Chapter Four

Chapter Four
4. Wireless LANs

As you learned earlier, the 802.11 standard is defined as a wireless local area network (WLAN)
technology. Local area networks provide networking for a building or campus environment. The
802.11 wireless medium is a perfect fit for local area networking simply because of the range
and speeds that are defined by the 802.11 standards. The majority of 802.11 wireless network
deployments are indeed LANs that provide access at businesses and homes.
WLANs typically use multiple 802.11 access points connected by a wired network backbone. In
enterprise deployments, WLANs are used to provide end users with access to network resources
and network services and a gateway to the Internet. Although 802.11hardware can be used in
other wireless topologies, the majority of Wi-Fi deployments are WLANs, which is how the
technology is defined by the IEEE 802.11 Working Group.

4.1.Wireless LAN Standards

A number of standards have been developed to ensure that wireless devices can communicate.
They specify the RF spectrum used, data rates, how the information is transmitted, and more.
The main organization responsible for the creation of wireless technical standards is the IEEE.
The IEEE 802.11 standard governs the WLAN environment. There are four amendments to the
IEEE 802.11 standard that describe different characteristics for wireless communications. The
currently available amendments are 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n. (802.11n is ratified
on Sept 14, 2009)
Another organization, known as the Wi-Fi Alliance, is responsible for testing wireless LAN
devices from different manufacturers. The Wi-Fi logo on a device means that this equipment
meets standards and should interoperate with other devices of the same standard.

802.11a:
 Uses 5 GHz RF spectrum
 Not compatible with 2.4 GHz spectrum, i.e. 802.11b/g/n devices

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 Range is approximately 33% that of the 802.11 b/g
 Supports data rates of 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54 Mbps
 Relatively expensive to implement compared to other technologies.
 Increasingly difficult to find 802.11a compliant equipment
 Has 12 to 23 clean channels depending on the country
802.11b:
 Operate on 2.4GHz to 2.4835GHz radio band
 Supports data rates of 1, 2, 5.5, and 11 Mbps.
 Range of approximately 46 m (150 ft) indoors/96 m (300 ft.) outdoors
802.11g:
 2.4 GHz technologies
 Maximum data-rate increase to 54 Mbps
 Same range as the 802.11b
 Backward compatible with 802.11b
802.11n:
 uses multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) technology
 2.4 GHz technologies (draft standard specifies support for 5 GHz)
 Extends the range and data throughput because it uses multiple receiving & transmitting
antenna
 Backward compatible with existing 802.11g and 802.11b equipment (draft standard
specifies support for 802.11a)
 4.2.Wireless LAN Components

Once a standard is adopted, it is important that all components within the WLAN adhere to the
standard, or are at least compatible with the standard. There are various components that must be
considered in a WLAN including: a wireless client or STA, an Access Point, a Wireless Bridge
and an antenna.

Wireless Client
 Any host device that can participate in a wireless network.
 Most devices that can be connected to a traditional wired network can be connected to a
WLAN if equipped with the proper wireless NIC and software.
 Can either be stationary or mobile
 Commonly referred to as a STA, short for station.
 Examples include: laptops, PDAs, printers, projectors, storage devices and digital
cameras.
Access Point
 Controls access between a wired and a wireless network, i.e. allows wireless clients to
gain access to a wired network and vice versa.
 Acts as a media converter accepting the Ethernet frames from the wired network and
converting them to 802.11 compliant frames before transmitting them on the WLAN.
 Accepts 802.11 frames from the WLAN and converts them into Ethernet frames before
placing them onto the wired network.
  APs support wireless connections within a limited area, known as a cell or Basic Service
Set (BSS)
Wireless Bridge
 Used to connect two wired networks through a wireless link
 Allows long-range point-to-point connections between networks
 Using the unlicensed RF frequencies, networks 40km(25miles) or more apart can be
connected without the use of wires
Antennas
 Used on APs and Wireless bridges
 Increases the output signal strength from a wireless device
 Receives wireless signals from other devices such as STAs
 Increase in signal strength from an antenna is known as the gain
 Higher gains usually translate into increased transmission distances
Antennas are classified according to the way they radiate the signal.
 Directional antennas concentrate the signal strength into one direction.
 Omni-directional antennas are designed to emit equally in all directions.
By concentrating the entire signal into one direction, directional antennas can achieve great
transmission distances. Directional antennas are normally used in bridging applications while
Omni-directional antennas are found on APs.

4.3.WLANs and the SSID

When building a wireless network, it is important to make sure that the wireless components
connect to the appropriate WLAN. This is done using a Service Set Identifier (SSID).
The SSID is a case-sensitive, alpha-numeric string that is up to 32-characters. It is sent in the
header of all frames transmitted over the WLAN. The SSID is used to tell wireless devices which
WLAN they belong to and with which other devices they can communicate.
Regardless of the type of WLAN installation, all wireless devices in a WLAN must be
configured with the same SSID in order to communicate.

There are two basic forms of WLAN installations: Ad-hoc and infrastructure mode.
Ad-hoc
The simplest form of a wireless network is created by connecting two or more wireless clients
together in a peer-to-peer network. A wireless network established in this manner is known as an
ad-hoc network and does not include an AP. All clients within an ad-hoc network are equal. The
area covered by this network is known as an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS). A simple ad-
hoc network can be used to exchange files and information between devices without the expense
and complexity of purchasing and configuring an AP.
Infrastructure Mode
Although an ad-hoc arrangement may be good for small networks, larger networks require a
single device that controls communications in the wireless cell. If present, an AP will take over
this role and control who can talk and when. This is known as infrastructure mode and is the
mode of wireless communication most often used in the home and business environment. In this
form of WLAN, individual STAs cannot communicate directly with each other. To
communicate, each device must obtain permission from the AP. The AP controls all
communications and ensures that all STAs have equal access to the medium. The area covered
by a single AP is known as a Basic Service Set (BSS) or cell.
The Basic Service Set (BSS) is the smallest building block of a WLAN. The area of coverage of
a single AP is limited. To expand the coverage area, it is possible to connect multiple BSSs
through a Distribution System (DS). This forms an Extended Service Set (ESS). An ESS uses
multiple APs. Each AP is in a separate BSS.
In order to allow movement between the cells without the loss of signal, BSSs must overlap by
approximately 10%. This allows the client to connect to the second AP before disconnecting
from the first AP.
Most home and small business environments consist of a single BSS. However, as the required
coverage area and number hosts needed to connect increases it becomes necessary to create an
ESS.

4.4.Wireless Channels

Regardless if the wireless clients are communicating within an IBSS, BSS or ESS the
conversation between sender and receiver must be controlled. One way this is accomplished
through the use of Channels.
Channels are created by dividing up the available RF spectrum. Each channel is capable of
carrying a different conversation. This is similar to the way that multiple television channels are
transmitted across a single medium. Multiple APs can function in close proximity to one another
as long as they use different channels for communication.
Unfortunately it is possible for the frequencies used by some channels to overlap with those used
by others. Different conversations must be carried on non-overlapping channels. The number and
distribution of channels vary by region and technology. The selection of channel used for a
specific conversation can be set manually or automatically, based on factors such as current
usage and available throughput.
Normally each wireless conversation makes use of a separate channel. Some of the newer
technologies combine the channels to create a single wide channel, which provides more
bandwidth and increases the data rate.

Within a WLAN, the lack of well-defined boundaries makes it impossible to detect if collisions
occur during transmission. Therefore, it is necessary to use an access method on a wireless
network that ensures collisions do not occur.
Wireless technology uses an access method called Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision
Avoidance (CSMA/CA). CSMA/CA creates a reservation on the channel for use by a specific
conversation. While a reservation is in place, no other device may transmit on the channel thus
possible collisions are avoided.
How does this reservation process work? If a device requires use of a specific communication
channel in a BSS, it must ask permission from the AP. This is known as a Request to Send
(RTS). If the channel is available, the AP will respond to the device with a Clear to Send (CTS)
message indicating that the device may transmit on the channel. A CTS is broadcast to all
devices within the BSS. Therefore, all devices in the BSS know that the requested channel is
now in use.
Once the conversation is complete, the device that requested the channel sends another message
to the AP known as an Acknowledgement (ACK). The ACK indicates to the AP that the channel
can be released. This message is also broadcast to all devices on the WLAN. All devices within
the BSS receive the ACK and know that the channel is once again available.

Step1. Step2.

Step3. Step4.

4.5.Configuring the Access Point

Once the choice of wireless standard, layout and channel assignment have been made it is time to
configure the AP.
Most integrated routers offer both wired and wireless connectivity and serve as the AP in the
wireless network. Basic configuration settings such as passwords, IP addresses, and DHCP
settings are the same whether the device is being used to connect wired or wireless hosts. Basic
configuration tasks, such as changing the default password, should be conducted before the AP is
connected to a live network.
When using the wireless functionality of an integrated router, additional configuration
parameters are required, such as setting the wireless mode, SSID, and wireless channels to be
used.
 Wireless Mode
Wireless Network Mode determines the type of technology that must be supported. Most home
AP devices can support various modes, mainly 802.11B, 802.11G and 802.11N. Although these
all use the 2.4 GHz range, each uses a different technology to obtain its maximum throughput.
The type of mode enabled on the AP depends on the type of host connecting to it. If only one
type of host connects to the AP device, set the mode to support it. If multiple types of hosts will
connect, select Mixed mode. Each mode includes a certain amount of overhead. By enabling
mixed mode, network performance will decrease due to the overhead incurred in supporting all
modes.
SSID
The SSID is used to identify the WLAN. All devices that wish to participate in the WLAN must
use the same SSID. To allow easy detection of the WLAN by clients, the SSID is broadcast. It is
possible to disable the broadcast feature of the SSID. If the SSID is not broadcast; wireless
clients will need to have this value manually configured.
Wireless Channel
Wireless channel specifies the channel over which communication will occur. The choice of
channel for an AP must be made relative to the other wireless networks around it. Adjacent BSSs
must use non-overlapping channels in order to optimize throughput. Most APs now offer a
choice to manually configure the channel or allow the AP to automatically locate the least
congested channel or locate the one that offers maximum throughput.

4.6.Configuring the Wireless Client

A wireless host, or STA, is defined as any device that contains wireless NIC and wireless client
software. This client software allows the hardware to participate in the WLAN. Devices that are
STAs include: PDAs, laptops, desktop PCs, printers, projectors and Wi-Fi phones.
In order for a STA to connect to the WLAN, the client configuration must match that of the AP.
This includes the SSID, security settings, and channel information if the channel was manually
set on the AP. These settings are specified in the client software that manages the client
connection.
The wireless client software used can be software integrated into the device operating system, or
can be stand-alone, downloadable, wireless utility software specifically designed to interact with
the wireless NIC.

Integrated Wireless Utility Software

The Windows XP wireless client software is an example of a popular wireless client utility that is
included as part of the device OS. This client software is basic management software that can
control most wireless client configurations. It is user friendly and offers a simple connection
process.
Stand-alone Wireless Utility Software
Wireless utility software, such as that supplied with the wireless NIC, is designed to work with
that specific NIC. It usually offers enhanced functionality over Windows XP wireless utility
software including feature such as:
 Link Information - displays the current strength and quality of a wireless single
 Profiles - allows configuration options such as channel and SSID to be specified for each
wireless network
 Site Survey - enables the detection of all wireless networks in the vicinity
It is not possible to allow both the wireless utility software and Windows XP client software to
manage the wireless connection at the same time. For most situations Windows XP is sufficient.
However, if multiple profiles must be created for each wireless network or advanced
configurations settings are necessary, it is better to use the utility supplied with the NIC.
Once the client software is configured, verify the link between the client and the AP.
Open the wireless link information screen to display information such as the connection data
rate, connection status, and wireless channels used. The Link Information feature, if available,
displays the current signal strength and quality of the wireless signal.
In addition to verifying the wireless connection status, verify that data can actually be
transmitted. One of the most common tests for verifying successful data transmission is the Ping
test. If the ping is successful, data transmission is possible.
If the ping is unsuccessful from source to destination, then ping the AP from the wireless client
to ensure that wireless connectivity is available. If this fails as well, the issue is between the
wireless client and the AP. Check the setting information and try to reestablish connectivity.
If the wireless client can successfully connect to the AP, then check the connectivity from the AP
to the next hop on the path to the destination. If this is successful, then the problem is most likely
not with the AP configuration, but may be an issue with another device on the path to the
destination or the destination device itself.