Basics of Wi-Fi

Introduction
• Wi-Fi Stands for wireless Fidelity.
• Wi-Fi is a wireless technology that uses radio
frequency to transmit data through the air.
• Wi-Fi network Connects Computer to each
other, to the internet and to the wired
network.
Difference b/w Wi-Fi and Ethernet
 Pros and Cons of Wi-Fi
Pros:-
• Easy Connectivity
• Flexibility
• Scalability
• Mobility
Cons:-
• Security
• Speed
 Wi-Fi Works on IEEE 802.11 Standards
• 802.11 is primarily concerned
with the lower layers of OSI
Model.
• Data Link Layer
• Logical link control(LLC).
• Medium access
control(MAC).
• Physical Layer
• Physical Layer
Convergence
Procedure(PLCP).
• Physical Medium
Dependent(PMD).
 802.11 IEEE Standards
• 802.11(legacy devices)
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11a
• 802.11n
• 802.11ac
• 802.11ax
 Legacy 802.11
• Released in 1997.
• Two raw data rates of 1 and 2 Mbps.
• Frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) or direct-
sequence spread spectrum (DSSS).
• Three non-overlapping channels in industrial, scientific,
medical (ISM) frequency band at 2.4 GHz.
 802.11b
• Released in 1999.
• 802.11b radio devices support data rates of 1, 2, 5.5, and 11
Mbps.
• Backward compatible with the 802.11 DSSS data rates of 1
Mbps and 2 Mbps.
• Supports 2.4Ghz band.
• Modulation High-Rate DSSS(HR-DSSS).
 802.11g
• Released in 2003.
• Data rates with varying modulation types: 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36,
48 and 54 Mbps; can revert to 1, 2, 5.5, and 11 Mbps using
DSSS and CCK.
• Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) with 52
subcarrier channels; backwards compatible with 802.11b
using DSSS and CCK.
• Three non-overlapping channels in industrial, scientific,
medical (ISM) frequency band at 2.4 GHz.
 802.11a
• Released in 1999.
• Data rates with varying modulation types: 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36,
48 and 54 Mbps.
• Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) with 52
subcarrier channels.
• 12 non-overlapping unlicensed national information
infrastructure (UNII) channels in 5 GHz frequency band.
 802.11n
• Released in 2008.
• Data rates with varying modulation types: 1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9, 11,
12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54 Mbps (see table below)
• Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) using
multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) and channel bonding
(CB)
• Three non-overlapping channels in industrial, scientific,
medical (ISM) frequency band at 2.4 GHz
• 12 non-overlapping unlicensed national information
infrastructure (UNII) channels in 5 GHz frequency band with
and without CB
 Improvements in 11n
• MIMO
• Frame aggregation A-MPDU & A-MSDU
• Channel Bonding
• Block Ack
• Modulation & coding scheme(MCS)
• Short Guard interval
• RIFS
• HT power management(SM and PSMP)
 802.11ac
• Released in 2012.
• 5Ghz Only
• Wider channels(80,160Mhz)
• Beamforming
• Better Modulation(256-QAM)
• MU-MIMO(wave 2)
• Backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n
 802.11ax
• Released in 2018.
• Downlink and uplink OFDMA
• Downlink Mu-MIMO
• Target Wake Time(TWT)
• BSS-Coloring
• 1024 QAM
• Backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac.
 802.11 Topologies
• Access Points
• Client Station
• Distribution System
• SSID
• BSS
• BSSID
• BSA
• ESS
• IBSS
 Service Set Identifier
• Logical name to identify the
wireless network.
• SSID is used to let the radio cards
find networks
- Active and passive Scanning
• SSID is configured on Aps and
client Stations
- 32 characters
- Case Sensitive
 Basic Service Set(BSS)
• Single AP with one or more client
Stations.
• AP connects to DS
• Stations that are members of the
BSS are associated
-Created a Layer 2 connection
• Stations do not communicate
with each other
-Must go through AP
Basic Service Set Identifier(BSSID)
• 48 bit MAC address of the AP’s Radio Card
• Layer 2 ID for the BSS
- Usually the MAC address of the AP
• Can also Customize
- Virtual BSSID
• Generally found in the Frame header
• Needed for roaming.
 Basic Service Area(BSA)
• Physical Area of Coverage from the AP
– Clients can move in this area and maintain
connection/Communicate with AP
• As long as signal strength is above the Received Signal
strength indicator (RSSI) threshold.
– Can also switch between rates in this Zone
• Dynamic rate switching
 Extented Service Set(ESS)
• An extended service set is two or more basic service sets
connected by a distribution system medium.
• The purpose is to provide seamless roaming to the client
Station.
 Independent Basic Service Set(IBSS)
• Radio cards that make up an IBSS are
only client stations.
- No AP
• Can have multiple client stations linked
together
- Ad-hoc communication
- Peer to peer network
• Frames transmitted directly between
STA’s.
Questions?
Thank You