WI-FI and IEEE 802.

11 Wireless
LAN Standard
 Protocol Architecture
 Addresses the issues related to the
transmission of blocks of data over the
network
 In OSI terms, higher-layer protocols (layer 3
or 4 and above) are independent of network
architecture
 LAN protocols is concerned principally with
lower layers
IEEE 802 Protocol Layers
 Protocol Architecture
 Functions of physical layer:
 Encoding/decoding of signals
 Preamble generation/removal (for synchronization)
 Bit transmission/reception
 Includes specification of the transmission medium
 IEEE 802.11, two sublayers
 Encoding/decoding of signals
 Preamble generation/removal (for synchronization)
 Bit transmission/reception
 Includes specification of the transmission medium
 Two sublayers of Phy-Layer
Physical layer convergence procedure
(PLCP):
 Defines a method of mapping 802.11 MAC layer
protocol data units (MPDUs) into a framing format
suitable for sending and receiving user data
 Information management between two or more
stations using the associated PMD sublayer
 Physical medium dependent sublayer
(PMD):
 Two sublayers of Phy-Layer
Physical medium dependent sublayer
(PMD):
 Defines the characteristics of transmitting and
receiving, user data through a wireless medium
between two or more stations
 Defines the method of transmitting and receiving
Separation of LLC and MAC
 The logic required to manage access to a
shared-access medium not found in
traditional layer 2 data link control
 For the same LLC, several MAC options
may be provided
 MAC and LLC Sublayers
 Functions of medium access control (MAC) layer:
 On transmission, assemble data into a frame with address and
error detection fields
 On reception, disassemble frame and perform address
recognition and error detection
 Govern access to the LAN transmission medium
 Functions of logical link control (LLC) Layer:
 Provide an interface to higher layers and perform flow and
error control
IEEE 802.11 Services
MAC Frame Format
 4 Fields
 MAC control
 Contains MAC protocol information
 Destination MAC address
 Destination physical attachment point
 Source MAC address
 Source physical attachment point
 CRC
 Cyclic redundancy check
MAC Frame Format
Logical Link Control
 Characteristics of LLC not shared by other
control protocols:
 Must support multiaccess, shared-medium
nature of the link
 Relieved of some details of link access by
MAC layer
LLC Services
 Unacknowledged connectionless service
 No flow- and error-control mechanisms
 Data delivery not guaranteed
 Connection-mode service
 Logical connection set up between two users
 Flow- and error-control provided
 Acknowledged connectionless service
 Cross between previous two
 Datagrams acknowledged
 No prior logical setup
Differences between LLC and
HDLC
 LLC uses asynchronous balanced mode of
operation of HDLC (type 2 operation)
 LLC supports unacknowledged
connectionless service (type 1 operation)
 LLC supports acknowledged connectionless
service (type 3 operation)
 LLC permits multiplexing by the use of
LLC service access points (LSAPs)
 WLAN Standard
 1990 – new working group IEEE802.11 for
WLAN
 1999 – WiFi Allianace – for WiFi Certification
for the products
 802.11b – first industry standard for WLAN
 Followed by IEEE 802.11g
 802.11a – WiFi5 certification
 WiFi Alliance concerned with range of
products for home, enterprise, & hotspot
WLAN Standards
WLAN Standards
 IEEE 802.11 Terminology
Access Point Any entity that has station functionality and provides
access to the distribution system via the wireless medium
for associated stations
Basic service A set of stations controlled by a single coordination
set (BSS) function
Distribution A system used to interconnect a set of BSSs and Itegrated
system (DS) LANs to create an ESS
Extended A set of one or more interconnected BSSs and integrated
service set (ESS) LANs that appear as a single BSS to the LLC layer

MACprotocol The unit of data exchanged between two peer MAC

data unit (MPDU) entities

MAC service data Information that is delivered as a unit between MAC

unit (MSDU) users
Station Any device that contains an IEEE 802.11 conformant MAC
and physical layer
Coordination function
 The logical function that determines
when a station operating within a BSS is
permitted to transmit and may be able
to receive PDUs
IEEE 802.11 Architecture
 Distribution system (DS)
 Access point (AP)
 Basic service set (BSS)
 Stations competing for access to shared wireless
medium
 Isolated or connected to backbone DS through AP
 Extended service set (ESS)
 Two or more basic service sets interconnected by DS
IEEE 802.11 Architecture
Distribution of Messages Within
a DS
 Distribution service
 Used to exchange MAC frames from station in
one BSS to station in another BSS
 Integration service
 Transfer of data between station on IEEE
802.11 LAN and station on integrated IEEE
802.x LAN
Transition Types Based On
Mobility
 No transition
 Stationary or moves only within BSS
 BSS transition
 Station moving from one BSS to another BSS
in same ESS
 ESS transition
 Station moving from BSS in one ESS to BSS
within another ESS
 Association-Related Services
 Association
 Establishes initial association between station and AP
 Reassociation
 Enables transfer of association from one AP to
another, allowing station to move from one BSS to
another
 Disassociation
 Association termination notice from station or AP
Access and Privacy Services
 Authentication
 Establishes identity of stations to each other
 Deathentication
 Invoked when existing authentication is
terminated
 Privacy
 Prevents message contents from being read by
unintended recipient
IEEE 802.11 Medium Access
Control
 MAC layer covers three functional areas:
 Reliable data delivery
 Access control
 Security
Reliable Data Delivery
 More efficient to deal with errors at the MAC
level than higher layer (such as TCP)
 Frame exchange protocol
 Source station transmits data
 Destination responds with acknowledgment (ACK)
 If source doesn’t receive ACK, it retransmits frame
 Four frame exchange
 Source issues request to send (RTS)
 Destination responds with clear to send (CTS)
 Source transmits data
 Destination responds with ACK
Access Control
Medium Access Control Logic
Interframe Space (IFS) Values
 Short IFS (SIFS)
 Shortest IFS
 Used for immediate response actions
 Point coordination function IFS (PIFS)
 Midlength IFS
 Used by centralized controller in PCF scheme when
using polls
 Distributed coordination function IFS (DIFS)
 Longest IFS
 Used as minimum delay of asynchronous frames
contending for access
IFS Usage
 SIFS
 Acknowledgment (ACK)
 Clear to send (CTS)
 Poll response
 PIFS
 Used by centralized controller in issuing polls
 Takes precedence over normal contention traffic
 DIFS
 Used for all ordinary asynchronous traffic
MAC Frame Format
MAC Frame Fields
 Frame Control – frame type, control information
 Duration/connection ID – channel allocation time
 Addresses – context dependant, types include
source and destination
 Sequence control – numbering and reassembly
 Frame body – MSDU or fragment of MSDU
 Frame check sequence – 32-bit CRC
Frame Control Fields
 Protocol version – 802.11 version
 Type – control, management, or data
 Subtype – identifies function of frame
 To DS – 1 if destined for DS
 From DS – 1 if leaving DS
 More fragments – 1 if fragments follow
 Retry – 1 if retransmission of previous frame
Frame Control Fields
 Power management – 1 if transmitting station is in
sleep mode
 More data – Indicates that station has more data to
send
 WEP – 1 if wired equivalent protocol is
implemented
 Order – 1 if any data frame is sent using the
Strictly Ordered service
Control Frame Subtypes
 Power save – poll (PS-Poll)
 Request to send (RTS)
 Clear to send (CTS)
 Acknowledgment
 Contention-free (CF)-end
 CF-end + CF-ack
Data Frame Subtypes
 Data-carrying frames
 Data
 Data + CF-Ack
 Data + CF-Poll
 Data + CF-Ack + CF-Poll
 Other subtypes (don’t carry user data)
 Null Function
 CF-Ack
 CF-Poll
 CF-Ack + CF-Poll
Management Frame Subtypes
 Association request
 Association response
 Reassociation request
 Reassociation response
 Probe request
 Probe response
 Beacon
Management Frame Subtypes
 Announcement traffic indication message
 Dissociation
 Authentication
 Deauthentication
Authentication
 Open system authentication
 Exchange of identities, no security benefits
 Shared Key authentication
 Shared Key assures authentication
IEEE 802.11 physical layer
Physical Media Defined by
Original 802.11 Standard
 Direct-sequence spread spectrum
 Operating in 2.4 GHz ISM band
 Data rates of 1 and 2 Mbps
 Frequency-hopping spread spectrum
 Operating in 2.4 GHz ISM band
 Data rates of 1 and 2 Mbps
 Infrared
 1 and 2 Mbps
 Wavelength between 850 and 950 nm
IEEE 802.11a and IEEE 802.11b
 IEEE 802.11a
 Makes use of 5-GHz band
 Provides rates of 6, 9 , 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54 Mbps
 Uses orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
(OFDM)
 Subcarrier modulated using BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM or
64-QAM
 IEEE 802.11b
 Provides data rates of 5.5 and 11 Mbps
 Complementary code keying (CCK) modulation
scheme
IEEE802.11 Physical Layer
Bluetooth Techniques
Overview
 Universal short-range wireless capability
 Uses 2.4-GHz band
 Available globally for unlicensed users
 Devices within 10 m can share up to 720
kbps of capacity
 Supports open-ended list of applications
 Data, audio, graphics, video
Bluetooth Application Areas
 Data and voice access points
 Real-time voice and data transmissions
 Cable replacement
 Eliminates need for numerous cable
attachments for connection
 Ad hoc networking
 Device with Bluetooth radio can establish
connection with another when in range
Bluetooth Standards Documents
 Core specifications
 Details of various layers of Bluetooth protocol
architecture
 Profile specifications
 Use of Bluetooth technology to support various
applications
Protocol Architecture
 Bluetooth is a layered protocol architecture
 Core protocols
 Cable replacement and telephony control protocols
 Adopted protocols
 Core protocols
 Radio
 Baseband
 Link manager protocol (LMP)
 Logical link control and adaptation protocol (L2CAP)
 Service discovery protocol (SDP)
Protocol Architecture
 Cable replacement protocol
 RFCOMM
 Telephony control protocol
 Telephony control specification – binary (TCS BIN)
 Adopted protocols
 PPP
 TCP/UDP/IP
 OBEX
 WAE/WAP
Usage Models
 File transfer
 Internet bridge
 LAN access
 Synchronization
 Three-in-one phone
 Headset
Piconets and Scatternets
 Piconet
 Basic unit of Bluetooth networking
 Master and one to seven slave devices
 Master determines channel and phase
 Scatternet
 Device in one piconet may exist as master or slave in
another piconet
 Allows many devices to share same area
 Makes efficient use of bandwidth
Wireless Network Configurations
Radio Specification
 Classes of transmitters
 Class 1: Outputs 100 mW for maximum range
 Power control mandatory
 Provides greatest distance
 Class 2: Outputs 2.4 mW at maximum
 Power control optional
 Class 3: Nominal output is 1 mW
 Lowest power
Frequency Hopping in Bluetooth
 Provides resistance to interference and
multipath effects
 Provides a form of multiple access among
co-located devices in different piconets
Frequency Hopping
 Total bandwidth divided into 1MHz physical
channels
 FH occurs by jumping from one channel to
another in pseudorandom sequence
 Hopping sequence shared with all devices on
piconet
 Piconet access:
 Bluetooth devices use time division duplex (TDD)
 Access technique is TDMA
 FH-TDD-TDMA
Frequency Hopping
Physical Links between Master
and Slave
 Synchronous connection oriented (SCO)
 Allocates fixed bandwidth between point-to-point
connection of master and slave
 Master maintains link using reserved slots
 Master can support three simultaneous links
 Asynchronous connectionless (ACL)
 Point-to-multipoint link between master and all slaves
 Only single ACL link can exist