Module 4

WLAN

complied [Link] Mhatre 1

Characteristics of wireless LANs
• Advantages
• very flexible within the reception area
• Ad-hoc networks without previous planning possible
• (almost) no wiring difficulties (e.g. historic buildings, firewalls)
• more robust against disasters like, e.g., earthquakes, fire - or users pulling a
plug...
• Disadvantages
• typically very low bandwidth compared to wired networks
(1-10 Mbit/s) due to shared medium
• many proprietary solutions, especially for higher bit-rates, standards take their
time (e.g. IEEE 802.11)
• products have to follow many national restrictions if working wireless, it takes
a vary long time to establish global solutions like, e.g., IMT-2000
complied [Link] Mhatre 2
Design goals for wireless LANs
• global, seamless operation
• low power for battery use
• no special permissions or licenses needed to use the LAN
• robust transmission technology
• simplified spontaneous cooperation at meetings
• easy to use for everyone, simple management
• protection of investment in wired networks
• security (no one should be able to read my data), privacy (no one should be
able to collect user profiles), safety (low radiation)
• transparency concerning applications and higher layer protocols, but also
location awareness if necessary

complied [Link] Mhatre 3

Comparison: infrastructure vs. ad-hoc networks
infrastructure
network

AP: Access Point

AP
AP wired network
AP

ad-hoc network

complied [Link] Mhatre 4

802.11 - Architecture of an infrastructure network
•Station (STA)
802.11 LAN • terminal with access mechanisms
802.x LAN to the wireless medium and radio
contact to the access point
STA •Basic Service Set (BSS)
BSS1 Acce • group of stations using the same
1 Portal radio frequency
ss
•Access Point
Point
Distribution • station integrated into the wireless
Acce System LAN and the distribution system
ss
ESS •Portal
Point • bridge to other (wired) networks
BSS2 •Distribution System
• interconnection network to form
one logical network (EES:
Extended Service Set) based
STA STA on several BSS
802.11 LAN
2 3

complied [Link] Mhatre

802.11 - Architecture of an ad-hoc network
•Direct communication within a
802.11 LAN limited range
• Station (STA):
terminal with access
STA mechanisms to the wireless
IBSS1 STA medium
1
3 • Independent Basic Service Set
(IBSS):
STA group of stations using the same
2
radio frequency

IBSS2

STA
5
STA 802.11 LAN
4

complied [Link] Mhatre

IEEE standard 802.11
fixed
terminal
mobile terminal

infrastructure
network
access point
application application
TCP TCP
IP IP
LLC LLC LLC
802.11
802.11 MAC 802.3 MAC 802.3 MAC
MAC
802.11 PHY 802.11 PHY 802.3 PHY 802.3 PHY

complied [Link] Mhatre 7

802.11 - Layers and functions
•MAC •PLCP Physical Layer Convergence Protocol
• access mechanisms, fragmentation, • clear channel assessment signal (carrier
sense)
encryption
•PMD Physical Medium Dependent
•MAC Management
• modulation, coding
• synchronization, roaming, MIB,
power management •PHY Management
• channel selection, MIB
•Station Management
• coordination of all management
functions

LLC

Management
DLC

Station
MAC MAC Management
PLCP
PHY

PHY Management
PMD

complied [Link] Mhatre 8

802.11 - Physical layer (classical)
• 3 versions: 2 radio (typ. 2.4 GHz), 1 IR
• data rates 1 or 2 Mbit/s
• FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum)
• spreading, despreading, signal strength, typ. 1 Mbit/s
• min. 2.5 frequency hops/s (USA), two-level GFSK modulation
• DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum)
• DBPSK modulation for 1 Mbit/s (Differential Binary Phase Shift Keying),
DQPSK for 2 Mbit/s (Differential Quadrature PSK)
• preamble and header of a frame is always transmitted with 1 Mbit/s, rest of
transmission 1 or 2 Mbit/s
• chipping sequence: +1, -1, +1, +1, -1, +1, +1, +1, -1, -1, -1 (Barker code)
• max. radiated power 1 W (USA), 100 mW (EU), min. 1mW
• Infrared
• 850-950 nm, diffuse light, typ. 10 m range
• carrier detection, energy detection, synchronization

complied [Link] Mhatre 9

FHSS PHY packet format
• Synchronization
• synch with 010101... pattern
• SFD (Start Frame Delimiter)
• 0000110010111101 start pattern
• PLW (PLCP_PDU Length Word)
• length of payload incl. 32 bit CRC of payload, PLW < 4096
• PSF (PLCP Signaling Field)
• data of payload (1 or 2 Mbit/s)
• HEC (Header Error Check)
• CRC with x16+x12+x5+1

80 16 12 4 16 variable bits
synchronization SFD PLW PSF HEC payload

PLCP preamble PLCP header

complied [Link] Mhatre 10

DSSS PHY packet format
• Synchronization
• synch., gain setting, energy detection, frequency offset compensation
• SFD (Start Frame Delimiter)
• 1111001110100000
• Signal
• data rate of the payload (0A: 1 Mbit/s DBPSK; 14: 2 Mbit/s DQPSK)
• Service Length
• future use, 00: 802.11 compliant ❑ length of the payload
• HEC (Header Error Check)
• protection of signal, service and length, x16+x12+x5+1

128 16 8 8 16 16 variable bits

signa servi lengt
synchronization SFD HEC payload
l ce h

PLCP preamble PLCP header

complied [Link] Mhatre 11

802.11 - MAC layer I - DFWMAC
• Traffic services
• Asynchronous Data Service (mandatory)
• exchange of data packets based on “best-effort”
• support of broadcast and multicast
• Time-Bounded Service (optional)
• implemented using PCF (Point Coordination Function)
• Access methods
• DFWMAC-DCF CSMA/CA (mandatory)
• collision avoidance via randomized „back-off“ mechanism
• minimum distance between consecutive packets
• ACK packet for acknowledgements (not for broadcasts)
• DFWMAC-DCF w/ RTS/CTS (optional)
• Distributed Foundation Wireless MAC
• avoids hidden terminal problem
• DFWMAC- PCF (optional)
• access point polls terminals according to a list

complied [Link] Mhatre 12

802.11 - MAC layer II
• Priorities
• defined through different inter frame spaces
• no guaranteed, hard priorities
• SIFS (Short Inter Frame Spacing)
• highest priority, for ACK, CTS, polling response
• PIFS (PCF IFS)
• medium priority, for time-bounded service using PCF
• DIFS (DCF, Distributed Coordination Function IFS)
• lowest priority, for asynchronous data service

DIFS DIFS
PIFS
medium busy SIFS contention next frame
t
direct access if
medium is free ≥ DIFS

complied [Link] Mhatre 13

802.11 - CSMA/CA access method I
contention window
DIFS DIFS (randomized back-off
mechanism)

medium busy next frame

direct access if t
medium is free ≥ DIFS slot time

• station ready to send starts sensing the medium (Carrier Sense based on CCA, Clear
Channel Assessment)
• if the medium is free for the duration of an Inter-Frame Space (IFS), the station can
start sending (IFS depends on service type)
• if the medium is busy, the station has to wait for a free IFS, then the station must
additionally wait a random back-off time (collision avoidance, multiple of slot-time)
• if another station occupies the medium during the back-off time of the station, the
back-off timer stops (fairness)

complied [Link] Mhatre 14

802.11 - competing stations - simple version
DIFS DIFS DIFS b DIFS b
b b
bor o o busy
station1 oe oe
r e
b
busy
station2 oe

busy
station3
b
b
busy o bor
station4 oe
be
b b b
busy o bor
station5 oe or oe
e t

medium not idle (frame, ack etc.) b

busy elapsed backoff time
oe
b
packet arrival at MAC residual backoff time
or

complied [Link] Mhatre 15

 802.11 - CSMA/CA access method II

• Sending unicast packets

• station has to wait for DIFS before sending data
• receivers acknowledge at once (after waiting for SIFS) if the packet was received
correctly (CRC)
• automatic retransmission of data packets in case of transmission errors

DIFS
data
sender
SIFS AC
receiver K
DIFS
other data
stations t
waiting time contention

complied [Link] Mhatre 16

802.11 - DFWMAC
• Sending unicast packets
• station can send RTS with reservation parameter after waiting for DIFS
(reservation determines amount of time the data packet needs the medium)
• acknowledgement via CTS after SIFS by receiver (if ready to receive)
• sender can now send data at once, acknowledgement via ACK
• other stations store medium reservations distributed via RTS and CTS

DIFS RT
data
sender S
SIFS CT SIFS SIFS AC
receiver S K

NAV (RTS) DIFS

other NAV (CTS) data
stations t
defer access contention

complied [Link] Mhatre 17

Fragmentation

DIFS RT fra fra

sender S g1 g2
SIFS CT SIFS SIFS AC SIFS SIFS AC
receiver S K1 K2

NAV (RTS)
NAV (CTS)
NAV (frag1) DIFS da
other NAV (ACK1) ta
stations t
contention

complied [Link] Mhatre 18

DFWMAC-PCF I
t0 t1
SuperFrame

medium busy PIFS SIFS SIFS

D1 D2
point
coordinator SIFS SIFS
U1 U2
wireless
stations
stations‘ NAV
NAV

complied [Link] Mhatre 19

DFWMAC-PCF II

t2 t3 t4

PIFS SIFS CFen

D3 D4
point d
coordinator SIFS
U4
wireless
stations
stations‘ NAV
NAV contention free period contention t
period

complied [Link] Mhatre 20

802.11 - Frame format
• Types
• control frames, management frames, data frames
• Sequence numbers
• important against duplicated frames due to lost ACKs
• Addresses
• receiver, transmitter (physical), BSS identifier, sender (logical)
• Miscellaneous
• sending time, checksum, frame control, data
bytes 2 2 6 6 6 2 6 0-2312 4
Duratio Addres Addres Addres Sequenc Addres
Frame
n/ s s s e s Data CRC
Control
ID 1 2 3 Control 4
bits 2 2 4 1 1 1 1 1
Pow 1 1 1
Protoc Fro Mor
Subty To More Retr er WE Ord
ol Type m e
pe DS Frag y Mg P er
version DS Data
mt

complied [Link] Mhatre 21

MAC address format

DS: Distribution System

AP: Access Point
DA: Destination Address
SA: Source Address
BSSID: Basic Service Set Identifier
RA: Receiver Address
TA: Transmitter Address

complied [Link] Mhatre 22

Special Frames: ACK, RTS, CTS
bytes 2 2 Receive
6 4
Frame Duratio r
ACK CRC
Control n Addres
• Acknowledgement s

bytes 2 2 Receive
6 6 4
Transmitt
Frame Duratio r
RTS er CRC
Control n Addres
Address
s
• Request To Send
bytes 2 2 Receive
6 4
Frame Duratio r
CTS CRC
Control n Addres
s

• Clear To Send
complied [Link] Mhatre 23
802.11 - MAC management
• Synchronization
• try to find a LAN, try to stay within a LAN
• timer etc.
• Power management
• sleep-mode without missing a message
• periodic sleep, frame buffering, traffic measurements
• Association/Reassociation
• integration into a LAN
• roaming, i.e. change networks by changing access points
• scanning, i.e. active search for a network
• MIB - Management Information Base
• managing, read, write

complied [Link] Mhatre 24