Wireless Networking

Is a wireless NIC in an end device such as a laptop or wireless PDA. This often refers to the device itself, not just the NIC.

• Station (STA)

• Access Point (AP)

• Distribution System (DS)

• Ad Hoc

Is the device that coordinates all communications between wireless devices, as well as the connection to the wired network.

• Station (STA)

• Access Point (AP)

• Distribution System (DS)

• Ad Hoc

The LAN that connects multiple APs (and BSSs) together. This allows wireless clients to communicate with the wired network and with wireless clients in other cells.

• Station (STA)

• Access Point (AP)

• Distribution System (DS)

• Ad Hoc

A wireless network that works in peer-to-peer mode without an access point. The wireless NICs in each host communicate directly with one another.

• Station (STA)

• Access Point (AP)

• Distribution System (DS)

• Ad Hoc

This is the smallest unit of a wireless network. All devices on this can communicate with each other. It is also called a cell.

• Basic Service Set (BSS)

• Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS)

• Extended Service Set (ESS)

• Service Set Identifier (SSID)

This is a set of stations (STAs) configured in ad hoc mode.

• Basic Service Set (BSS)

• Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS)

• Extended Service Set (ESS)

• Service Set Identifier (SSID)

This consists of multiple BSSs with a distribution system (DS), in this BSSs that have an overlapping transmission range use different frequencies.

• Basic Service Set (BSS)

• Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS)

• Extended Service Set (ESS)

• Service Set Identifier (SSID)

A case-sensitive name that specifies a service set (network) to which a wireless device can join or connect to.

• Basic Service Set (BSS)

• Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS)

• Extended Service Set (ESS)

• Service Set Identifier (SSID)

Transfers data over a radio signal by switching channels at random within a larger frequency band.

This allows the data stream to be more unpredictable from outside the network, making it harder to intercept and eavesdrop on.

Since it uses multiple channels, it can avoid interference if certain channels are blocked within that frequency.

• Frequency hopping spread spectrum(FHSS)

• Direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS)

• Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)

Makes the transmitted bandwidth signal wider than the data stream needs. This does this by dividing the data into smaller data chips and then encoding them with extra binary bits. This causes the bandwidth to be larger.

Each chip is transmitted on different predetermined frequencies from the sender. The receiver must know the sequence in order to reassemble the data correctly.

• Frequency hopping spread spectrum(FHSS)

• Direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS)

• Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)