Chapter 1  Introduction to Computer Networking 125

SIFS
DIFS Backoff Time
Busy RTS Data
Sender 4 3 2 1 0

SIFS

SIFS
Busy CTS ACK
Receiver
NAV (Data)
NAV (CTS)

DIFS Backoff NAV (RTS)

Busy
Covered Station 8 7 6 5 4

Access to medium deferred for NAV(RTS)

DIFS Backoff
Busy
Hidden Station
Access to medium deferred for NAV(CTS)

Figure 1-84: The 802.11 protocol atomic unit exchange in RTS/CTS transmission mode
consists of four frames: RTS, CTS, Data, and ACK. (Compare to Figure 1-80.)

collide within the RTS frame. If a hidden station overhears a CTS frame, it knows that another
station requested a transmission reservation and it will not interfere with the subsequent data
frame transmission. In either case, the sender will detect collision by the lack of the CTS frame. If
collision happens, it will last only a short period because RTS and CTS frames are very short
relatively to data frames. (For example, according to Table 1-6, RTS equals 352 bits or 44 bytes,
which is 18.1 slot times.)
Note, however, that within an access point area (“infrastructure BSS”) some stations may be
communicating in the RTS/CTS access mode and others in the basic access mode (Figure 1-80).
The NAV vector is set only in the RTS/CTS mode and not in the basic mode, because RTS/CTS
frames perform channel reservation for the subsequent data frame. To a station that operates in
the basic mode, an RTS/CTS/DATA/ACK exchange would appear as two successive
transmissions. The vulnerable period lengths would be different, as well, depending on the access
mode in which a given station operates.
This RTS/CTS exchange partially solves the hidden station problem but the exposed station
problem remains unaddressed. The hidden station problem is solved only partially, because if a
hidden station starts its transmission simultaneously with the CTS frame from the receiver, the
hidden station will not hear the CTS frame, the sender will receive the CTS frame correctly and
start with the data frame transmission, and this will result in a collision at the receiver. (Of course,
the probability of this event is very low.)
802.11 RTS/CTS protocol does not solve the exposed station problem (Figure 1-32(b)). Exposed
stations could maintain their NAV vectors to keep track of ongoing transmissions. However, if an
exposed station gets a packet to transmit while another transmission is in progress, it is allowed to
transmit for the remainder of the NAV, before the sender needs to receive the ACK. Tailoring the
frame to fit this interval and accompanied coordination is difficult and is not implemented as part
of 802.11.