WOLISO CAMPUS

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

GROUP ASSIGNMENT OF WIRELESS
COMMUNICATION AND MOBILE COMPUTING
NAME. ID NO

1. Milion Sagni ------------------------------------------UGR/73561/16

2. Yohanis Hordofa -------------------------------------UGR/74085/16
3. Olira Tesgera -----------------------------------------UGR/73707/16
4. Samuel Amsalu --------------------------------------UGR/73779/16
5. Tibebu Dewo -----------------------------------------UGR/73949/16
6. Muluken Dereje --------------------------------------UGR/73634/16
7. Firomsa Yunus --------------------------------------- UGR/73095/16
8. Abdulhamid Abdureshid-----------------------------UGR/72317/16

Submitted to: [Link] Chala

Submission date: may / 20/2026

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1. Four main types of wireless networks
➢ WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network): Very short range (~10 m). Used for
connecting personal devices (headsets, keyboards, smartwatches). Standards:
Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1), ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4), Infrared (IrDA).
➢ WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network): Range up to ~100 m. Used for home/office
internet access. Primary standard: IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi).
➢ WMAN (Wireless Metropolitan Area Network): Covers a city (several km). Used
to connect multiple LANs. Example: WiMAX (IEEE 802.16).
➢ WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network): Spans thousands of km using cell towers.
Used for mobile phone networks. Ex. GSM (2G), UMTS (3G), LTE (4G)

2. Operational modes of IEEE 802.11 WLAN

❖ Infrastructure mode: Devices communicate through a central Access Point (AP).

The AP connects the WLAN to a wired network (e.g., internet). All traffic goes via the
AP – increases security, reliability, and performance.
❖ Ad-hoc mode (IBSS – Independent Basic Service Set): No AP. Devices
communicate directly peer-to-peer. Used for quick, infrastructure-less setups (e.g.,
emergency rescue). Performance degrades as more devices join.

3. Comparison: 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g

802.11a operates in the 5 GHz frequency band with a maximum data rate of 54 Mbps. It
uses OFDM modulation technique. Its range is shorter, approximately 100 meters outdoor
and 10 meters indoor. It is less prone to interference because fewer devices use the 5 GHz
band.

802.11b operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band with a maximum data rate of 11 Mbps. It
uses DSSS modulation technique. Its range is longer than 802.11a. It is highly susceptible to
interference because many devices such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, and
Bluetooth devices also operate in the 2.4 GHz ISM band.

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802.11g operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band with a maximum data rate of 54 Mbps. It
uses OFDM modulation technique like 802.11a. Its range is longer than 802.11a. It is also
highly susceptible to interference due to sharing the same crowded 2.4 GHz band. It is
backward compatible with 802.11b.

4. BSS and ESS in IEEE 802.11

✓ Basic Service Set (BSS): The coverage area of one AP. A group of stations using the
same radio frequency.
✓ Extended Service Set (ESS): Two or more BSSs connected via a distribution system
(usually wired LAN). All APs share the same SSID (network name).
✓ Roaming: A mobile client moves from one AP’s cell to another. Because the SSID is
the same, the client stays connected without reconfiguration.

5. HiperLAN (High Performance Radio LAN)

▪ HiperLAN/1 (1996): Data rate >20 Mbps, range ~50 m, ad-hoc or infrastructure,
aimed at high-speed WLAN.

▪ HiperLAN/2: Up to 54 Mbps, operates in 5 GHz band, point-to-multipoint topology,

range similar. Supports connection to ATM, IP, UMTS backbone. Two modes:
Centralized Mode (infrastructure) and Direct Mode (optional ad-hoc).

6. WPAN – definition, features, and IEEE 802.15 classes

WPAN is a low-range (10–100 m), low-power wireless network centered around a

person’s workspace. Works in ad-hoc mode only.

Features: Low cost, no infrastructure, short range, low power consumption, easy
connectivity.

IEEE 802.15 three classes:

➢ HR-WPAN (802.15.3): >20 Mbps – high-rate multimedia.

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 ➢ MR-WPAN (802.15.1): ~1 Mbps – Bluetooth.
➢ LR-WPAN (802.15.4): <0.25 Mbps – ZigBee, sensor networks.

7. Bluetooth network architecture

• Piconet: One master + up to 7 active slaves. Communication only between master

and slave (not slave-slave). Master switches rapidly in round-robin.
• Scatternet: Two or more piconets connected by a bridge node (a device that is slave
in one piconet and master/slave in another). Allows larger networks.

8. Bluetooth vs. ZigBee

Bluetooth: 720 kbps, moderate power, 10m range, piconet/scatternet, 8 devices, used for
headsets and file sync.

ZigBee: 250 kbps, very low power, 30m range, star/mesh/cluster tree, 255 devices, used
for sensors and home automation.

9. ZigBee components and topologies

Components:

• Coordinator (FFD): One per network. Initializes and controls the network.
• Router (FFD): Extends range, forwards messages.
• End device (RFD): Battery-powered slave, only talks to coordinator/router.

Topologies: Star (coordinator + end devices), Mesh, Cluster-Tree.

10. Wireless Sensor Network (WSN)

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Iit is Self-configured, infrastructure-less network of small sensor nodes that monitor
physical/environmental conditions (temperature, vibration, pressure, etc.) and
cooperatively pass data to a sink.

Characteristics: Self-organizing, random deployment, cooperative effort, low power.

Components: Sensor nodes (sensing + processing + comms), routers (extend range),

sink/gateway (interface to user).

Applications: IoT, environmental monitoring, landslide detection, industrial monitoring,

healthcare (patient monitoring), agriculture.

11. Principle of cellular networks – why small cells?

The service area is divided into small cells each served by a low-power base station.
Reasons:

❖ Frequency reuse (same frequency can be used in non-adjacent cells).

❖ Higher capacity (more users per area).
❖ Lower power requirements for mobile devices.
Ideal shape: Hexagon (provides equidistant antennas).
Real shape: Irregular due to obstacles (buildings, terrain) and system load.

12. Frequency reuse: means the same set of frequencies is used in cells that are
sufficiently far apart to avoid interference. Cells are grouped into clusters (typically 7 cells
per cluster). The entire frequency band is allocated to each cluster, but adjacent cells use
different frequencies. This dramatically increases system capacity without needing more
spectrum.

13. Handover (handoff): is the process of transferring an ongoing call or data

session from one base station to another as the mobile user moves.

Reasons for handover:

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 1. Leaving transmission range of current cell.
2. Overloading or breakdown of the used cell.
3. Prevent loss of connection quality.
4. To balance traffic load.

14. Main components of GSM network

♦ Mobile Station (MS): Mobile device + SIM card. Provides air interface.
♦ Base Station Subsystem (BSS):
♦ Mobile Switching Center (MSC): Core component. Connects to PSTN. Handles call
routing, billing, location registration, and handovers. GMSC routes calls from outside
the mobile network.

15. 1G vs. 2G

1G cellular networks use analog radio transmission. They offer very slow data rates of
less than 1 kilobit per second. They are insecure because analog signals can be easily
eavesdropped. They use FDMA as the multiple access technique. Their primary service is
voice only, with no data services.

2G cellular networks use digital transmission. They offer data rates of approximately 9.6
kilobits per second in GSM. They provide better security through encryption and
authentication. They use TDMA and CDMA as multiple access techniques. Their primary
services include voice, SMS, and limited data services.

16. Evolution 2G → 2.5G → 3G

• 2G (GSM): 9.6 kbps, circuit-switched (voice).

• 2.5G (GPRS): Up to ~160 kbps, added packet-switching over GSM.
EDGE: Up to 500 kbps.

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 • 3G (UMTS/WCDMA): Up to 2 Mbps, fully packet-switched (optimized for internet).
Uses CDMA (WCDMA) with 5 MHz carriers. Major improvement: simultaneous voice
+ high-speed data.

17. 4G (LTE) key features

➢ Multiple access: OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access).

➢ Bandwidth flexibility: 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz.
➢ Data rate: Up to 100 Mbps (downlink).
➢ All-IP network (no circuit-switched voice – uses VoIP).
➢ Lower latency, better spectral efficiency.

18. Overview of 5G (from lecture vision)

Expected around 2020+ timeframe.

Improvements over 4G:

➢ Data rates >50 Mbps (peak multi-Gbps).

➢ Very low latency (<1 ms).
➢ Massive device connectivity (IoT).
➢ Integration of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular standards.
➢ Location-based services automatically activated.
➢ Smart antennas, advanced error correction, and context-aware decisions (e.g.,
device learns your daily route).

19. Role of the SIM card: SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) is a smart card that
identifies the subscriber to the network. It enables personal mobility – you can move the
SIM to another phone and keep your service.

Information stored on SIM:

• IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) – unique subscriber ID.

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 • Ki (Subscriber Authentication Key) – used for authentication.
• TMSI (Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity) – protects privacy.
• LAI (Location Area Identity) – current location.
• MSISDN – the phone number.

20. Macrocells, microcells, picocells

➢ Macrocell: Large area (~6 miles diameter), high-power transmitters. Used in

remote/rural areas.
➢ Microcell: Small area (~0.5 mile), low-power. Used in urban zones to add capacity
and avoid interference.
➢ Picocell: Very small (building, tunnel). Used indoors to cover dead zones or
high-density areas (e.g., shopping mall, office).

21. What is Mobile IP?: Mobile IP is a communication protocol (RFC 2002) that
allows a mobile device to move from one network to another while keeping the same IP
address (home address).

Primary goal – Transparency: The mobile node keeps its IP address; communication
continues seamlessly after link interruption; no changes required to fixed end-systems or
routers. Four motivations:

1. Transparency – user unaware of movement.

2. Compatibility – works with existing IP and layer 2 protocols.
3. Security – all registration messages authenticated.
4. Efficiency & scalability – minimal extra messages; works worldwide.

22. Key entities in Mobile IP

❖ Mobile Node (MN): Device that changes network attachment point (laptop, phone).
❖ Home Agent (HA): Router on the MN’s home network. Maintains location registry
(COA) and tunnels packets to MN.

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 ❖ Foreign Agent (FA): Router on the visited network. Provides COA and delivers
tunneled packets to MN.
❖ Care-of Address (COA): Temporary address representing MN’s current location.
Tunnel endpoint.
❖ Correspondent Node (CN): Any node communicating with the MN.
❖ Home Address: Permanent IP address of the MN (on home network).

23. Foreign Agent COA vs. Co-located COA

• Foreign Agent COA: The COA is an IP address of the FA. Many MNs share the same
FA COA. FA forwards packets to each MN.
• Co-located COA: The MN temporarily obtains an additional IP address (e.g., via
DHCP) that acts as its COA. The MN itself is the tunnel endpoint. Used when no FA is
present.

24. Three main phases of Mobile IP

I. Agent Discovery – MN finds a FA or HA via advertisement or solicitation.

II. Registration – MN registers its COA with its HA.
III. IP Packet Delivery – HA tunnels packets to the COA; FA delivers to MN.

25. Agent Discovery

• Agent Advertisement: HA/FA periodically broadcast ICMP router advertisement

messages with mobility extensions (like a beacon). MN listens to discover a foreign
agent.
• Agent Solicitation: If no advertisement heard, MN sends three solicitation
messages (1 per second) to actively request an agent.

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27. Tunneling and encapsulation

Tunneling: A virtual pipe between HA (entry) and COA (exit). Packets enter tunnel, are
forwarded unchanged, then leave.

Encapsulation: The HA wraps the original IP packet inside a new IP header. The new
header’s destination = COA, source = HA. At the tunnel endpoint (FA or MN), the outer
header is removed, and the original packet is delivered.

29. MANET (Mobile Ad-hoc Network)

Definition: Decentralized wireless network of mobile nodes that act as both hosts and
routers. No fixed infrastructure. Self-organizing, self-healing.

Characteristics (at least five):

• Rapidly deployable, no infrastructure.

• Every node is a router.
• Dynamic topology (nodes move).
• Wireless links (lower reliability, capacity).
• Shared radio medium.
• Limited security (no central firewall).
• Nodes can join/leave anytime.

30. Example MANET routing protocols

• AODV (Ad-hoc On-demand Distance Vector): On-demand – establishes routes

only when needed. Uses route requests and replies. Supports unicast and multicast.
• DSR (Dynamic Source Routing): Source routing – the source determines the
complete sequence of hops. Each packet carries the path. Uses route cache to
remember recently used routes.

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