Dar es Salaam institute of Technology

(DIT)
ETU 08102
Digital Networks
Ally, J
jumannea@gmail.com
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Wireless Local Area Wireless (WLAN)

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LAN (Local Area Network)

Local

Area Network (Wired)

1980s ~

Remote Access to Main Computer

Printers, Data Storage, etc. are shared

Internet

Usage (e-mail, WWW, etc.)

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1990s ~

WiFi

Almost all wireless LAN now are 802.11

based
Competing technologies, e.g. HiperLAN cant
compete on volume and cost
802.11 is also known as WiFi = Wireless
Fidelity
Fidelity = Compatibility between wireless
equipment from different manufacturers
WiFi Alliance is a non-profit organization that
does the compatibility testing (WiFi.org)
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What is WLAN

A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)

network design uses the idea of an access
point and clients.
The access point or router is the equivalent of
a base station in a cellular network.
It acts as a bridge between the wired
backbone and the wireless client traffic.
Examples of client devices include desktops,
laptops, smart phones, game consoles and
printers.
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WLAN Architecture

Stations is all components that can connect into a

wireless medium in a network.
Basic Service Set (BSS) is a set of all stations that can
communicate with each other.
Extended Service Set (ESS) is a set of connected BSSs.
Access points in an ESS are connected by
distribution system
Distribution System (DS) connects access points in an
extended service set.
DS can be wired or wireless. Current wireless
distribution systems are mostly based on MESH
protocols.
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Types of Wireless LANs

WLAN can be configured into different

architectures, depending requirements on the
system.

These physical architecture include the

following:

Ad Hoc
Infrastructure
Mesh
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Wireless Local Area Networks

(WLANs)

01011011

0101

1011
Internet
Access
Point

WLANs connect local computers (100m range)

Breaks data into packets

Channel access is shared (random access)

Backbone Internet provides best-effort service

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WLAN Network
Architecture
Basic Service
Set (BSS): a set of stations which communicate
with one another

Infrastructure Mode

Ad hoc network

Only direct communication

possible
No relay function

Stations communicate with AP

AP provides connection to wired network
(e.g. Ethernet)
Stations not allowed to communicate directly
Some similarities with cellular

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Source: AirTight Networks

WLAN Network
Architecture (2)

Extended Service Set(ESS) : a set of BSSs interconnected by a

distribution system (DS)

Local Area Network (e.g. Ethernet)

Future: Meshed Wireless Backhaul

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Source: AirTight Networks

WLAN Bands and Channels

WLAN operate in the

unlicensed ISM radio bands
around 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
The 2.4 GHz band is used
by 802.11b, 802.11g, and
802.11n.
It consists of 14 channels
ranging from 2.412 GHz to
2.484 GHz.
Not all channels can be
used in all regions, and local
restrictions govern which
channels are available.

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WLAN Bands and Channels (2)

By contrast, 802.11a, 802.11n, and 802.11ac

amendments all utilize the 5 GHz band ranging from
5.15 GHz to 5.875 GHz.
The radio bands available for WLAN in 5 GHz are a mix
of ISM and Unlicensed National Information
Infrastructure (U-NII) bands.

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802.11 Channels and Channel

Starting at the center
Wide
frequency of 2.412 MHz,

IEEE 802.11 gives every 5 MHz a new channel

number.
The channel wide is 20 MHz and 40 MHz for
channel bounding (introduced in the 802.11n
amendment).
If there are different/parallel WLAN setups, it is
crucial not to run them in the same frequency
range.
Separation of at least one channel is mandatory
to avoid co-channel interference.
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802.11 Channel Separation

802.11 channel separation

802.11 Adjacent Channels

802.11 Overlapping Channels

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Bandwidth Configuration

The original 802.11 specification allowed for channel

bandwidths of 20 MHz.

Subsequent revisions expanded channel bandwidths

to 40 MHz, 80 MHz, and 160 MHz.

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Bandwidth Configuration for

802.11n and 802.11ac

802.11n allows the use of 20 MHz and 40 MHz modes.

802.11ac allows the use of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 80+80
MHz, and 160 MHz configurations.
The 802.11ac amendment is available only in the 5 GHz
band, and not in the 2.4 GHz band.
802.11ac offers both contiguous and noncontiguous 160 MHz
bandwidth configurations.
The noncontiguous 160 MHz transmission is typically referred
to as 80+80 mode.
In the contiguous 160 MHz transmission, the signal is
structured such that two 80 MHz transmissions are placed
side-by-side to occupy 160 MHz of contiguous spectrum.

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Bandwith Allocation for

802.11n & 802.11ac

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Key WLAN Enabling

The 802.11 specifications
use a range of key
Technologies

technologies that enable them to robustly achieve

high data rates with reasonable spectrum
utilization.
For example, DSSS offers greater resilience to
interference in the 2.4 GHz spectrum, which is also
utilized by other wireless technologies.
The 802.11a standard was one of the first
commercial wireless standards to utilize OFDM.
The 802.11n amendment was also one of the first
commercial standards allowing for up to 4x4 MIMO.
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Direct Spread Sequence

The IEEE 802.11
committee adopted
the use of DSSS
Spectrum
(DSSS)

technology to protect against interference.

In DSSS transmissions, the modulated signal is multiplied
by a pseudorandom spreading code and the receiver is
only able to demodulate the signal by applying the same
spreading code in its tracking of the signal.
An 11-bit Barker sequence was used as spreading code
for 1 Mb/s and 2 Mb/s data rates.
The 5.5 Mb/s and 11 Mb/s data rates use complementary
code keying (CCK), which uses an 8-bit spreading code.
Today, the 802.11b standard is referred to as DSSS
HR/DSSS. HR refers to high rate, which corresponds to
the 5.5 Mb/s and 11 Mb/s data rates in 802.11b.
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Orthogonal Frequency Division

Multiplexing (OFDM)

OFDM was first adopted as part of the 802.11a specification,

and then 802.11g specification.
All major revisions of the 802.11 standard, including 802.11n,
and 802.11ac are based on OFDM technology.
For 802.11a/g, 802.11n, and 802.11ac, the OFDM
transmission uses a constant symbol rate (constant
subcarrier spacing) for all bandwidth configurations.

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Multiple Input Multiple Output

MIMO technology, involves
multiple antennas at the
(MIMO)

transmitter and receiver, is an important technology

featured in the WLAN standard.
MIMO improve the reliability and the throughput of
communication over wireless channels.
MIMO was first adopted in WLAN as part of the 802.11n
standard, and later expanded in 802.11ac.
802.11n supports antenna configurations ranging from
single input, single output (SISO) to 4x4 MIMO, with
802.11ac extending the capability to 8x8 MIMO.
MIMO deployments, such as 4x4 or 8x8, are typically used
in access points.
Due to complexity most end devices uses single antenna.
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Benefits of using MIMO

MIMO in WLAN is increasing data rates through the use of

multiple spatial streams (known as spatial multiplexing).
MIMO technology increase the diversity or redundancy of
the transmission through spatial diversity.
For example, if a SISO system were able to achieve a data
rate of 100 Mb/s, an 8x8 MIMO system with 8 spatial
streams could achieve a maximum data rate of 800 Mb/s.

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Theoretical Data Rate

Wireless LAN provides
high data rates by using a
Calculation

combination of higher order modulation schemes, higher

bandwidths, and MIMO technology.

Determining the maximum data rate is a straightforward

calculation,
Max Data Rate = (Data Carriers x Spatial Streams x Bits per
symbol x Code Rate) / Symbol Duration

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802.11a/g Data Rate

802.11a and 802.11g
use nearly identical signal structures,
Calculations

and each standard uses the same number of data carriers,

symbol rates, and code rates.

Parameters Affecting 802.11a/g Data Rate

Maximum Data Rate = (48 x 1 x 6 x ) / 4s

= 54 Mbps
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802.11n Data Rate Calculation

802.11n adds a larger number of subcarriers through its

40 MHz bandwidth high throughput (HT) option.
By implementing 4x4 MIMO, 802.11n expands the
number of spatial streams from 1 (SISO) to 4.
Parameters Affecting 802.11n Data Rate

Maximum Data Rate = (108 x 4 x 6 x 5/6) / 3.6s

= 600 Mbps
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802.11ac Data Rate

802.1ac adds a larger
number of subcarriers through the
Calculation
160 MHz bandwidth very high throughput (VHT) option.
Added spatial streams, use of the 256-QAM modulation
scheme, and a higher code rate also contribute to
maximum data throughput.
Parameters Affecting 802.11ac Data Rate

Maximum Data Rate = (512 x 8 x 8 x 5/6) / 3.6s

= 6.933 Gbps
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