Understanding Network Basics: Wireless Technologies

Module 9 wireless technologies
Understanding Network Basics
Wireless Technologies
Module 9 Wireless Technologies
Overview
Wireless access methods became popular and were developed as a result of the efforts of several organizations. A number of wireless technologies are available these days on the market. The most commonly used wireless standard is the one developed by IEEE and is known as IEEE 802.11. This module deals with this wireless standard. Bluetooth is a mobile wireless networking standard that uses FHSS (frequency hopping spread spectrum) RF signaling in the 2.4-GHz band and was originally developed by Ericsson. A brief idea about the Bluetooth standard and Infrared technology is covered in this module. In wireless networks, you must take into account many kinds of RF interference during implementation and management of a wireless LAN. This module also deals with the different types of interferences, and how to locate and work around these types of interferences.
Module 9 Wireless Technologies
Lessons covered in this module wireless services
Lesson 9.1 Wireless Services
Introduction
Wireless Local Area Networks are implemented as an extension to wired LANs within a building and can provide the connectivity between a wired network and the mobile user. WLANs are basically based on the IEEE 802.11 standard. There are numerous applications for all the different wireless technologies which are implemented with respect to the environmental factors.
Lesson 9.1 Wireless Services
Topics covered in this lesson are
IEEE Standards Infrared Bluetooth Interference Antenna Environment Factors
Topic1 IEEE Standards

IEEE Standards
IEEE is an organization composed of engineers, scientists, and students. The IEEE is best known for developing standards for the computer and electronics industry. The IEEE 802 standards for local-area networks are widely followed. 802.11
The 802.11 wireless standards first appeared in the 1990s and was developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for wireless LAN technology. IEEE 802.11 is one of two standards which describe the operation of frequency hopping wireless LAN systems. The 802.11 standards specify an overthe-air interface between a wireless client and a base station or between two wireless clients.
802.11x
802.11x refers to a group of evolving wireless local area network (WLAN) standards that are under development as elements of the IEEE 802.11 family of specifications, but that have not yet been formally approved or deployed.
Topic 2 Infrared
Infrared technology allows computing devices to communicate via short-range of wireless signals. Using this technology, computers can transfer files and other digital data bi-directional. Infrared technology uses the invisible portion of the light spectrum with wavelengths less than those of red light. These frequencies are very high offering a fine data transfer rates. Infrared transmissions offer potential for high speed data transfer but are limited by inability to penetrate walls and floors. This device is generally mounted on the ceiling or high in a corner to reduce the possible obstacles. These systems also use a process called diffusion to send the signal in a wide path across a room thus reducing the cause for obstacle. Networks may use two types of infrared transmission

Direct Indirect
Topic2 Infrared
Direct infrared transmission
The direct infrared signals depend on the atmospheric path between the two systems in order to transmit the data. When signals are limited to a specific pathway, they become difficult to intercept. Currently, the direct infrared transmission is most often used for communications between devices in the same room. Therefore, the direct infrared is considered to be more secure than many other transmission methods. The indirect infrared signals are not limited to a specific path and therefore, the signals tend to bounce the objects in their path.
Indirect infrared transmission
Topic3 Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a simple type of wireless personal area networking technology proposed by Ericsson in 1994. Bluetooth was basically designed to allow low bandwidth wireless connections for simple use. It is a specification for using low-power radio technology to link phones and computers over short distances without wires. The Bluetooth specification defines a uniform structure for a wide range of devices to connect and communicate with each other. Technical Characteristic of Bluetooth

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Worldwide usage Voice and data handling The ability to establish ad-hoc connections The ability to withstand interference from other sources in open band It is very small size, in order to accommodate integration into variety of devices Negligible power consumption in comparison to other devices for similar use An open interface standard Low cost When the interference increases the performance degradation is minimal and gradual, enabling the stable links to be maintained.
Topic 3 Bluetooth
Operation of Bluetooth
Bluetooth operates with the frequency of 2.4 GHz ISM band. The Bluetooth interface allows the transfer of voice with a speed of 64 Kbps. The data is transferred asymmetrically with 721 Kbps in one direction and 57.6 Kbps in another, and symmetrically at 432.6 Kbps. The transceiver, which has a frequency of 2.4 GHz, allows depending on the degree of capacity, the establishment of communication within a limit of 10 to 100 meters. Bluetooth devices operate in three power classes:
Class 1 - 1 mW Class 2 - 2.5 mW Class 3 - 100 mW
The implementation of Class 3 bluetooth device range is not readily available. Class 2 bluetooth devices have a maximum range of 10 meters. If the extended ranged is desired, the use of directional antennas is a possible solution, though most Bluetooth devices are mobile devices.
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Topic 3 Bluetooth
Applications of Bluetooth
Bluetooth is initially developed to communicate wirelessly with cellular phones, PDAs, and laptop computers. This simple technology with its ease of implementation makes it ideal for wireless communication across a diverse set of products in many industries. It is used to develop remote data acquisition and instrument control applications. Data synchronization is easier in Bluetooth enabled PDA, PC or laptop which helps to update the respective files. Bluetooth technology is designed and optimized for use in mobile devices. It uses Frequency Hop (FH) spread spectrum, which divides the frequency band into a number of hop channels. It is basically designed for both computing and communications applications, it is also designed to support high quality simultaneous voice and data, with robust data transfer rates of up to 721 Kbps.
Bluetooth Protocol Architecture
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Topic 3 Bluetooth
The Bluetooth protocol stack is designed to include the existing protocols like TCP, UDP, OBEX as well as Bluetooth specific protocols like Link Manager Protocol (LMP) and Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol (L2CAP). This protocol ensures the fine communications between the existing applications and hardware. Different applications function at the different protocol stacks, but the Bluetooth data link and physical layers are used.
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Topic 3 Bluetooth
The different protocol stacks are discussed as follows:
Radio
The Radio layer defines the requirements for a Bluetooth transceiver operating in the 2.4 GHz ISM band.
Baseband
The Baseband is the physical layer of the bluetooth. It is used as link controller which works with the link manager to create the link with other devices. This layer controls device addressing, channel control through inquiry and paging procedures, power saving operations and flow control to synchronize the transmission between different Bluetooth devices.
Link Manager Protocol (LMP)

The link manager protocol is responsible for link setup channels between Bluetooth devices after performing security methods like authentication and encryption by generating, exchanging and verifying linking and encryption keys and negotiating baseband packet size.
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Topic 3 Bluetooth
Host Controller Interface (HCI): The HCI layer allows the command line access to the Baseband Layer and LMP for control and to receive status information. It is made up of three parts:
The HCI firmware - It is part of the actual Bluetooth hardware The HCI driver It is found in the software of the Bluetooth device The Host Controller Transport Layer - connects the firmware to the driver
Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol (L2CAP)

This layer is provides data services to the upper layer protocols. The L2CAP plugs into the Baseband Layer and is located in the data link layer. It provides connection-oriented and connectionless data services to upper layer protocols. The data services provide four main tasks for L2CAP - protocol multiplexing, segmentation, reassembly operation, and group abstractions. The L2CAP spends a lot of time handling segmentation and reassembly tasks. L2CAP allows higher-level protocols and applications to send and receive data packets up to 64 kilobytes.
Cable Replacement Protocol (RFCOMM)

RFCOMM is a serial line emulation protocol. This protocol actually makes upper layer protocols think that they are communicating over a RS232 wired serial interface, so that there is no need for applications to know anything about Bluetooth.
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Topic 3 Bluetooth
Service Discovery Protocol (SDP)

The Service Discovery Protocol provides a means for applications to discover which services are provided by or available through a Bluetooth device. It also provides a way to detect the services available and allows applications to determine the characteristics of the available services.
Advantages
Mobile phone with the Bluetooth enabled can be used to connected PDA to the Internet Sending data over a modem Sending voice from a headset to a mobile phone
Disadvantages
It tends to completely disrupt other 2.4 GHz networks. The high hop rate of Bluetooth over the entire working 2.4 GHz band makes the Bluetooth signal appear to all other systems as all-band noise, or all band interference. Bluetooth also affects other FHSS systems, because it disrupts the signal over its entire range of useable frequencies, rendering the main signal useless.
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Topic 4 Interference
When two devices use the same frequency to communicate with each other in the
same area, it may become more difficult for one or both of them to communicate successfully. When a wireless card fails to communicate at top speed, it slows down until it can communicate with the access point at a slower speed. Therefore, there are types of interference to manage wireless LAN.
Types of Interference
Narrowband: Narrowband RF is basically the opposite of spread spectrum technology. Narrowband signals, depending on output power, frequency width in the spectrum, and consistency, can intermittently interrupt or even disrupt the RF signals emitted from a spread spectrum device such as an access point. All-band Interference: All-band interference is any signal that interferes with the RF band from one end of the radio spectrum to the other. All-band interference doesn't refer to interference only across the 2.4 GHz ISM band, but rather is the term used in any case where interference covers the entire range you're trying to use, regardless of frequency.
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Topic 5 Antenna
Antenna
Antennas are the basic element of the devices which make access points, bridges, pc cards and other wireless devices communicate. It is a device used to convert high frequency signals on a transmission line into propagated waves in the air. The electrical fields emitted from antennas are called beams or lobes. Antennas are most often used to increase the range of wireless LAN systems, but the proper choice of antenna can also enhance the security of your wireless LAN. The three general categories of antenna are: Omnidirectional antenna Semi-directional antenna Highly-directional antenna
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Topic 5 Antenna
Omni-directional/Dipole Antenna
Omni-directional antennas are the most common wireless LAN antennas. It has a radiation pattern that is donut shaped with the antenna at the center of the donut. When the antenna is oriented vertically, the signal coverage is equal in all directions in the horizontal plane. The dipole is an omnidirectional antenna, because it radiates its energy equally in all directions around its axis.
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Topic 5 Antenna
High-gain omni-directional antennas offer more horizontal coverage area, but the
vertical coverage area is reduced, as shown in the below figure.
Usage of Omni-directional antenna

It is used when coverage in all directions around the horizontal axis of the antenna is required. Omni-directional antennas are most effective where large coverage areas are needed around a central point. This antenna is commonly used for point-to-multipoint designs with a hub-nspoke topology.
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Topic 5 Antenna
Point-to-multipoint
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Topic 5 Antenna
Semi-directional Antenna
Semi-directional antennas are in many different styles and shapes. Some semi-directional antennas types which are frequently used with wireless LANs are Patch, Panel, and Yagi antennas. These antennas direct the energy from the transmitter significantly more in one particular direction rather than the pattern that is common with the omnidirectional antenna.
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Topic 5 Antenna
Uses of Semi-directional antenna
It is basically applicable for short and medium range bridging. Consider the two buildings that are across one another and need to share a network connection, semi-directional antennas would be the best choice to implement. In a large space, if the transmitter must be located in the corner or at the end of a building, a corridor, or a large room, a semi-directional antenna provides the proper coverage. The following figure illustrates a point-to-point link between two buildings using semi-directional antennas.
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Topic 5 Antenna
Highly-directional Antenna
Highly directional antennas emit the most narrow signal beam of any antenna type. These antennas are typically concave, dish-shaped devices. These antennas are ideal for long distance, point-to-point wireless links. Highly directional antennas have a very narrow beam width and must be accurately aimed at each other.
Use
High-directional antennas do not have a coverage area that client devices can use. These antennas are used for point-to-point communication links, and can transmit at a distance up to 25 miles. It also connects two buildings that are miles away from each other without any obstructions in their path. Also these antennas can be aimed directly at each other within a building in order to blast through an obstruction.
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Topic 6 Environmental Factors
The decrease of the damage of the range of a wireless LAN link is
mainly due to the unstable environment. There are various environmental factors of which some of them are as discussed as follows:
Whether Wind Lightning
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Topic 6 Environmental Factors
Weather
The whether condition is one of the important factor which affect the performance of a wireless LAN. In general, common weather occurrences like rain, hail, snow, or fog do not have an adverse affect on wireless LANs. However, extreme occurrences of wind, fog, and smog can cause degradation or even downtime of your wireless LAN. The wind factor also affects the implementation of a wireless LAN in a geographic location which may occur frequently. In such weather conditions, securing antennas, cables, and the like are all very important. Lightning can affect wireless LANs in two ways. First, lightning can strike either a wireless LAN component such as an antenna or it may strike a nearby object. Lightning strikes of nearby objects can damage your wireless LAN components as if these components are not protected by a lightning arrestor. Second, the lightning affects wireless LANs by charging the air through which the RF waves must travel after striking an object lying between the transmitter and receiver.
Wind
Lightning
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Summary

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) was found in 1884 and is best known for developing standards for the computer and electronics industry. Infrared technology allows computing devices to communicate via short-range of wireless signals. Bluetooth is a simple type of wireless personal area networking technology proposed by Ericsson in 1994. Narrowband, all-band, RF signal degradation, and adjacent and co-channel interference are the most common sources of RF interference that occur during implementation of a wireless LAN. Antennas are the basic element of the devices which make access points, bridges, pc cards and other wireless devices communicate. The three general categories of antenna are:
Omnidirectional antenna Semi-directional antenna Highly-directional antenna
There are various environmental factors of which some of them are as discussed as follows:
Whether Wind Lightning
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Module 9 wireless technologies