INRODUCTION OVERVIEW OF IEEE 802.

11WLAN NETWORKS Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) have been more popular for providing internet connectivity anywhere and anytime due to their low cost and ease of deployment. In 1997, IEEE 802.11 standard body announced the IEEE 802.11 standard that defines the Media Access Control (MAC) and Physical (PHY) layers to support data transmission up to 2 Mbps at 2.4 GHz band. Due to demand on higher data transmission rate, the IEEE 802.11a and IEEE 802.11b were later developed. IEEE 802.11b has a theoretical bit rate of 11Mbps, operates in the 2.4GHz Unlicensed Industrial Scientific Medical (ISM) band, and uses Complementary Code Keying (CCK) DirectSequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) radio transmission technology. The IEEE 802.11a describes an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulation scheme that support upto 54Mbps data transmission rate at 5GHz Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (UNII) band. The IEEE defines 802.11g extends 2.4GHz 802.11b PHY layer support up to 54Mbps as 802.11a does in 5GHz. The IEEE 802.11 WLAN standard states that two lowest layers of the open system interconnection (OSI) reference model because they incorporate both physical and data link components. All IEEE 802.11 networks have both MAC and Physical components. Fig 1.1 shows that the diagram of the 802 .11 physical and MAC layer activities. The MAC is a set of rules to determine how to access the medium and send data, but the details of transmission and reception are left to the PHY. The IEEE 802.11a was not more popular for commercial usage because it is not compatible with IEEE 802.11 legacy and IEEE 802.11b. Further improvement is still continuing on these standards, due to important arrangement of the IEEE 802.11 technology in the Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) equipment market rather than other wireless access technologies. Also, the IEEE 802.11 network has been considered as a necessary part in the future 4G telecommunication network, where customers may use voice or even video communication over the IEEE 802.11 network.

D A T A L I MAC N sub K layer

Logic Link Control (LLC) sublayer Contention-free service Contention service

Point Coordination Function (PCF)

Distributed Coordination Function (DCF)

2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz Direct Frequency Sequence Hop Spread Spread Spectrum Spectrum (FHSS) (DSSS) 1Mbps 1Mbps 2Mbps 2Mbps Infrared Omnidirectional 1Mbps 2Mbps 5 GHz OrthogonalFre quencyDivision Multiplex (OFDM) 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54 Mbps 2.4 GHz Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) 5.5 Mbps 11 Mbps 2.4 GHz OrthogonalFre quencyDivisio n Multiplex (OFDM) Up to 54Mbps

Physical layer

IEEE 802.11

IEEE 802.11a

802.11b

802.11g

Figure 1.1 The IEEE 802.11family and its relation to the OSI model

A group of mobile stations (STAs) forms a Basic Service Set (BSS). It is the basic building block of an IEEE 802.11 WLAN. A BSS can either be an Independent BSS (IBSS), it is referred as an ad-hoc network, or an Infrastructure network. In Infrastructure mode, an Access Point (AP) also called as a central base station links the STAs to a Distribution system (DS), therefore extending their range to other BSSs via other APs. The Whole system is then called Extended Service Systems (ESS).The DS can be any kind of wired or wireless networks. The concept of BSS, ESS and IBSS are illustrated in Fig.1.2. IEEE 802.11 WLAN MAC PROTOCOL A medium access control (MAC) protocol coordinates the nodes in a network and resolves the conflict among their accessing the shared medium (the wireless channel in wireless networks) so that the inadequate system resources are shared fairly and efficiently. With a given physical layer, a suitably designed MAC protocol is the

STA 1

STA 2

BSS 1

STA 3

AP 1

Distribution System

AP 2

STA 4 BSS 2

STA 5

STA 6

Figure1.2 Components of an 802.11 WLAN System

key to desired system performance such as high throughput and short delay. The recent popularity of WLAN is mainly due to the simple and robust MAC protocol specified in the IEEE 802.11 standard, which defines two modes: the mandatory distributed coordination function (DCF) and the optional point coordination function (PCF). DCF is based on the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol and should be implemented in all stations. DCF can be used both in ad-hoc and infrastructure modes; while PCF is only used in infrastructure mode WLANs. The architecture described is shown in Fig.1.3.

Required for Contention free services Used for Contention services and basis for PCF

MAC sublayer

Point Coordination Function (PCF)

Distributed Coordination Function (DCF)

Figure 1.3 IEEE 802.11 MAC layer protocol architecture Hidden Terminal A hidden node problem that is unlikely to occur in a wired LAN is another challenge for WLANs. Station C is unreachable from station A and a station B is reachable from both station A and C. The transmission from A to B can be interrupted by the transmission from C to B. This is illustrated in Figure 1.4.

Figure 1.4 Hidden Terminal Problem Distributed Coordination Function The Medium Access Control (MAC) layer defines two different access methods: Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) and Point Coordination Function (PCF). DCF is the main and mandatory protocol for IEEE 802.11 WLAN and the PCF is optional. In every WLAN, there is a contention period in which stations can access each other based on the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) accessing mechanism. IEEE 802.11 uses a collision avoidance mechanism with a positive Acknowledgment (ACK) scheme as explained below. If a station senses the busy medium, it defers its transmission. If the

medium is free for a Distributed Inter Frame Space (DIFS) time, the station is allowed to transmit. The receiving station sends an ACK packet if the packet is successfully

received. Receipt of the ACK indicates the transmitter that no collision has occurred. If the sender does not receive the ACK, it retransmits the packet until it receives the ACK and discards it after a given number of retransmission attempts.

In order to reduce the probability of collision between two stations, IEEE 802.11 standard defines a virtual carrier sense mechanism. The CSMA/CA provides a physical carrier sensing based on the Signal-to-Interference Ratio (SIR). If the medium is free, a station transmits a packet to the destination through a common shared wireless channel. The communication between the source and destination is half duplex communication. After receiving the packet successfully, the receiver sends the ACK packet to the sender. If the sender does not receive any ACK packet until the ACK timeout period, it again contends to capture the channel to retransmit the packet. This mechanism is called as basic access mechanism or two way handshaking mechanism. Initially, a station sends a control packet called Request-to-Send (RTS) to reserve a wireless channel in its transmission range. Similarly, the destination station responds with a control packet called Clear-to-Send (CTS) to reserve a wireless channel. All stations receiving either RTS or CTS, set their virtual carrier sense indicator from the Network Allocation Vector (NAV) field in the control packets. When the station is sensing the medium, information in the NAV field is used together with the physical carrier sense. This mechanism reduces the probability of a collision on the receiver area by a station that is hidden from the transmitter. The NAV information on the RTS also protects the transmitter area from collisions during the ACK. Due to RTS and CTS control frames are recognised faster than the whole packet and this mechanism reduces the overhead of collisions. The IEEE 802.11 standard allows a station to transmit short packets without the RTS/CTS transaction. This is controlled by a parameter called RTS Threshold. The Binary Exponential Backoff (BEB) algorithm is used to resolve the contention between different stations in the wireless networks. When a packet arrives in a queue, a station first senses the medium and if the medium is busy, a station defers its transmission to certain time period (backoff time) which is determined by the BEB algorithm. Initially, the backoff time is selected from the minimum contention window size (2 5) and then for each retransmission, the contention window size is doubled until the maximum number of retransmission defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard is reached. After the successful transmission, a station selects the backoff counter value from the minimum contention window size. The NAV field provides the information about the duration of completing this present transmission. All the stations receiving either RTS or CTS control packets can set their virtual carrier sense indicator from the NAV field in the control packets. Point Coordination Function The PCF introduces another access mechanism which can assist sessions that require Quality of Service (QoS). PCF provides a contention free period that alternates with the contention period. In opposition to the DCF, PCF implements a centralised control where AP controls the network. The AP restricts the access to the medium. In the PCF mode of operation, any station can transmit a data as long as the AP allows it. Inter Frame Space Timing Time intervals for control packets are called Inter Frame Spaces (IFS). Starting from the shortest to the longest time interval, the list is as follows.

 time.

Time is quantized in slots and the slot time is specific to Physical (PHY)

layers. The backoff counter is decreased after sensing the channel idle for a slot

A Short Inter Frame Space (SIFS) is the smallest time required to give

priority to the completion of a frame exchange sequence, since other stations wait longer to seize the medium. SIFS time is determined by the delay introduced in PHY and MAC layers. Stations operating in PCF seize the medium at least PCF Inter Frame

Space (PIFS) time in Contention Free Period (CFP) to gain access to the medium. Stations operating in DCF function are allowed to transmit if its carrier sense mechanism determines that the medium is idle at least one DCF Inter Frame Space (DIFS) time. This also allows stations that are in the RTS/CTS exchange to seize the medium immediately after SIFS. Basic Access Method The DCF includes two access techniques: Basic and Request-To-Send/ Clear-To-Send (RTS/CTS) access mechanisms. The Basic access method is a two-way handshaking mechanism as shown in Figure 1.5. After waiting for a DCF Inter-Frame Space (DIFS) period and finishing its backoff procedure, the source sends a data frame to the destination. The destination waits for a Short Inter-Frame Space (SIFS) period and then replies with an ACK frame to confirm this successful transmission regardless to the busy/idle state of the channel. Any other station that can sense the transmitting data frame will determine the channel state as busy. If it has a packet in queue to transmit, then it will suspend its transmission process until the end of the ACK frame plus a DIFS time. Immediate access when medium is free > = DIFS DIFS Source Destination DATA

SIFS

DIFS

ACK

Others Defer Access

CW Backoff After Defer

Figure 1.5 IEEE 802.11 DCF basic access mode RTS/CTS Access Method IEEE 802.11 also defines an optional RTS/CTS access mode for improve the efficiency of transmitting long frames. The RTS/CTS access method is a four-way handshaking access method as shown in Figure 1.5. After waiting a DIFS period and completing the backoff procedure, the source sends a RTS frame to reserve the channel. After receiving the RTS frame, the destination waits for a SIFS period and replies with a CTS frame to the source.

DIFS

Source STA

RTS

DATA
SIFS

Destination STA

SIFS

SIFS

CTS

ACK

DIFS

Other STA

NAV (RTS) NAV (CTS) Back off

Defer Access
Figure 1.6 IEEE 802.11RTS/CTS access mode

The source detects the CTS frame and waits a SIFS period, and then it sends a data frame. If the destination correctly receives the data frame, the destination responds with an ACK frame to confirm this transmission. Any other station that can sense the RTS or CTS frames will set its Network Allocation Vector (NAV) to defer its transmission process until the end of the ACK frame plus a DIFS time. Virtual carrier sensing mechanism is implemented with the help of NAV (Network Allocation Vector), which is a timer updated with the value of other STAs transmission duration. The use of NAV to determine the busy/idle status of the channel is referred to as the Virtual Carrier sense mechanism.