Module 2-

Basics of Wireless Networks

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 Learning objectives

 To understand wireless networks

 To know the access technologies

 To study problems such as interference, multi-path

propagation, path loss, battery life, etc.

 To illustrate issues like channel allocation, routing,

mobility, security, power management,
etc.
 Wireless networks

Wired network
 Wire as communication medium
 High data rate

 No mobility

Wireless network
 Radio waves and air as a medium
 Less data rate

 Highly portable

 Mobility
 Wireless networks (Contd..)

Provide inexpensive and rapid connection setup with

Internet

 Restricted by distance

 radio cells to provide connectivity

Overlapping
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 Wireless network architecture

It consists of mobile hosts, fixed hosts, access stations (BS),

core network to support mobility and switching.
Wireless network architecture (Contd..)
Mobile host
 Laptop, mobile phone, PDA, notebook, etc. can

move from one place to another place while

maintaining connection with wireless network.

Fixed wireless host

Cannot move but the medium is radio waves.
Example: wireless web servers, printers, etc.

Access Network
 Consists of access stations (BS) which provide
services to hosts reachable from it.
Wireless network architecture (Contd..)
Core Network
 Consists of active components that perform
data switching between access stations (BS),
and provide location and mobility services.

 Facilitates communication from mobile host to

mobile host, mobile host to wired node, fixed
host to wired node, fixed host to mobile host,
etc.
Classification of wireless networks
 Wireless body area networks(WBAN)
 Wireless personal area networks(WPAN)
 Wireless local area networks(WLAN)
 Wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN)
•Wireless wide Area Network (WWAN ) such
as GSM or CDMA cellular networks, satellite
networks
•Broadband Access networks
Classification of wireless networks
(Contd..)
 Classification of wireless networks
(Contd..)
Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN)
 Max. signal range of 2 meters

 Interconnecting respective devices within the surface of the body

•WBAN Consists of set of mobile and compact intercommunicating
sensors.
•Some technology requirements are
•Use of broadband signaling scheme.
•Frequency range below 6 GHZ
•Support of heterogeneous multihop links to cope with high
path loss through the human body.
 Classification of wireless networks
(Contd..)
Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN)
 Classification of wireless networks
(Contd..)
Wireless Personal Area (WPAN
Network )
 Max. signal range of 10 meters

•WPAN is a computer network used for communication among

personal devices themselves
•Used for communication among personal devices themselves or
connecting to higher level network and the internet.
•WPAN is made possible with network technologies such as IrDA,
bluetooth, UWB and zigbee.
 WPAN Application Scenario

05/19/21 Dept of ISE,DSCE

 Classification of wireless networks
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
• Signal range is ≈30 meters indoors an100-200m outdoors
• Also called the Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi or IEEE 802.11)

•WLAN is a wireless local area network which links two or

more computers within a building or small campus.

•WLAN uses spread spectrum or OFDM modulation

technology.

•Wi-Fi is the most common used technology for WLANs.

WLAN Scenario

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 Classification of wireless networks
Wireless Metropolitan Area Network
(WMAN)
• This is the fourth group of wireless network and
have signal range of ≈ 5-20 km.
• Used to connect user to Internet.
• It is good alternative fixed line networks and simple
to build and is relatively inexpensive.
• Often called as worldwide interoperability for
microwave access(WiMAX or IEEE 802.16)

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 WMAN Scenario

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 Classification of wireless networks
Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN)
• This is the fifth group of wireless network.
• GSM and CDMA based network
• Used to cover an area much wider than the groups
mentioned before.

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WWAN Scenario

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 Recall: an example of wired LAN

Laptop Laptop Laptop

Server Printer

Work Work Work

Station Station Station
A user is connected if An example of wireless LAN Each cell operates at a
he/she is in the coverage different frequency
area of a cell

Work
Laptop Station Laptop Laptop Laptop
Laptop

Access Access Access

Point Point Point

Server Printer

Access Access Access

Point Point Point

Work Work Work Work Work

Station Station Station Station Station
 Wireless switching technology
Packet switching is the basic type of wireless switching
technology
 Uses short bursts of information, uses channels only
for short periods of time.
.
• Wireless devices are ON with specific addresses assigned
to them.
• Data are sent to and from the address and routed using
standardized protocols
 Recall: Packet switching

From W. Stallings, Wireless Communications and Networks, 2nd Edition

 Recall: Packet switching (Contd..)

From W. Stallings, Wireless Communications and Networks, 2 nd Edition

 Wireless switching technology
(Contd..)

• Packets are routed and pipelined using multiplexing

- Bandwidth is used only when data is transmitted

These slides are based on the slides formatted by Dr Sunilkumar S. manvi and Dr Mahabaleshwar S. Kakkasageri,
the authors of the textbook: Wireless and Mobile Networks, concepts and protocols. See slide number one.
Wireless switching technology (Contd..)

Virtual circuit
 Switched virtual circuits (SVCs)
 Established dynamically on demand

 3 phases – circuit establishment, data transfer, circuit

termination
 Permanent virtual (PVCs)
circuits
 Only one mode i.e., data transfer

These slides are based on the slides formatted by Dr Sunilkumar S. manvi and Dr Mahabaleshwar S. Kakkasageri,
the authors of the textbook: Wireless and Mobile Networks, concepts and protocols. See slide number one.
Wireless communication
problems
 Increased bit error rate
 Lower transmission power
 Scattering
 Reflection
 Diffraction
 Multipath propagation
 Path loss
 Wireless communication problems
1. Increased bit error rate

Wireless network media is more prone to errors due to

 obstacles between Tx and Rx
 Interference from neighbour nodes

One can observe

 Frequent disconnections causing to data loss

 Annoying to voice and video clients

 Wireless communication problems (Contd..)
2. Lower transmission power
 Mobile units powered by battery have scarce energy resources
 Limited transmission power to avoid interference

 Attenuation

Capture power at the receiver side is Pr = Pt / (4 πd /λ )2

Where Pt is the transmitter power, d the distance between the transmitter
and the receiver, and λ is the wavelength of the signal.
Lp = (4 πd / λ)2 is the path loss.

3. Scattering
 Occurs when signal pass through the object whose dimension is
smaller than the wavelength.
 Scattered waves are produced by rough surfaces, small objects,
irregularities in the channel. Need proper deployment strategies to
reduce it.
 Wireless communication problems
(Contd..)
4. Reflection
 Occurs when electromagnetic wave strikes an object which has
very large dimension compared to the wave length. Ex: walls,
furniture, buildings, etc.

5. Diffraction
 Occurs when radio path between Tx and Rx is obstructed by surfaces
that have sharp irregularities (edges) causing secondary waves, which
will be present in space and behind the obstacle.
 Wireless communication problems
(Contd..)
7.Multipath Propagation
 Caused by reflection and scattering
 Radio waves arrive at the Rx from different directions with varying

delays
 Final signal is the summation of all signals

 Antenna diversity are used to overcome this problem

methods
Wireless communication problems
(Contd..)
8. Fading
• Affects the performance of wireless communication system.
• Degrade the BER performance of communication system, thereby
causing data loss.
9. Path Loss
Path loss is key consideration when designing wireless network.

SNR=Pr/Pn
Lp=(4πd/λ)2

05/19/21 Dept of ISE,DSCE

 Problems

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 Cntd..,

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 Wireless network reference model
The TCP/IP architecture is functionally equivalent to the
OSI reference model.
 Recall: TCP/IP Concepts

From W. Stallings, Wireless Communications and Networks, 2nd Edition

Protocol Data Units in the TCP/IP
Architecture

Examples:
TCP header includes destination port, sequence number, checksum
IP header includes destination host address (B in previous example)
Network header includes destination subnetwork address
 Wireless network reference model
(Contd..)
 Major similarities and differences between
TCP/IP and the OSI reference models are
 Both models have an application, a
transport, and a network/Internet layer
 The TCP/IP model does not have a
session layer
 Lower layers connects the upper layers

to the actual physical network

 Wireless network reference model
(Contd..)
 Application layer functions
This is the layer where end user applications such as remote


login,
mail transfer, file transfer, network management, and web
browsers
run
 Transport layer functions

 Its job is to provide reliable communication from application to

application (end-to-end) regardless of the lower-layer protocols and
communication links
 It encapsulates and deliver it to the network
application layer data layer
Illustration of the transport service
 Wireless network reference model
(Contd..)
 Data link layer functions

 This includes the logical link control (LLC) sublayer and the
MAC (media access control) sublayer.

 It does segmenting the bit stream into frames, error handling,

flow control, and access control.

 MAC is responsible for accessing and sharing of the wireless

channel and reliable delivery by using acknowledgments.
 Illustration of data link layer
Computer B
Computer A

P P
Bridge

LLC LLC P
LLC P P

802.3 LLC 802.3 LLC 8024 LLC P 802.4 LLC P

P P

802.3 LLC P 802.4 LLC

802.3 LLC P 802
802.4 LLC P P

802.3 LLC P 802

802.4 LLC P
 Wireless network reference model
(Contd..)
 Physical layer functions
 This layer transports encapsulated data from the data link layer and
transmits it wirelessly to the distant network.
 The wireless features and functionality (modulation type, data rate,
and so on) take place at this layer.
 Wireless Networking Issues

• Traffic and Resource Allocation

• Flow Control
• Error Control
• Security and Privacy
• Mobility
• Routing
– Reachability
– Path Minimization

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Wireless Networking Issues cntd..

• QoS Management
• Radio Access
• Channel Allocation Scheme
– Fixed Channel Allocation Scheme
– Dynamic channel Allocation Scheme
– Random Allocation Scheme
• Power Management
• Pricing

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