Wi-Fi Technology

Anand
A1702 A19
Lovely Professional University
anandrock50@gmail.com
 Agenda
 Introduction
 Wi-Fi Technologies
 Wi-Fi Network Elements
 How a Wi-Fi Network Works
 Wi-Fi Network Topologies
 Wi-Fi applications
 Disadvantages of Wi-Fi
 Why Wi-Fi?
 Setup Cost – Reduced cabling required
 Flexibility – Quick and easy to setup
 Scalable – Can be expanded with growth
 Freedom – Working from any location
 Lower total cost of ownership
 Introduction
 Wireless Technology is an alternative to Wired Technology,
which is commonly used, for connecting devices in wireless
mode.

 Wi-Fi Network connect computers to each other, to the

internet and to the wired network.

 Wi-Fi is a wireless technology that uses radio frequency to

transmit data through the air

 Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) is a generic term that refers to the

IEEE 802.11 communications standard for Wireless Local
Area Networks (WLANs).
 The Wi-Fi Technology
Wi-Fi Networks use Radio Technologies to
transmit & receive data at high speed:

 IEEE 802.11b
 IEEE 802.11a
 IEEE 802.11g
 IEEE 802.11b

 Appear in late 1999

 Operates at 2.4GHz radio spectrum
 11 Mbps (theoretical speed) - within 30 m Range
 4-6 Mbps (actual speed)
 100 -150 feet range
 Most popular, Least Expensive
 Interference from mobile phones and Bluetooth
devices which can reduce the transmission
speed.
 IEEE 802.11a
Introduced in 1999
Operates at 5 GHz (less popular)
54 Mbps (theoretical speed)
15-20 Mbps (Actual speed)
50-75 feet range
More expensive
Not compatible with 802.11b
 IEEE 802.11g

Introducedin 2003
Combine the feature of both standards
(a,b)
100-150 feet range
54 Mbps Speed
2.4 GHz radio frequencies
Compatible with ‘b’
 Pluses & Minuses
+ -
802.11b • Accepted Wi-Fi Standard
• Millions of devices (lowest price)
• Laptops shipping with Wi-Fi WLAN
cards inside
• Cell phones shipping with .11b
devices inside
802.11a • High speed (29.2 Mbps)
• Less crowded 5 GHz radio channels
• Good for Office WLANs
• Since it is OFDM, it has good multi-
path tolerance for reflections found in
almost all indoor installations.
802.11g •High speed (19.5 Mbps)
• Talks to both .11g and .11b devices
in the same wireless network
• Greater indoor range and wall
penetration than .11a devices
• Limited to 7.1 Mbps
• Microwave ovens and cordless
phones operate on 2.4 GHz
• Straight 802.11b not suited outdoors
primary due to hidden node issues
• Only 3 co-located channels
• Range and wall penetration not as
good as 2.4 GHz frequencies
• Only get higher thru-put when very
close to AP
• Receiver sensitivity much worse
than .11b; less TX power
•Cordless Phone use of this band is
growing
• Not good for outdoors unless
modified
• When 11b devices are present in
g/b mode, thru-put suffers
• Only 3 co-located channels (same
for .11b)
• Microwave ovens, cordless phones,
TV cameras, baby monitors, etc
operate on 2.4 GHz
• Not suitable for outdoors
 Elements of a WI-FI Network
Access Point (AP) - The AP is a wireless LAN
transceiver or “base station” that can connect one or many
wireless devices simultaneously to the Internet.

Wi-Fi cards - They accept the wireless signal and relay

information.They can be internal and external.(e.g PCMCIA
Card for Laptop and PCI Card for Desktop PC)

Safeguards - Firewalls and anti-virus software protect

networks from uninvited users and keep information secure.
 How a Wi-Fi Network Works
 Basic concept is same as Walkie talkies.
 A Wi-Fi hotspot is created by installing an access point to
an internet connection.
 An access point acts as a base station.
 When Wi-Fi enabled device encounters a hotspot the
device can then connect to that network wirelessly.
 A single access point can support up to 30 users and
can function within a range of 100 – 150 feet indoors and
up to 300 feet outdoors.
 Many access points can be connected to each other via
Ethernet cables to create a single large network.
 Wi-Fi Network Topologies
 AP-based topology (Infrastructure Mode)

 Peer-to-peer topology (Ad-hoc Mode)

 Point-to-multipoint bridge topology

AP-based topology
Peer-to-peer topology
Point-to-multipoint bridge
topology
 Wi-Fi Applications
Home
Small Businesses or SOHO
Large Corporations & Campuses
Health Care
Wireless ISP (WISP)
Travellers
 Disadvantages
 Security – Greater exposure to risks
 Range – Affected by various medium
1. Reduced by walls, glass, water, etc
2. Travels best through open space
 Speed – Slower than cable
 Thank You

Queries
And
Questions

Anand
A1702 A19
Lovely Professional University
anandrock50@gmail.com