Wireless LAN Technology - Coursework Example

The IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN Technology (College) Introduction Wireless local area network also termed as WLAN is one of the most commonly used technologies in the contemporary society. This is because the IEEE 802.11, the WLAN and technologies associated to them allow high-speed wireless network access which is secured as well as accessing a network infrastructure through mobile connection [1]. The IEEE is responsible for the development of 802.11 family specifications for the WLAN technology. One of the greatest advancements that has been brought forth by the IEEE 802.11 standards if the advanced Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b) which has gained popularity amongst all WLAN users. The implementation of the IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN technology is based on a number of outstanding benefits, for instance, a wired infrastructure can be extended by a wireless connection [1]. Additionally, WLAN makes it easy for people to access the internet in public areas and also brings about convenience and efficiency in businesses where employees have to be mobile [1]. This study is a report of an investigation on the available 802.11 wireless LAN technology. It contains the results of a market survey undertakings and definition of practical experiments applicable in the investigation of the technology in question. Furthermore, the expected outcomes of the experiment are also included in the report. Basically, this study entails an extensive coverage of the IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN technology. WLAN Technology The IEEE 802.11 WLAN technology is a network access technology used in provision of connectivity between wireless points and wired infrastructures of a network. It is generally known as the Wi-Fi which is an aggregate of different technologies. Intel has been a prolific contributor to the IEEE 802.11 standards whose main work is centered on improving QoS, increasing transmission range as well as speeds, and adding new capabilities. The IEEE 802.11 WLAN technology is an extensive family made up of different technologies which are tied to a variety of protocols that have been emerging since the introduction of IEEE 802.11 in 1999 [2, 3]. The protocols include IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11e, IEEE 802.11i, IEEE 802.11u, IEEE 802.11w, IEEE 802.11s, IEEE 802.11ac, and IEEE 802.11ad [2]. One main difference between these standards is data rate [4]. Some IEEE 802.11 protocols are integrated into networking chipsets to form IEEE 802.11 WLAN technologies which are available for purchase. These protocols include IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11n, and IEEE 802.11g [2, 4]. Before purchasing any chipset, the technology beneath it must be examined. This involves examining their performance based on the IEEE 802.11 protocols integrated into them. The differences in the WLAN technologies can be categorized based on frequency, typical data rate, maximum data rate, and range. For instance, IEEE 802.11b was introduced in September 1999 and has a theoretical data rate of 11Mbps with a frequency of 2.4-GHz [2, 3]. IEEE 802.11g on the other hand was introduced in 2002 and is capable of supporting theoretical data rate of 54-Mbps and has a frequency of 2.4-GHz [2, 3]. Another technology involves IEEE 802.11a which is quite similar to the IEEE 802.11g except that it has a higher frequency range of 5-GHz. In all these technologies, the real data rate is one-half the theoretical when noise is factored out [2]. Similarity between IEEE 802.11b and IEEE 802.11g also exists. IEEE 802.11b and IEEE 802.11g are compatible because they use the same frequency band of 2.4-GHz. This is same frequency modulation encoding (DSSS), however, IEEE 802.11b employs CKK while IEEE 802.11g employs PBCC [6]. All this explain where it is unnecessary for a customer using IEEE 802.11b to upgrade to IEEE 802.11g if speed is none of their concerns. In terms of cost, IEEE 802.11b less costly compared to IEEE 802.11a [6]. IEEE 802.11g on the other hand is more costly than IEEE 802.11b but less costly compared to IEEE 802.11a [6]. This could be due to the higher frequency band of IEEE 802.11a. IEEE 802.11n happens to be one of the newest draft specification for WLAN technology [2, 5]. This means it is a lot much better than the other technologies in terms of performance and efficiency. It has a theoretical data rate of about 600Mbps while the actual rate ranges from 100 to 145Mbps [2]. It manages to support such high rates of data through multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology. In MIMO both the access point and mobile device contain multiple smart antennae which reduces frequencies and interference of signals. Furthermore, IEEE 802.11ac published in December 2013 is also a much better technological integration as it made up of more advanced MIMO techniques [2]. The table below can be used to compare the IEEE 802.11 WLAN technologies. It is courtesy of Badc0da [8]. Protocol Frequency Typical data rate Max data rate Range IEEE 802.11a 5 GHz 23 Mbit/s 54 Mbit/s 115 feet IEEE 802.11b 2.4 GHz 4.5 Mbit/s 11 Mbit/s 115 feet IEEE 802.11g 2.4 GHz 19 Mbit/s 54 Mbit/s 125 feet IEEE 802.11n 5 and/or 2.4 GHz 74Mbits/s 300 Mbit/s (2 streams) 230 feet Table 1: IEEE 802.11 standards WLAN technologies are typically used by organizations in creation of high speed wireless connections and linking of wired connections. In addition to that, the technologies are used to achieve temporary connections and provide solutions to hotspot connections in cafes, hotels, airports and similar locations. Two types of networks can be generated from the WLAN technology: the ‘ad-hoc’ and infrastructure networks [7]. The infrastructure networks purposes to provide a ‘hotspot’ in the office area. In this case, a WLAN device is installed instead of applying the wired connection system. This involves the use of WLAN equipment as a Wi-Fi modem. In order to configure the device so that effective performance is achieved there has to be a server and a base station. The server for the WLAN device is connected to a wired backbone then the resultant wireless network split into a number of cells. The cells are served by the base station which acts as an access point (AP) and are responsible for controlling the cells hence the term WAP. The other network is termed as Ad-Hoc. Ad-hoc results from linking of computers and peripherals. This is applicable when several people have to share data or a printer wirelessly so that their coming together results into an ad-hoc network. In this case no access point is necessary as users only need to communicate with one another without involving the larger connection. There is little to be configured in an ad-hoc network, users simply have to connect to the WLAN and find others then the sharing begins. Market Survey It was necessary to conduct a market survey so as to determine a combination of devices suitable for implementing WLAN technology. The functionality of WLAN is based on two main devices: access point and wireless bridge [9]. The two devices are further tied to a variety of devices that must be linked to them for functionality to be achieved. A WAP device enables other wireless devices to establish connections with wired devices through Wi-Fi connections. The traffic to and from the router is channeled by a wired connection between the router and a WAP device which creates a hotspot for wireless service provision. The bridging device on the other hand connects a variety of network segments. The devices necessary for creation of a WLAN do not have to be all wireless devices. The connection also involved wireless devices as a router which play backbone roles. The router in this case can also be a ‘wireless router’. Other devices applicable in the WLAN technology therefore include: cables, modems, adapters, wireless extenders and repeaters, Ethernet switches, cloud storage devices, firewalls, network testing tools, power distribution units, network transceivers, wireless dongles, servers and end devices at the hotspot. Evidently, the necessity of all these devices so as to establish a WAP for WLAN makes the infrastructure mode (AP) more expensive to set up compared to ad-hoc network [10]. An ad-hoc network only involves connections of end devices in the WLAN mainly for sharing purposes hence cheaper to set up. Not all the devices listed above can conform to the IEEE 802.11 standards because some of them must be wired to act as backbone devices for the WLAN. However, all the devices work hand in hand to support WLAN technologies. Without forgetting, mobile phones as smartphones and iPhones can also be used in the establishment of WLAN through creation of portable hotspots. As a result, they also qualify as WLAN technology devices. However, their range is quite limited and they can only support few users due to low band width. The table below summarizes devices, their manufactures, their retail output, price data rate and range of signal transmission. Device Manufacturer Retail Outlet Price in USD Data rate Range Site NETGEAR N900 Dual Band Wireless Gigabit Router (WNDR4500) (wireless router) Netgear Staples 99.99 450 Mbps High-range broadcasting ideal for medium to large houses [11] Cisco™ 867VAE Secure Router With VDSL2/ADSL2 Plus Over Pots (Ethernet router for backbone) Cisco Staples 385.59 24 Mbps 4 x 10Base-T [11] NETGEAR N300 WiFi USB Adapter (WNA3100) Netgear Staples 34.99 300 Mbps - [11] TP-LINK TL-WA701ND N150 Wireless Access Point/Repeater TB-Link Staples 19.99 150 Mbps 100M LAN ports [11] Linksys RE1000 Wireless-N Range Extender/Bridge Linksys Staples 39.99 Fe 10/100 Mbps - [11] D-Link 8-port Gigabit Desktop Switch (DGS-1008G) (Ethernet switch for backbone) D-Link Staples 39.99 8 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit ports Home [11] Apple® AirPort® Time Capsule® 2TB Apple Staples 299.00 Up to 3x faster Wi-Fi2 - [11] ARRIS / Motorola SURFboard DOCSIS 3.0 Wireless Cable Modem Gateway, SBG658 (modem) Motorola Staples 134.99 Up to 8x faster than a DOCSIS 2.0 modem - [11] Dell SonicWALL SRA 1600 VPN Gateway, Traditional IPsec, VPN peers Dell Staples 1195.19 - - [11] EP Memory Optics EX-SFP-1GE-LX-EP 1000BASE-LX SFP (mini-GBIC) Module For Juniper (Network transceiver) Juniper Networks Staples 51.29 1000 Mbps - [11] HTC Desire 616, Dual SIM, 4GB – White (for mobile phone hotspot) hTc JUMIA 200 - - [12] TP-Link TL-WN823N 300Mbps Mini Wireless N USB Adapter (Black) (wireless USB adapter) TP-Link Amazon 13.04 300 Mbps - [13] APC AP9211 Power Distribution Unit With AP9606 Card APC eBay 94.89 - - [14] Maxicom 20m Networking Ethernet LAN Cable (for connecting switch to AP) Maxicom Snapdeal 4.81 Cat 5e 20 m [15] Adaptec R6405 4 Port SATA3/SAS RAID PCIe Card (Raid controller card) PMC PLE Computers 685.00 4-4.8 Gbps - [16] EDIMAX HP-5103K AV500 Nano Power Line Adapter Kits (Power-line adapter) HP MSY 49.00 Powerline: 500Mbps (PHY rate) 300 m [17] Amped Wireless - High-Power 12dBi Omnidirectional Wi-Fi Antenna – Black (wi-fi antenna) Amped Wireless Best buy 34.99 - - [18] 2015 WIFI OBD2 ELM327 auto test tool support Apple phone wifi car electronics elm327 wifi iobd2 Support iPhone (network testing tool) Apple AliExpress 10 - - [19] Wireless Portable Printer Chinayicong Alibaba 2500-3800 - - [20] Lenovo ThinkStation P300 Tower Intel Core i7-4790 8GB 2TB Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (workstation) Lenovo Dabs 1205.44 - - [21] Table 2: Market Survey Experiments This section contains experimental report on data throughput between different WLAN devices and in an infrastructure network. Let us begin by data throughput of two wireless devices at a fixed distance. Let us take a wireless PC and a hard drive in the cloud to be the two devices. Conducting an upstream with 802.11g wireless doesn’t reach the maximum throughput of 54Mbps, instead its revolves around 25Mbps. This could be due to electromagnetic interference, other wi-fi, and radio waves. Substituting it with 802.11n wireless increases the throughput since 802.11n employs MIMO technology. The next experiment is on data throughput between two devices connected to an infrastructure network. Using two tablets in a hotspot might require a software to increase the throughput. Since the devices are closer to one another applying different IEEE 802.11 technologies will make unnoticeable difference since external factors won’t interfere too much. Therefore a software such as Feem Wi-Fi has to be installed on the two devices so as to achieve the maximum throughput of each IEEE 802.11 technology. This is because Feem transfers data direct without going through the internet [22]. The third experiment is on data throughput as a function of the number of devices simultaneously transmitting in an infrastructure network. In this case the throughput function is dependent on the level of IEEE 802.11 technology used. In the case of IEEE 802.11n technology in all the devices in the infrastructure network there will be a consistent high throughput of 600Mbps (max) and vice versa with IEEE 802.11b technology. However, having a mixture of 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, and 802.11n is only expected to bring about traffic collisions due to inconsistency in data rate (bandwidth) hence a much lower throughput. The final experiment is about data throughput between two devices as a function of distance/location within a building. Data throughput between two devices as a function of distance/location within a building. 802.11n covers a wider range, about twice the range of IEEE 802.11b. Therefore increasing the distance between devices with IEEE 802.11b with record a lower throughput compared to those with IEEE 802.11n. The increased distance will increase the effect of other factors as electromagnetic interference and effects of other devices within the building which disrupts waves hence lowering throughput. And as already discussed IEEE 802.11n and IEEE 802.11ac employ MIMO hence the devices that have been upgraded to these technologies will maintain a high throughput. Supposing the devices are further extended beyond their radius of data transmission so that they cannot reach one another data transfer can still be achieved when there are multiple Wi-Fi cells in the WLAN. However, a much lower throughput may be recorded. Conclusion This investigation has been an extensive coverage of the IEEE 802.11 WLAN technologies based on different IEEE 802.11 standards. The investigation has demystified the Wi-Fi concept and answered some of the question that are always asked and ambiguously answered by WLAN users based on WLAN performance. To be more succinct, this investigation has revealed the throughput, frequency and range of IEEE 802.11 WLAN technologies which include 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n. The technologies based on IEEE 802.11n and IEEE 802.11ac standards have been revealed as some of the latest and most efficient in setting up a WLAN. However, for parties where speed and time is not an issue they would like to factor in, upgrading to the latest IEEE 802.11 WLAN technologies would be of least significance to them. Therefore, this investigation can be used as a guide for make effective decisions when it comes to WLAN. The aims of this investigation have also been achieved since the available IEEE 802.11 WLAN technologies have been discovered and discussed. A market survey has also been conducted revealing most of the WLAN devices that can be accessed in the online market. Experiments reveals the expected results from experiments on a functional WLAN. Reference List [1] Microsoft. 2003, March 28. What Is 802.11 Wireless? TechNet Microsoft. [Online] Retrieved from: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc785885(v=ws.10).aspx [2] White, C. 2015. Data Communications and Computer Networks: A Business User’s Approach. Boston: Cengage Learning Publisher. [Online] Page 211 [3] Banerji, S. & Chowdhury, SR. 2013. On IEEE 802.11: Wireless LAN Technology. International Journal of Mobile Network Communications & Telematics (IJMNCT). Vol. 3, Issue. 4. [DOI: 10.5121/ijmnct.2013.3405] [Print] [4] TechTarget. 2008, September. 802.11 protocols. TechTarget. [Online] Retrieved from: http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/tutorial/80211-protocols [5] Broadcom. 2006, April 21. 802.11n: Next-Generation Wireless LAN Technology. Broadcom Corporation. 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[Online] Retrieved on August 17, 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.snapdeal.com/product/maxicom-20m-networking-ethernet-lan/864707536 [16] PLE. 1991-2013. Adaptec R6405 4 Port SATA3/SAS RAID PCIe Card. PLE Computers. [Online] Retrieved on August 17, 2015. Retrieved from: https://www.ple.com.au/ViewItem.aspx?InventoryItemId=608541 [17] MSY. 1997-2015. EDIMAX HP-5103K AV500 Nano Power Line Adapter Kits. MSY Technologies [Online]. Retrieved on August 17, 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.msy.com.au/peripherals/14261-edimax-hp-5103k-av500-nano-power-line-adapter-kits.html [18] Best Buy. 2015. Amped Wireless - High-Power 12dBi Omnidirectional Wi-Fi Antenna – Black. Bestbuy. [Online] Retrieved on August 17, 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/amped-wireless-high-power-12dbi-omnidirectional-wi-fi-antenna-black/4087739.p?id=1218454481889&skuId=4087739 [19] AliExpress. 2010-2015. 2015 WIFI OBD2 ELM327 auto test tool support Apple phone wifi car electronics elm327 wifi iobd2 Support iPhone. AliExpress. [Online] Retrieved on August 17, 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-shipping-WIFI-OBD2-ELM327-auto-test-tool-Apple-phone-support-wifi-car-electronics-elm327-wifi/546892278.html [20] Alibaba. 1999-2015. Wireless Portable Printer. Alibaba. [Online] Retrieved on August 17, 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Wireless-Portable-Printer_1411514813.html?spm=a2700.7735675.35.11.vZPxlf&s=p [21] Lenovo. 2015. Lenovo ThinkStation P300 Tower Intel Core i7-4790 8GB 2TB Windows 7 Professional 64-bit. Lenovo. Retrieved on August 17, 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.dabs.com/products/lenovo-thinkstation-p300-tower-intel-core-i7-4790-8gb-2tb-windows-7-professional-64-bit-9TK8.html?refs=4294953509&src=2 [22] Feem. 2015. Faster Transfers. Between Phones, Tablets and PCs. @Home Or @Work Zero Limits. Feem Wi-Fi. Retrieved from: http://www.tryfeem.com/ Read More