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Wifi

This document discusses key aspects of the IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN standards including the 802.11 architecture, channels and associations, the MAC protocol, and the 802.11 frame format. It describes the basic service set as the fundamental building block and covers infrastructure and ad-hoc network types. It also explains the association process, CSMA/CA protocol, and differences between DCF and PCF modes of operation.

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Sreedevi Balasubramanian
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144 views

Wifi

This document discusses key aspects of the IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN standards including the 802.11 architecture, channels and associations, the MAC protocol, and the 802.11 frame format. It describes the basic service set as the fundamental building block and covers infrastructure and ad-hoc network types. It also explains the association process, CSMA/CA protocol, and differences between DCF and PCF modes of operation.

Uploaded by

Sreedevi Balasubramanian
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tomasz Kurzawa

Wiereless LAN 802.11


Introduction
The 802.11 Architecture Channels and Associations The 802.11 MAC Protocol The 802.11 Frame

Introduction
Wireless LANs are most important access networks

technologies in the Internet


Most popular is the IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN, known

also as Wi-Fi
There are several standards for wireless LAN

technology

IEEE 802.11 Standards


Protocol Release Date Op. Frequency Data Rate (Typ) 1 Mb/s Data Rate (Max) 2 Mb/s Range (Indoor) Range (Outdoor) ? Legacy 1997 2.4-2.5 GHz ? 5.15-5.35/5.475.725/5.72525 Mb/s 5.875 GHz

802.11a

1999

54 Mb/s

~25 meters

~75 meters

802.11b

1999

2.4-2.5 GHz

5.5 Mb/s

11 Mb/s

~35 meters

~100 meters

802.11g

2003

2.4-2.5 GHz

25 Mb/s

54 Mb/s

~25 meters

~75 meters

2007 802.11n

2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands (unapproved draft)

200 Mb/s

540 Mb/s

~50 meters

~126 meters

The IEEE 802.11 Architecture


Basic Service Set ( BSS ) is the fundamental building

block of the architecture. It can contain one or more wireless stations and one central base station, also known as Access Point ( AP ).
Typical architecture consist of few BSSs connected to

some interconnection device like hub or switch which lead to the Internet

The IEEE 802.11 LAN Architecture

The IEEE 802.11 LAN Architecture


Infrastructure wireless LAN is a term often referred

to wireless LANs that deploy AP, with the infrastructure being the APs along with wired Ethernet infrastructure that connects APs and router, hub or switch
IEEE 802.11 stations can also group together and form

ad hoc type network with no connection to internet

The IEEE 802.11 ad hoc Architecture

Channels and associations


Each station in BSS needs to associate wit an AP before

it can send or receive 802.11 frames. Each Access Point (AP) has assigned Service Set Identifier ( SSID ) and channel number by administrator

E.g. 802.11b operates in range between 2.4 and 2.485 GHz and has 11 overlaping channels

two channels are not overlapping if and only if they are

separated by at least 4 channels

E.g. 802.11b has 3 non overlaping channels: 1, 6, 11

Channels and associations


Non overlaping channels are very important in

situation of Wi-Fi jungle, that is when wireless station receives a strong signal from two or more Aps.To use internet station needs to be associated with only one AP.

Association process
Associating process starts at AP which periodically

send beacon frames, each of which consist of the APs SSID and MAC address
Wireless station scans 11 available channels and tries to

catch the bacon frames send from different APs.


After learning which APs are available in current

location system or user chooses one of the APs for association (process can be made automatically by the system)

Association process
During the association station is joining the subnet to

which selected AP belongs.


After finishing association, station will send a DHCP

message in order to obtain an IP address in subnet.

The 802.11 MAC protocol The hidden station problem

A wants to send to B but cannot hear that B is busy

The 802.11 MAC protocol The exposed station problem

B wants to send to C but mistakenly thinks the transmission will fail

The 802.11 MAC protocol


To deal with problems of hidden station and exposed

station problems 802.11 supports two modes of operation


DCF ( Distributed Coordination Function ) , does not

use any kind of central control


PCF ( Point Coordination Function ) , uses the base

station to control all activity in its cell


All implementations must support DCF but PCF is

optional

CSMA/CA protocol
Station ready to transmit
If channel is idle start transmitting (emits entire frame

do not sense channel while sending)


If channel is busy, defer until channel is idle and than

transmit
If collision occurred, wait random time (binary

exponential backoff algorithm) and try again

Medium Access Control Logic

CSMA/CA with RTS/CTS

A transmits data to B NAV ( Network Allocation Vector ) signal is not transmitted ; its internal reminder to keep quite for a certain period of time.

PCF (Point Coordination Function)


The base station polls the other stations, asking them

if they have any frame to send Transition order is controlled by the base station , no collision ever occurs Base station broadcast a beacon frame periodically (10 to 100 times per second).

Interframe time intervals


SIFS ( Short InterFrame Spacing ) used to allow the parties in a single

dialog the chance to go first. Let receiver send CTS in respond to an RTS Let receiver send an ACK for a fragment or full data frame Let sender of a fragment burst transmit the next fragment without having to send an RTS again

After SIFS interval always exactly one station is entitled to respond. If station fails to make use of it chance and a time PIFS ( PCF

InterFrame Spacing ) elapses, the base station may send a beacon frame or poll frame. It allows sending station to finish sending frame without anyone getting in the way, but gives base station chance to grab the channel.

Interframe time intervals


If base station has nothing to say and a time DIFS (

DCF InterFrame Spacing ) elapses, any station may attempt to acquire the channel to send a new frame. EIFS ( Extended InterFrame Spacing ) is used only by station that has just received a bad or unknown frame to report the bad frame.

Coexistence of PCF and DCF


A Point Coordinator (PC) resides in the Access Point and controls frame transfers during a Contention Free Period (CFP) Beacon frame send from PC starts the CFP period. A CF-Poll frame is used by the PC to invite a station to send data. Stations are polled from a list maintained by the PC A CF-End frame is sent to end the CFP period. In between, data transfer takes place to and from PC also to and from one or more STA.

Coexistence of PCF and DCF


The CFP alternates with a Contention Period (CP) in which data transfers happen as per the rules of DCF This CP must be large enough to send at least one maximum-sized packet including RTS/CTS/ACK CFPs are generated at the CFP repetition rate The PC sends Beacons at regular intervals and at the start of each CFP The CF-End frame signals the end of the CFP

CFP structure and Timing

t0 t1 medium busy PIFS point coordinator wireless stations stations NAV

SuperFrame SIFS SIFS U1 NAV SIFS SIFS U2

D1

D2

t2

t3

t4

point coordinator wireless stations

D3

PIFS

D4
SIFS U4

SIFS

CFend

stations NAV

NAV contention free period

contention period

The 802.11 frame

Notice : The 802.11 frame has four address fields able to hold 6 byte MAC addresses.

The 802.11 frame


For 802.11 network it is necessary to use three address fields for

moving datagram from a wireless station through the Access Point to a router. The forth address is used in ad hoc networks.
Address 1 field holds the MAC address of the station that is

suppose to receive the frame.


Address 2 field holds the MAC address of station that sends data. Address field 3 contains the MAC address of the router to which

AP is connected.

The 802.11 frame


Sequence number helps to distinguishing between a newly transmitted

frame and the retransmission of a previous frame.


The duration value field is used when transmitting station reserves the

channel for the time to transmit data frame and ACK.


Frame control fields type and subtype are used to distinguish the

association , RTS, CTS, ACK, and data frames.


The to and from fields are used to define the meaning of the address

fields which meanings change depending whether it is an ad hoc or


infrastructure network.
The WEP field specifies if encryption is being used or not.

The 802.11 frame


More Frag field specifies that more fragments will come
Retry bit indicates retransmission of a frame sent earlier

Pwr Mgt field is used by the base station to put the reciever into

sleep state or take it out of sleep


More Data indicates that sender has more frames for the reciever Rsvd bit tell the reciever that a sequence of frames with this bit

must be processed strictly in order

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