develop standards for WPANs
 As a starting point, the group accepted significant
parts of the Bluetooth specification without
modification and enriched it with various other
features and considerations
 The work of 802.15 WG is currently divided into
the following task groups:
 802.15.1 (Bluetooth): This Task Group has
reviewed and provided a standard adaptation of
the Bluetooth Specifications
 802.15.2 (Coexistence). This Task Group is
developing Recommended Practices to facilitate
coexistence of Wireless Personal Area Networks
(802.15) and Wireless Local Area Networks
(802.11).
 802.15.3
03/04/2025 WC & MC
(WPAN High Rate). This Task Group is
62
WLANs: IEEE 802.15 Standard
 802.15.3a (WPAN Higher Rate). This Task
Group is chartered to develop a new standard for a
higher speed (110 Mbps or greater) needed by
streaming video and other multimedia
applications. A new physical layer (PHY) is being
developed by this Task Group for such high data
rates
 the 802.15.3a TG is working actively on UWB
(Ultra Wideband Communication).
 802.15.4 (WPAN Low Rate). This Task Group is
investigating a low data rate solution with multi-
month to multi-year battery life and very low
complexity. This standard specifies 250 Kbps in
the 2.4 GHz band and 20 Kbps-40 Kbps in the 868
MHz bands. The target applications for this
standard are sensors, interactive toys, smart
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badges, remote controls, and home automation
WLANs: IEEE 802.15 Standard

Bluetooth Overview
• Founders: Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia,
Toshiba; May 98
• Currently: Over 1000 companies
• Low-cost, short range radio link between
mobile PCs, phones and other portable
devices
• 2.4 GHz ISM band (unlicensed): Short packets
and fast-hopping
• Software for service and device discovery
• Typical application: cellular phone to PDA or
earphone
• Supports open-ended list of applications
– Data, audio, graphics, video
•03/04/2025
Many products from Nokia, Motorala, Apple, 64
WC & MC
etc.
WLANs: IEEE 802.15 Standard

Bluetooth Application Areas

• Cable replacement
– Eliminates need for numerous cable
attachments for connection (e.g., RS232)
• Data and voice access points
– Real-time voice and data transmissions
• Ad hoc networking
– Device with Bluetooth radio can establish
connection with another when in range

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WLANs: IEEE 802.15 Standard

Piconets and Scatternets

• Piconet
– Basic unit of Bluetooth networking
– Consisting of one master device and up to
seven active slave devices.
– Master device control the overall
communication and all slave devices are
directly connected to masters.
– Slave devices can not directly connected
each other.

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WLANs: IEEE 802.15 Standard

Piconets and Scatternets

• Scatternet
– Interconnected multiple piconets.
– Device can act as bridges, participating in
more than one piconet.
– Cover large area.
– Device in one piconet may exist as master
or slave in another piconet
– Allows many devices to share same area
– Makes efficient use of bandwidth

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WLANs: IEEE 802.15 Standard

Piconets Vs. Scatternets

Piconet Scatternet
Piconet is the type of between 2 or more
connection formed between Bluetooth enabled devices.
2 or more Bluetooth enabled It is a type of ad-hoc
devices computer network
consisting of 2 or more
piconets
It supports maximum 8 It supports more than 8
nodes i.e,1 master & 7 nodes.
slaves
It Allows less efficient use of It Allows more efficient use
Bluetooth channel of Bluetooth channel
bandwidth. bandwidth.
It is usually applied to It is applied to Bluetooth
Bluetooth devices. devices too.
It is a smaller coverage area
03/04/2025 WC & MCIt is a larger coverage area. 68
 WLANs: IEEE 802.15 Standard
Bluetooth Piconets
PC
Slave
Master
PC

PC Master Piconet2 Slave

(Cubicle2)
printer

Ear Cellular Slave PC

Phone Phone /Master
Slave Slave

Piconet1 printer
(Cubicle 1)
PC Slave Slave

Piconet3
03/04/2025 WC & MC (Cubicle3) 69
WLANs: IEEE 802.15 Standard

UWB -- Overview
 Ultra Wideband (UWB) is emerging as a new
wireless personal area network technology.
 Originally developed in the 1960s for the
military.
 FCC approved the commercial implementation
of UWB in February 2002, within limits.
 UWB provides high data rates (around 50 Mbps)
in very short distances (10 meters).
 UWB is a radio system that uses narrow pulses
(millions of pules per second) for
communication and sensing by using short-
range radar.
 UWB radio sends data in millions of pulses
across a wide frequency band
 Legal in the US as long as it uses less power
than normal radio frequency
03/04/2025 WC & MC leakage. 70
WLANs: IEEE 802.15 Standard

Wireless Sensor Networks

(Overview)
 WSNs) typically consist of small, low-powered
devices (sensors)
 Sensors can be developed to measure
temperature, humidity, motion, color changes
in a painting, or any other measurable thing.
 Most WSNs consist of millions of tiny
processors communicating over slow wireless
networks,
 WSNs may consist of devices with a wide
range of computation, communication, and
sensing capabilities.
 The WSNs may use Bluetooth or IEEE 802.11
networks
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 WLANs: IEEE 802.15 Standard
Factor Bluetooth Wi fi UWB WSN
Data 1Mbps 11Mbps 50Mbps <1Mbps
Rate
Distance 10 Meters 100 Meters 10 Meters 10-30 Meters
Covered b/n motes
(range)
Applicati Cable replacement Connection Military Numerous
on focus to applications military
corporate so far, home and civilian
networks entertainme applications
nt in
future
Frequenc 2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz 3.1 – 10.6 Unregulated
y Band GHz
Ease of Piconets very easy Complex Complex and Easy to use,
use to use for small even for 2 intricate once
networks devices installed
Security Multiple levels (link WEP and its Very high Many
level, application improvement security security
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level) s exposures
WLANs:

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WLANs:

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WLANs:

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WLANs:

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WLANs:

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WLANs:

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WLANs:

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WLANs:

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WLANs:

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WLANs: Applications of WLAN

 WLAN technology is used across a wide range of

applications, such as:
 Home Networking: providing connectivity to multiple
device in homes, from laptops to smart TVs and IoT
devices.
 Enterprise Networking: supporting business operations
with secure, scalable and manages WLANs in office.
 Public Wi-Fi Hotspots: providing internet access in
public places like cafes, airports and parks.
 Campus Networks: Educational institutions use WLANs
to connect students, faculty and staff.

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Chapter 4 Wireless Local Area Networks

The End!

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