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Expert Reference Series of White Papers

Whats New in
Wireless
Networking
and 802.11?

1-800-COURSES

www.globalknowledge.com

Whats New in Wireless Networking


and 802.11?
Johnny Bass, Senior Global Knowledge Instructor, CCIE #6458, CCSI #97168,
CCNP, CCDA, CCIP

Introduction
Wireless networking has been around for a while, but what do we really know about it? I will explain what
802.11 is, whats new within the wireless world, and examine some changes to 802.11.

What Are WLANs?


Wireless local area networks (WLANs) enable devices to communicate through radio frequencies, rather than
through wired connections (to a point). There are client devices and devices that make up the infrastructure. The
use of wireless network is pervasive; you would have a hard time finding a laptop, tablet, or smartphone that
doesnt support wireless networking. Access to wireless network is now available in more public locations such as
airports, coffee shops, restaurants, bars, and even in-flight on airplanes.
Wireless networks are easy to set up and can be rather easy to use. With most client devices, a zero-configuration
option is availableyou just scan for a wireless network and select it. The addition of security will add to the
complexity of configuration, but depending on how the security is configured, it could be minimal. The
components that make up the network could be consumer-grade devices, which typically have a graphical user
interface (GUI) such as a web browser or an enterprise or provider grade devices, which would be more complex
to configure.
The client device, once associated to a wireless network, will use its wireless adapter with embedded antenna to
translate and transmit data to another wireless client or to a wireless access device (wireless router or access
point). Then, typically, the network component would then translate the data to Ethernet and pass the data out
its Ethernet port to the rest of the network as a wired connection. The return traffic would come through the
wired network, back to the wireless network device, which would then translate and transmit to the wireless
client. To the client device, the communication feels as if you are attached to the Ethernet network and any
devices that you are communicating with (servers and printers), think the client is Ethernet attached. When
everything is working correctly, the fact that you are on a wireless network should be transparent.
Wireless networking allows the freedom to attach to a network or the Internet, without the need for cabling. It
also gives you the ability to move around, such as at home, moving from the living room to outdoors, without
having to drag a long cable with you.
For wireless networking to work, the devices involved (clients and networking devices) have to use the same set
of rules or protocols to communicate. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) typically sets
those standards for the protocols used within North America and most of the rest of the world. The IEEE gets
assistance from the WiFi Alliance (which is a non-profit organization that is comprised of enterprise companies
and manufactures of networking equipment) in determining the need and functionality of these protocols. Lets
look at the standards a bit.

Copyright 2014 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved.

What Is 802.11?
The IEEE uses the number convention to identify groupings of standards for different types of technologies. The
IEEE 802 family of standards deals with LANs and metropolitan area networks. 802.1 is for bridging; 802.3 for
Ethernet; 802.5 for Token Ring; 802.11 for WLAN; and 802.15 for Personal Area Networks (PAN, such as
Bluetooth) to mention a few.
WLANs have been around since mid to late 1990s, with the IEEE accepting the specifications and starting 802.11
in 1997. We tend to use the term Wi-Fi today for devices that are capable of supporting wireless networking. The
802.11 specifies an over-the-air interface between a wireless client and a base station, or wireless access point
(AP), which is referred to as an infrastructure implementation. The interface can also occur between two wireless
clients, which is referred to as an ad hoc network.
Of these two methods, the infrastructure method is the most common; ad hoc is seen as a security risk and
therefore is frowned upon, but it can be used for temporary exchange of data. These specifications list how
devices interact, the methods of transmission between devices, and the possible need of security. The
implementation of a WLAN can be as simple as a client device and one AP, which is then connected to a wired
network (typically a switch) to something much more complex to support tens of thousands of client devices with
many APs with multiple controllers to support configuration control and security. In todays enterprise, wireless is
typical and due to this, security with wireless is a big concern, which is beyond the scope of this paper.
Later, we will look at some examples of how wireless networks could be used.

Legacy and Current Specifications


The original 802.11 specification provides 1 or 2 Mbps transmission in the 2.4 GHz band, using either frequency
hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) or direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS).

802.11a
In 1999, 802.11a is added as an extension to 802.11 that applies to WLANs and provides up to 54 Mbps
in the 5 GHz band. 802.11a uses an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing encoding scheme rather
than FHSS or DSSS.

802.11b (also referred to as 802.11 High Rate or Wi-Fi)


Also in 1999, 802.11b is added as an extension to 802.11 that applies to WLANS and provides 11 Mbps
transmission (with a fallback to 5.5, 2, and 1 Mbps) in the 2.4 GHz band. 802.11b uses only DSSS.
802.11b was a 1999 ratification to the original 802.11 standard, allowing wireless functionality
comparable to Ethernet.
802.11g
In 2003, 802.11g applies to WLANs and is used for transmission over short distances at up to 54 Mbps in
the 2.4 GHz bands.

802.11n

In 2009, 802.11n builds upon previous 802.11 standards by adding multiple-input multiple-output
(MIMO). The additional transmitter and receiver antennas allow for increased data throughput through
spatial multiplexing and increased range by exploiting the spatial diversity through coding schemes like
Alamouti coding. The real speed would be 100 Mbit/s (even 250 Mbit/s in PHY level), and so up to four
to five times faster than 802.11g.

Copyright 2014 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved.

These specifications are now considered common place within the wireless world. Most
laptops/notebooks/tablets/phone have one or more of these specification supported.

Modern and Future Specifications

802.11ac

In 2012, 802.11ac is added and builds upon previous 802.11 standards (particularly the 802.11n
standard) to deliver data rates of 433 Mbps per spatial stream, or 1.3 Gbps in a three-antenna (three
stream) design. The 802.11ac specification operates only in the 5 GHz frequency range and features
support for wider channels (80 and 160 MHz) and beam forming capabilities by default to help achieve
its higher wireless speeds.

802.11ad
802.11ad was started in 2009 by the Wireless Gigabit Alliance and was turned over to the IEEE in 2013,
which is a specification under development, allowing wireless networking to operate in the 60GHz
frequency band and offering much higher transfer rates than previous 802.11 specs, with a theoretical
maximum transfer rate of up to 7Gbps (Gigabits per second).

These newer specifications are yet to be supported natively in the client devices. You can purchase an 802.11ac
adapter and there are routers and access points available from some vendors. The 802.11ad is not yet supported
in any device that I know of since that specification is considered to still be in work. Once the IEEE gets the
specification to a more complete state, Im sure well start seeing product for it.

How Are WLANs Used?


Lets look at some of the different implementations of infrastructure type networks for wireless:

Home/residential
Hotspots
Enterprise
Public access

Home wireless networks tend to be the simplest infrastructure network type. There may be one or more devices
you want to support as clients (a laptop, tablet, and/or a smartphone) and the network device may be an all in
one wireless router (like Linksys, Netgear, or Datalink). This wireless router could be your AP, router to the
Internet, firewall, translating devices, and the one allocating IP addressing within your home (DHCP server). The
configuration of the network is typically using a graphical user interface (GUI) and is usually a limited set of
configurations, such as the Service Set Identifier (SSID), for the AP; security settings for the wireless router (acting
as your firewall); and some basic information for connecting to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The
configuration of the client would be to simply point yourself to the SSID that you just configured and configure a
common set of security parameters that match what you set within your wireless router.
A hotspot is typically a public wireless network that is open (or has limited security) that allows for the clients to
access the Internet. Although, some consider the home wireless network a private hotspot, but personally, I look
at it a little differently. Devices that makeup a hotspot may be consumer-grade equipment or something more
substantial. The scale (or number of clients) that will be expected to be supported will dictate the design of the
hotspot and could resemble a large enterprise network design. What you find in restaurants, bars, coffee shops,
and airports are considered to be hotspots. Most of the hotspots today offer free access to the Internet, but you
may have to put up with ads or a slow connection to the Internet. Some will offer premium connections, but at a
fee. Typically you have to accept the rules to use the hotspot, before youre allowed to access the Internet. Some
are timed, so that you can only access for a specific amount of time before your connection is shutdown. You
Copyright 2014 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved.

would either then have to go through the process of accessing the hotspot again or pay for additional time. The
conveniences of hotspots are very attractive and the business owners recognize the benefit of having that service
for their customers. If you need access to the Internet temporarily, you could go to a coffee shop and
attachand while youre there, you might as well have a cup of coffee or three and a few scones to go with that
coffee. A personal hotspot is a newer concept that is the ability to light up a small area for your own use,
connecting through a smartphone or personal hotspot device on its cellular data network, to access the Internet.
With 4G networks and their data speeds, this can be an attractive alternativeassuming youre getting a good
signal on the cellular network.
The enterprise wireless, other than small business, is typically substantial in design and scope of devices. The
network, both wired and wireless, would have rules as to who can attach, so authentication would need to be
implemented. Other security steps would be taken to protect the enterprise network. The devices used are far
more robust and capable of supporting many more clients than the consumer-grade devices. Usually, the devices
are dedicated to their functionmeaning, there would be APs that only translate from radio to Ethernet and
back, there would be separate routers, switches, and firewalls that are doing their jobs.
A lot of enterprises have rules about having unauthorized APs and have counter measures to reduce their use or
help find these rogue devices. In the larger implementation, a single AP may not be able to adequately light up
an area, so the use of multiple APs would be needed. The added complexity of having multiple APs means more
configurations of more devices and the management of those devices. This could also add complexity to the
clients, since each AP could have its own configuration and SSID. To help with this, larger implementations use
wireless controllers that manage the APs. The configuration of the AP is done through the controller or
controllers and the SSID is set through controller, so the client sees only on SSID even though there may be
hundreds of APs, which also helps in the security of the network. The controller-based solution has the traffic
from the client enter the AP, and then it is tunneled to the controller, which then passes the traffic to the rest of
the network. This allows the network administrators to control what type of traffic can enter the network at the
controller, rather than at each of the access points. A distributed security policy is harder to maintain than one
implemented at a single point or a limited number of points of access.
Public access, or how I choose to use the term here, is where a community lights up the area for access to the
Internet. There are townships and small communities that will implement wireless networking for the residents of
those communities. I know of several that where done in combination of upgrading the wireless network for
emergency services. The infrastructure was being upgraded anyway, so why not add some additional access
points for the benefit of those that live in those communities? Unfortunately, I dont live in one of those
communities, so we have to buy our own access to the Internet.

Issues with Wireless Networking


Wireless has some issues in common with wired networks and some that are unique to wireless. First off, security
is always a concern, so authentication and encryption is typical. The security protocols available vary, depending
on the type of devices youre dealing withconsumer-grade versus enterprise-grade devices. We dont want
people attaching to our networks that are not supposed to be there.
Wireless network are using RF to transmit and receive data; the RF signal can be interfered with by other
transmissions in the same frequency bands. The signal can be diminished or terminated, depending on what it
has to transmit through. When looking at the specification for the different standards, they reference indoor and
outdoor distances. These numbers are based on assumption of minimal interference. An increased number of
walls, their makeup (metal, fire retardant, wiring and the like), as well as distance will affect signal strength the
client will see from the AP. The lower or weaker the signal, the lower the transmission speeds youll see.
Therefore, placement of the wireless network devices is important. You want to make sure there is minimal
disruption of the signal, so dont put the access point within a metal cabinet, unless you really dont want the
wireless to work.
Copyright 2014 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved.

Conclusion
Wi-Fi and 802.11 are important and constantly evolving. The specification started in the 1990s, but will be around
for a while. Wireless networking makes life easier for the end user and a bit more complicated for those that
support the network. Its becoming more common place to have wireless access wherever we go. Hotspots
frequently pop up at your fast food, coffee, restaurants, and bars. When Im traveling, I expect to have Wi-Fi
available at the airport and now in the air. Cant wait to see what comes next!

Learn More
Learn more about how you can improve productivity, enhance efficiency, and sharpen your competitive edge
through training.
Enterprise Wi-Fi Administration (CWNA)
Wireless LAN Foundations
CUWN - Cisco Unified Wireless Networking v7.2
IUWNE - Implementing Cisco Unified Wireless Networking Essentials v2.0
Visit www.globalknowledge.com or call 1-800-COURSES (1-800-268-7737) to speak with a Global Knowledge
training advisor.

About the Author


Johnny Bass has been in the networking industry since the late 1980s, specializing in Cisco products since 1990
and working extensively in the aerospace, health care, and service provider industries while providing network
design, education, and technical support expertise. Holding both CCIE and CCSI credentials, Johnny teaches and
consults in a variety of Cisco technologies, including routing, switching, design, implementation, and support.
While working as a senior instructor at Global Knowledge, Johnny has acquired extensive experience teaching
CCNP, CCNP-SP, CCVP, Cisco Nexus, and CCIE R&S courses. This experience has allowed him to excel in the role of
course director and subject matter expert, with technical responsibility for Global Knowledges North American
CCIE R&S curriculum and service provider technical segment. He is the author of the CCIE Routing & Switching
Written Exam Boot Camp that is currently utilized in Europe. Johnny is a Cisco 360 R&S Master Instructorthe
first to achieve this level outside of the organization that created the program.
In addition to his teaching engagements, Johnny is the owner and President of Bass Consulting Services, Inc., a
network engineering consultancy based outside of Seattle, WA, that specializes in service provider and large
enterprise networks for design, configuration, and troubleshooting support. Johnny lives in Gig Harbor,
Washington with his wife, Tiffany, and their children, Sean and Cayman.

Copyright 2014 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved.

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