802.11 WLAN Systems Tutorial

Table of contents

• Introduction
• What is a WLAN? What is 802.11?
• Pros and Cons of 802.11
• Basic 802.11 Operation
• WLAN network topology
• Channel scanning and synchronization
• Authentication and association
• Data transfer mechanism
• WLAN network basics
• WLAN Network Topologies
• Scanning
• Active scan, Passive scan
• Synchronization
• Physical layer (radio) technologies
• Protocol architecture
• 802.11 MAC protocol
• 802.11 Authentication
• 802.11 Association
• Data Transfer
• Security protocols in WLANs
• Advanced topics in WLANs
• Wireless LAN standards
• IEEE 802.11 Protocol Architecture
• The 802.11 PHY (RF) Layer
• Radio channels and frequencies
• Modulation technologies
• PHY data rates used
• Improving data transfer: diversity and polarization
• Frequency Channel Allocation for 802.11a/b/g
• Physical Layer Technologies
• Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
• Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM)
• WLAN testing challenges and test metrics
• PHY Data rates for 802.11a/b/g
• Wireless LANs (WLANs) are LANs that use RF instead of cable or optical fiber
• IEEE 802.11-1999 is the basic standard governing wireless LANs
• Antenna Diversity and Polarization
• Conclusion

Excerpt from course

WLAN technology is one of the faster growing networking technologies.

Wireless LAN technology provides a very good business model as it uses free unlicensed frequencies and provides a wireless last hop to IP networking which is free too.

Though WLAN protocol was initially designed for high bandwidth delay insensitive data applications, WLANs today are being used for a wide variety of traffic types and applications .

Some of the applications of WLANs include, corporate wireless data networks, hotspots, medical facilities using VoIP over WLAN phones and badges, department stores using wireless barcode scanners, consumer electronics using wireless communications like wireless TVs, wireless cameras.