802.11
Wireless Setup Modes
Ad hoc
point-to-point network
system connects directly to another system
Infrastructure
Use an Access Point (AP) to funnel all wireless connections through
Wireless devices are usually on completely different subnets than wired clients
Client needs to associate with an AP and then disassociate when it moves to the next one
Wireless Terms
Basic Service Area (BSA) - The footprint when you have a single access point
Basic Service Set (BSS) - Communication between a single AP and its client
Extended Service Set (ESS) - Extend the range of your network by adding multiple access points
Roaming - Movement across multiple APs within a single ESS
BSSID - The MAC address of the wireless access point that is at the center of your BSS
Association - action of a client connecting to an AP
Authentication - actually identifies the client before it can access anything on the network
Wireless Standards
802.11a
54
5
OFDM
802.11b
11
2.4
DSSS
802.11d
Variation of a and b standards for global use
802.11e
QoS initiative providing guidance for data and voice prioritization
802.11g
54
2.4
OFDM and DSSS
802.11i
WPA/WPA2 encryption standards
802.11n
100+
2.4-5
OFDM
802.11ac
1000
5
QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation)
Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM)
Several waveforms simultaneously carry messages back and forth
Transmission media is divided into a series of frequency bands that don't overlap each other
Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)
Combines all the available waveforms into a single purpose
Entire frequency bandwidth can be used at once for the delivery of a message
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