csc 6123 - wireless lan

introduction to wireless networking

 Why the details?
• Performance
• To understand what is going inside the box
• Learn how data supposed to move
• Understand likely problems
• To ease troubleshooting
 Elements of Wireless Networks

1. Radio signals
2. Data format
3. Network structure
 Radio signals 1

• Basic physical laws that make radio possible

– Maxwell’s Equations
– “a changing magnetic field will produce an electric
field, and a changing electric field will produce a
magnetic field”

• AC through wires – alternate of magnetic and

electric field -> electromagnetic radiation / radio
waves
 Radio signals 2
• Radio definition
– The radiation of electromagnetic energy through space

• Transmitter
– A device that produces radio waves

• Receiver
– A device that detects radio waves in the air and converts them
to some other form of energy
 Radio signals 3

• Antennas
– Used by both transmitter and receivers
• Specially shaped to focus radio signal in a particular
direction (pattern)
• To increase the amount of
– Sensitivity (Receiver)
– Effective radiation (Transmitter)
 Radio signals 4

• Adjusting the rate of AC from transmitter

through the antenna into space (the frequency)

Adjusting the receiver to operate at that

frequency

Send and receive many different signals without

interfering with each other
 Radio signals 5
• Radio Spectrum
– Overall range of frequencies

• Band
– A smaller segment of the radio spectrum

• Hertz (Hz)
– Measurement units for frequency
– Radio signals normally operate in KHz, MHz, GHz
 Radio signals 6

• Simplest type of radio communication

– A continuous signal that the operator of transmitter
interrupts to divide signal into accepted patterns of
long and short signals that corresponds to individual
letters and other characters

• To transmit speech, sounds, music etc. via radio

– Modulation
 Radio signals 7

• Transmitter alters / modulates the AC signal

(carrier wave)

– Amplitude modulation
• Mixing an audio signal with the carrier

– Frequency Modulation
• Modulating the frequency within a narrow range
Radio signals 8
 Radio signals 9

• Interference?
– International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

– Reserved frequencies for specific type of frequencies

for specific type of modulation

– For example
• Your favorite radio station at 93.3 MHz at a certain
geographical location
 Radio signals 10
• Both AM and FM
– Analog method
– Signal in = Signal out

• Computer data through a radio link

– Digital method
– Content converted to 1s and 0s before transmission
– Example of digital radio modulation: two different
frequencies, audio tones etc.
 Wireless Data Networks
• Each wireless network operates at a certain radio
frequencies
– Most Wi-Fi networks -> 2.4 GHz
– Other operates at 5 GHz
 Unlicensed Radio Services
• Available to anybody with equipment without the
need of license

• Based on spread spectrum radio technology

– Many users co-exist without significant interference
 Point to Point
• Carries data from a single transmitter to a single
receiver

• opp: broadcast
– e.g radio, television
 Spread Spectrum
• Family of methods of transmitting a single radio
signal using a relatively wide segment of the
radio spectrum

• Wireless data networks used several spread

spectrum radio transmission systems:
– FHSS
– DSSS
– OFDM
 Spread Spectrum
Advantages

• Extremely efficient, use low power

• Less sensitive to interference

– Operate at a wide band of frequencies

• Difficult to intercept
– FHSS shifts among more than one channel
 Spread Spectrum
Wi-Fi Standards and Modulation Type

Wi-Fi Type Frequency Modulation

802.11a 5 GHz OFDM

802.11b 2.4 GHz DSSS

802.11g 2.4 GHz OFDM

 FHSS
Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum

• How it works
– Divides a radio signal into small segments

– Hops from one f to another many times per second as

it transmit those segments

– Transmitter and receiver established a synchronised

hopping pattern that sets the sequence in which they
will use different subchannels
 FHSS
Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum

• With subchannels + hopping pattern

– Less interference

• Slow
– Each f hop adds overhead to data stream
 DSSS
Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
• Use 11-chip Barker sequence to spread the radio
signal through a single 22 MHz-wide channel
without changing f

• Each DSSS link use one channel without any

hopping between f

• Use a wider channel than FHSS, spreads power

across a wider band of radio frequencies
 DSSS
Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum

• Dynamic rate shifting

– Occurs when signal quality is bad
– e.g. 802.11b drops from 11 Mbps to 5.4 Mbps to 2
Mbps / 1 Mbps
 OFDM
Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing

• How it works
– The physical layer splits the data stream among 52
parallel bit streams that use a different f called a
subcarrier.

• 4 carries pilot data that refer to the remaining 48 in order to

reduce signal loss

• 48 subcarriers increase total transmission speed

 OFDM
Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing

• 802.11g

– Combination of
• 802.11a – higher speed
• 802.11b – greater signal range

– OFDM modulation on the 2.4 GHz f band

 Benefits of Wireless
• Extend network beyond wired connections
• Convenient access to portable computers
• Move and maintain connection from place to
place
• Cost saving benefits
 Which is more secure?
Wireless? Wired?

• Wired
– Less complex negotiations
– Difficult to intercept
– Easy to assemble for really short distance
communication
 So what do we have now?
• Radio transmitters
• Radio receiver
• Both above operates
– On the same frequencies
– Use the same kind of modulation

• Next?
– Send data over the radio network
 Wireless Data Systems & Services
• To connect computers / devices to
– local networks
– the Internet

• Example:
– Wi-Fi
– WiMax
– 3G etc.
 Wi-Fi
• Specifications defined by IEEE
• Most common / widest used:
– 802.11a (use different radio f)
– 802.11b
– 802.11g
 Wi-Fi 2

• WECA
– Industry group that includes all equipment
manufacturers
– Functions
• Test all equipment from different member companies to
make sure it works with each other
• Promote 802.11 as the worldwide standard for wireless
LANs.
– Successfully marketed 802.11 as Wi-Fi
 Wi-Fi 3

• Short range (with no obstructions)

– 35m / 100 feet indoor
– 100m / 300 feet outdoor
– Can be extended with special equipment + careful
installation
 Cellular Mobile Wireless Services 1
• Broadband, extension of cellular mobile phone
technology

• e.g. 3G – based on 3rd generation of cellular telephone

technology

• Wider coverage, unnecessary to look for hot-spot

• Special adapters for connection without mobile phone

Cellular Mobile Wireless Services 2
Cellular Mobile Wireless Services 3
 WiMax
• Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave
Access
• Distributing broadband wireless data over wide
geographic areas (Metropolitan Area Network
service)
• Coverage over 30 mile radius
• Specified by IEEE in 802.16 specification
 WiMax
• Licensed to operate between 2GHz and 11MHz
• Data transfer up to 70MBps
• Competes with
– 3G cellular mobile services
– Fixed Internet
WiMax 2
 Bluetooth
• Connect computer / mobile phone to peripheral
devices – keyboard / mouse/ speakers etc.

• Data transfer

• FHSS system
– splits radio signals into pieces
– Moves among 79 frequencies 1600 times per second
within 2.4 GHz range
 Bluetooth
• Connect computer / mobile phone to peripheral
devices – keyboard / mouse/ speakers etc.

• Data transfer

• FHSS system
– splits radio signals into pieces
– Moves among 79 frequencies 1600 times per second
within 2.4 GHz range
 Bluetooth 2

• Not suitable for Internet

– Slow – max data transfer rate is 700Kbps
– Limited signal range – 33 ft / 10 m or less

• Interference at 2.4 GHz?

Wi-Fi Characteristics
 Choosing the Right Service
• A combination of cost, coverage areas,
reliability, ease of use and security.

• Example:
– Within range of hot-spots -> Wi-Fi Adapter
– Constant access wherever you go -> WiMax