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Wireless Networking

By: Todd Deshane


And
Ashwin Venkatraman
Introduction
 What is a wireless network?
A technology that enables two or more entities to
communicate without network cabling
Different Wireless Networks
 IrDA (Infrared Data Association)
 Uses beams in the infrared light spectrum
 Bluetooth
 Uses 2.45 gigahertz radio waves, but emits weak
signals
 Limits distance to 10 feet, but travels through walls
 HomeRF (SWAP) – developed by businesses
6 voice channels and 1 data channel
 Slow, and limited range, but cheap
Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)
 Essentially, this technology is a variation of the
IEEE 802.11 specification known as 802.11b
 Focuses on Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum
(DSSS)
 High data rate (max of 11 Mbps)
 In the case of interference, speed drops in halves (11 Mbps
to 5.5 Mbps to 2 Mbps to 1 Mbps)
Wi-Fi
 Advantages:
 Fast (11 Mbps)
 Reliable
 Long Range (up to 1000 ft outdoors, 400 ft indoors)
 Easy integration to wired networks
 Compatible with original 802.11 DSSS standard
 Disadvantages:
 Speed may fluctuate
802.11a vs. 802.11b
 Frequency
 802.11b transfers at 2.4 gigahertz
 802.11a transfers at 5 gigahertz

 Coverage Distance
 802.11b goes about 400 feet indoors
 802.11a goes about 60 feet indoors
 Need more access points to cover a location
 Compatible to each other?
 Not yet.
ITL Wireless Equipment
 2 Wireless Access Point Routers (with
built in 4 port switch)
 Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) available
 8 Wireless PCMCIA Cards
4 ORiNOCO Gold 11 Mbps PC Cards
 4 3Com 11 Mbps PC Cards
Wireless Access Point
 LINKSYS
 ModelNo. BEFW11S4 ver. 2
 Supports
 IEEE 802.3 (10BaseT)
 IEEE 802.3u (100BaseTX)
 IEEE 802.11b (Wireless)
 Built-in router capability
 Obtains a Clarkson IP and uses DHCP
 Built-in4 port switch
 Fully-configurable through simple web interface
Wireless Cards
 11Mbs
 802.11b compatible
 4 3Com Cards
 Model No. 3CRWE62092A
 4 ORiNOCO (Lucent) Cards
 Model No. 012352/G
Performance
 Inside Range
 anywhere except in bathrooms
 Usually 11 Mbps connection

 Outside Range
 To the SC lecture wing door (closest to ERC)
 Covers faculty lot next to ERC
 Half way to Rowley
 Connection slows as move away from access point
Summer Research
 Protocol
 Method of Communication
 Spoken Language
 Networked Programs (AIM)

 HTTP, Telnet, FTP


Two Main Protocols (Internet)
 UDP (User Datagram Protocol)
 Fast, bare-bones, not reliable or friendly
 Can lose data at any time
 TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)
 Slower, many features, very reliable
 All data will get to the other side
PCAttcp
 Measuring tool for TCP and UDP
 Speed,Throughput, Time
 Amount of Data Sent vs. Amount Received
Our PCAttcp Controller
 Enhanced UDP transfers
 Automated the entire process
 Created an easy way to compile results
and graphs using a spreadsheet for output
 Ran tests on various types of connections
The End!
 Thoughts or
questions?
References
 http://www.howstuffworks.com/wireless-networ
k.htm
 http://www.80211-planet.com/columns/article/0
,4000,1781_961181,00.html
 http://www.80211-planet.com/columns/article/0
,4000,1781_947661,00.html

 http://www.pcausa.com
Different PCATTCP Trials
Same LAN (inside
Clarkson)

Same Host Same Switch


(same computer) (same lab)

LAN to
LAN to Internet (Clarkson LAN
to a Roadrunner service) (Clarkson
to SUNY
Potsdam)

Note: LAN stands for “Local Area Network”


Bluetooth (cont)
 spread-spectrum frequency hopping – a
device will use 79 individual, randomly
chosen frequencies within a designated
range, changing from one to another on a
regular basis
 When two Bluetooth devices come in contact
with each other, they automatically conversate
and form a personal-area network (PAN)
Spread spectrum
 Spread-spectrum – data is sent in small
pieces over a number of discrete
frequencies available for use at any time
in the specified range
Frequency-hopping spread
spectrum
 send a short burst of data, shift frequencies
(hop) and then send another short burst
 Since the FHSS devices that are communicating
agree on which frequencies to hop to, and use
each frequency for a brief period of time (less
than 400 milliseconds) before moving on,
several independent FHSS networks can exist in
the same physical area without interfering with
each other
Direct-sequence spread
spectrum
 splitting each byte of data into several
parts and sending them concurrently on
different frequencies
 DSSS uses a lot of the available
bandwidth, about 22 megahertz (MHz).
The Basics
 4 different types of wireless networks
 IrDA (Infrared Data Association)
 Bluetooth
 HomeRF (SWAP)
 “Shared Wireless Access Protocol”
 WECA (Wi-Fi)
 “Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance”
IrDA (Infrared Data Association)
 Uses beams of light in the infrared spectrum
 Remote controls
 Fairly reliable and low-cost
 Drawback: It is a “line-of-sight” technology
 less interference
 Drawback: “one-to-one” technology
 You can send data only between two things at
once (but increased security?)
Bluetooth
 The magic number: 2.45 gigahertz
 Radio-frequency also used by baby monitors,
garage door openers, and cordless phones
 How do you avoid interference?
 Bluetooth sends weak signals of 1 milliwatt
 Powerful cell phones use 3 watts
 Bluetooth devices limited to 10 meters
 But they can go through walls better than others
HomeRF (SWAP)
 Shared Wireless Access Protocol (SWAP)
 Developed by an alliance of businesses
6 voice channels and one data channel
 The data channel is the 802.11 wireless-Ethernet
specification by the IEEE
 One drawback: SWAP can only be used
with computers
 Printers
and such need to be attached to a
computer and used as a resource
HomeRF (SWAP)
 Advantages:
 Cheap, easy-to-install
 Allows multiple-networks in the same location
 Can encrypt data
 Drawbacks:
 Not very fast (typically limited to 1 Mbps)
 Limited Range (75 to 125 ft)
 Physical obstructions (walls, large metal objects) cause huge
interference issues
 Difficult to integrate into existing wired networks

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