Wireless Networking Technologies

This assignment delves into the world of wireless networking technologies. It examines cellular networks (GSM), Wi-Fi standards (802.11a/b/i), and Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMAN). The document explores each technology's functionalities, band range, security protocols, and real-world applications. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how these technologies enable wireless communication in our daily lives.

Running head: WIRELESS NETWORKS
Assignment
[Student Name Here]
[Institution’s Name Here]
[Professor’s Name Here]
[Date Here]

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Question 1
The IEEE 802.11b outlines a wireless Local area network standard that defines both the MAC
and physical layers of wireless communication within the range of 300 meters. Now, its physical
layer unlike its counterpart IEEE 802.11a compromises of the following features and attributes:
 First, the 802.11b operates within the ISM frequency range which is outlined to start at
2.4GHz and end at 2.4835GHz in the US (Geier, 2003). In some countries, this range
does change e.g. in Europe and Japan where it’s defined as 2.471 to 2.497 GHz.
 Secondly, its operational frequency bands are split into 14 partial channels that
continuously overlap having a width of 22MHz. Now, devices having the same basic
service set (BSS) operate within the same channel.
 The chip rate of the radio interfaces is 11MHz having different transmission rates (1, 2,
5.5 and 11).
 Finally, the transmission rates are supported by direct sequence spread spectrum and the
complementary code key modulation (Koivisto, 2006).
IEEE 802.11a
First and foremost, this standard uses the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing technique
to facilitate its operations, which includes a data rate of 54Mbps and a frequency band of 5GHz.
The standard also defines the operations of WLAN having several improvements as compared to
the original standard. Below are its physical layer attributes as compared to 802.11b:
 First, OFDM is used which is not a spread spectrum multiplexing technique (Geier,
802.11a Physical Layer Revealed, 2003).

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 OFDM divides the communication signal into 48 different subsections across a 20MHz
channels.
 It has a data rate of 6, 12 and 24 Mbps
 Furthermore, it uses different modulation techniques depending on the data rate e.g. the
binary phase shift keying for 6Mbps and quadrature amplitude modulation for 54 Mbps
(Geier, 802.11a Physical Layer Revealed, 2003).
Key differences
802.11a 802.11b
OFDM technique Spread spectrum
Data rates of 6, 12 and 24 Mbps Based on the chip rates; 1, 2, 5.5 and 11 Mbps
data rates
Different modulation techniques are used;
BPSK and QAM.
Spread spectrum and complementary code
key
Question 2
a. 802.11i is an advancement of the original 802.11 standard that addresses the security
shortcomings of WPA. Its authentication process incorporates WPA with WPA2 and AES
encryption. Moreover, it introduces the structures of robust security network where a four-way
handshake is used with a group key handshake. Furthermore, the extensible authentication
protocol (EAP) is used as the defining protocol for the standard. This outline defines the
authentication of a client to a server (Latour, 2012).
In all, the authentication process involves three elements supplicant (device requiring
authentication, client), the authentication server and authenticator (relay agent).

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Process:
 The client sends an EAP start notification message.
 Secondly, the access point then sends an EAP request message to identify itself.
 Client EAP response is followed as it is ‘proxied’ to both authenticator and the server.
 Thereafter, the server challenges the identity of the client and so does the client which
checks the server’s credentials.
 Server accepts or reject client request for a connection.
 If accepted the virtual port is changed to authorized state and at the end, its changed back
to unauthorized state (Latour, 2012).
b. VPNs are private networks that use public connections/channels to establish communication
between two parties. VPNs can be generally classified into two methods based on their usage to
establish encrypted connections, they are; remote access where parties connect to LANs from
remote locations and, site to site VPNs where large-scale encryption methods are used to
establish point to point connections through the internet (Cisco, 2008).
Now, during the encryption process, a set of keys are used to authenticate the users and they can
be either symmetrical keys (shared) or public keys (public-private). Moreover, the encryption is
supported by various protocols including IPsec and GRE (generic routing encapsulation. In all
this encryption facilitates safe transmission of data across public mediums which improves their
efficiency and convenience.
Question 3
WMAN (Wireless Metropolitan Area Network) technologies

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WMAN allows users to establish wireless networks across different locations at minimal costs as
they do not need to implement the physical infrastructures of wired networks such as fibre and
copper cabling. Furthermore, the technology does also serve as a backup to wired connections in
case they fail during operations. In terms of operation, WMAN uses either infrared lights or
radio waves to propagate information (UOM, 2005).
WMAN technologies
In this case, we analyze three different standards for the case study at hand where 40 employees
are considered while having 400 daily customer services and at the end, the 802.16 standards are
chosen as the best choice. The three standards are:
 HiperMAN
 HiperACCESS
 802.16 wireless MAN standard.
HiperACCESS: an interoperable technology that provides broadband connections to medium-
sized enterprises. Moreover, the technology also offers backhaul services for mobile systems
needed by businesses such as GSM and GPRS. It’s also a convenient substitute for wired
broadband connections as it offers high data rates of about 100 Mbit/sec. Furthermore, its target
frequency band ranges between 40.5 GHz and 43.5 GHz which offers a wider service area. In
terms of the cost, the technology does offer a convenient compromise to wired structure although
additional techniques and resources are needed for low-frequency operations (WMICH, 2015).
HiperMAN: a standard that is designed to offer broadband wireless access while operating
within the radio frequencies of 2 and 11 GHz which boost its operations for low laying
frequencies. Moreover, it operates with almost the same data rate as the HiperACCESS

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technology however, its practical application can only extend as much as 25 Mbit/sec.
Nevertheless, its services are optimized by point to multipoint configurations (PMP) which
improves its air interface, an outcome that facilitates mesh network applications. Furthermore, its
cost is radically reduced because it does not require any additional features to meet its QoS quota
or any other system metrics (works, 2017).
Chosen technology for the case study
802.16: Defined as an industrial standard, the IEEE 802.16 standard was created in 2002 to offer
the conveniences of metropolitan connection under wireless networks. Its application addresses
both the requirements of last and first-mile connection having an effective bandwidth of either 10
GHz or 66 GHz. Moreover, it supplements its functionalities by incorporating the needs for low-
frequency operation where bands ranging between 2 and 11 GHz are supported. Furthermore, it
defines an innovative medium access control (MAC) layer that supports various physical layers
that can be customized to fit the frequency needs of the users (IEEE, 2016). In terms of the data
rate, the 802.16 standard offers extensive data rate ranging from 100 Mbit/sec to 1 Gbit/s. This
outcome increases its service area beyond that of the other WMAN technologies. In addition to
this, this technology offers the best cost to functionality ratio having the best data rate, speeds
and channels for communication, a convenient solution for the case study at hand.
Question 4
Multiple access technologies
Time division multiple access (TDMA): a transmission technique that maximizes the bandwidth
of wireless communication by allocating different signals channels based on a timing schematic.

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In essence, a single communication channel (frequency) will be split between two different users
using time slots. Furthermore, each cellular slot is divided into three division which increases the
bandwidth and therefore the data transferred (point, 2017).
Abilities and features:
 Transmits data and voice.
 Carries content of between 64 kbps and 120 Mbps data rate.
 It's based on time.
 Extends battery life as it based on the immediate needs of the user.
 Cost effective for analogue to digital conversion.
Code division multiple access (CDMA): another wireless communication technique that
maximizes the bandwidth of transmission. It carries out its functionalities based on the spread
spectrum technique where resources diverge over a wide area. Moreover, unlike other
multiplexing techniques, it does not assign frequency slots which enables all signals to use the
entire bandwidth during transmission. Nevertheless, CDMA uses pseudopods to encode data and
to distinguish it during transmission (point, 2017). This outcome increases the capacity of
transmission which is suitable for modern mobile systems.
Abilities and features:
 Uses pseudo codes without any form of allocation.
 Suitable for both data and voice transmission.
 It has very large capacities for data transmission.
Global system for mobile communications (GSM): A digital and cellular technology that is used
to transmit information via wireless systems. Moreover, GSM is defined as an open technology

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that is used to transmit both voice and data across mobile systems. This technology greatly
differs from first-generation mobile technologies such as TDMA as it’s a circuit switched
technology which means it requires to establish a connection before transmission. Furthermore, it
also divides the 200 kHz communication channel into 8 different 25 kHz slots. Finally, its
operations range between the 900 MHz and 1.9GHz band range across the globe (Education,
2012).
Abilities and features:
 Transmits both data and voice.
 Circuit-switched technology.
 Wider band range.
References
Cisco. (2008). How Virtual Private Networks Work. Retrieved 26 September, 2017, from:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/security-vpn/ipsec-negotiation-ike-
protocols/14106-how-vpn-works.html.

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Education, C. (2012). GSM Tutorial. Retrieved 26 September, 2017, from:
http://ecee.colorado.edu/~ecen4242/gsm/index.htm.
Geier, J. (2003). 802.11a Physical Layer Revealed. Wi-Fi planet, Retrieved 26 Sepember, 2017,
from:www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/2109881/80211a-Physical-Layer-
gra.htm.
Geier, J. (2003). 802.11b Physical Layer Revealed. Wi-Fi Planet, Retrieved 26 September, 2017,
from: http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/2107261/80211b-Physical-Layer-
Revealed.htm.
IEEE. (2016). The IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access Standards.
WirelessMAN® standards for Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks, Retrieved 26
September, 2017, from: http://www.ieee802.org/16/.
Koivisto, T. (2006). Overview of IEEE 802.11b Wireless LAN. S-72.4210 Postgraduate course
in Radio Communication, Retrieved 26 September, 2017, from:
http://www.comlab.hut.fi/opetus/4210/presentations/8_wlan.pdf.
Latour, L. (2012). 802.11i, Authentication and You. CISCO, Retrieved 26 September, 2017,
from; https://supportforums.cisco.com/t5/wireless-mobility-blogs/802-11i-authentication-
and-you/ba-p/3104143.
point, T. (2017). TDMA & CDMA Technologies. TP, Retrieved 26 September, 2017, from:
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/gsm/tdma_and_cdma.htm.
UOM. (2005). What is WMAN? WMAN, Retrieved 26 September, 2017, from:
https://web.mst.edu/~mobildat/WMAN/index.html.
WMICH. (2015). WPAN, WLAN, WMAN. Retrieved 26 September, 2017, from;
ttps://cs.wmich.edu/alfuqaha/Fall11/cs6570/lectures/Bluetooth-ZigBee.pdf.
works, E. (2017). WMAN - Outdoor Long Range Wireless Solutions. Embedded works,
Retrieved 26 September, 2017, from: http://www.embeddedworks.net/wman.html.