Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

Topic & Structure of the lesson

WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

WLAN Design Considerations Wireless Roaming

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Learning Outcomes
WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

At the end of this module, YOU should be able to:

Explain the important factors and requirements for designing WLANs.

Explain the issues and requirements to implement wireless roaming for WLANs.

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Key Terms you must be able to use

WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

If you have mastered this topic, you should be able to use the following terms correctly in your assignments and exams:

Access Points (AP) Stations Distribution System Wireless Medium BSS transition ESS transition SSID

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Main Teaching Points

WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

WLAN Design Considerations Wireless Roaming

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

WLAN Design Consideration

WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

Standards and Design

802.11 networks consist of four major physical components, which are summarized in the following figure:

The components are: Stations

Networks are built to transfer data between stations

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

WLAN Design Consideration

WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

Stations are computing devices with wireless network interfaces

There is no reason why stations must be portable computing devices, though

In some environments, wireless networking is used to avoid pulling new cable, and desktops are connected by wireless LANs

Large open areas may also benefit from wireless networking, such as a manufacturing floor using a wireless LAN to connect components

Access points

Frames on an 802.11 network must be converted to another type of frame for delivery to the rest of the world

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

WLAN Design Consideration

WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

Devices called access points perform the wireless-towired bridging function

Access points perform a number of other functions, but bridging is by far the most important

Initially, access point functions were put into standalone devices, though several newer products are dividing the 802.11 protocol between "thin" access points and AP controllers

Wireless medium To move frames from station to station, the standard uses a wireless medium

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

WLAN Design Consideration

WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

Several different physical layers are defined; the architecture allows multiple physical layers to be developed to support the 802.11 MAC

Distribution system When several access points are connected to form a large coverage area, they must communicate with each other to track the movements of mobile stations

The distribution system is the logical component of 802.11 used to forward frames to their destination

802.11 does not specify any particular technology for the distribution system

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

WLAN Design Consideration

WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)
In

most commercial products, the distribution system is implemented as a combination of a bridging engine and a distribution system medium which is the backbone network used to relay frames between access points; it is often called simply the backbone network

In nearly all commercially successful products, Ethernet is used as the backbone network technology

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Wireless Roaming
WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

Introduction

Mobility is usually the primary motivation for deploying an 802.11 network

Transmitting data frames while the station is moving will do for data communications what mobile telephony did for voice

802.11 provides mobility between basic service areas at the link layer

However, it is not aware of anything that happens above the link layer

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Wireless Roaming
WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

When designing and deploying 802.11, network engineers must take care so that the seamless transition at the radio layer is also supported at the network protocol layer that the station IP address can be preserved

As far as 802.11 is concerned, there are three types of transitions between access points:

No transition

When stations do not move out of their current access point's service area, no transition is necessary

This state occurs because the station is not moving or it is moving within the basic service area of its current access point

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Wireless Roaming
WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

BSS transition

Stations continuously monitor the signal strength and quality from all access points administratively assigned to cover an extended service area Within an extended service area, 802.11 provides MAC layer mobility Stations attached to the distribution system can send out frames addressed to the MAC address of a mobile station and let the access points handle the final hop to the mobile station Distribution system stations do not need to be aware of a mobile station's location as long as it is within the same extended service area

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Wireless Roaming
WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

The following figure illustrates a BSS transition:

BSS transition

The three access points in the picture are all assigned to the same ESS At the outset, denoted by t=1, the laptop with an 802.11 network card is sitting within AP1's basic service area and is associated with AP1

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Wireless Roaming
WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

When the laptop moves out of AP1's basic service area and into AP2's at t=2, a BSS transition occurs The mobile station uses the re-association service to associate with AP2, which then starts sending frames to the mobile station BSS transitions require the cooperation of access points. In this scenario, AP2 needs to inform AP1 that the mobile station is now associated with AP2 802.11 does not specify the details of the communications between access points during BSS transitions

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Wireless Roaming
WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

Note that even though two access points are members of the same extended set, they may nonetheless be connected by a router, which is a layer 3 boundary In such a scenario, there is no way to guarantee seamless connectivity using 802.11 protocols only

ESS transition An ESS transition refers to the movement from one ESS to a second distinct ESS 802.11 does not support this type of transition, except to allow the station to associate with an access point in the second ESS once it leaves the first

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Wireless Roaming
WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

Higher-layer connections are almost guaranteed to be interrupted.

It would be fair to say that 802.11 supports ESS transitions only to the extent that it is relatively easy to attempt associating with an access point in the new extended service area Maintaining higher-level connections requires support from the protocol suites in question

The following figure shows an ESS transition:

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Wireless Roaming
WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)
ESS transition

Four basic service areas are organized into two extended service areas Seamless transitions from the lefthand ESS to the righthand ESS are not supported ESS transitions are supported only because the mobile station will quickly associate with an access point in the second ESS

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Wireless Roaming
WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

Designing networks for mobility

Most networks are designed so that a group of access points provides access to a group of resources All the access points under control of the networking organization are assigned to the same SSID, and clients are configured to use that SSID when connecting to the wireless network As client systems move around, they continuously monitor network connectivity, and shift between access points in the same SSID

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Wireless Roaming
WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

802.11 ensures that clients will be able to move associations between the access points in the same SSID, but network architects must build the network to support mobile clients Small networks are often built on a single VLAN with a single subnet, in which case there is no need to worry about mobility Larger networks that span subnet boundaries must apply some additional technology to provide mobility support

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Follow Up Assignment
WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Summary of Main Teaching Points

WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Question and Answer Session

WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

Q&A
CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure

Next Session
WLAN System Architecture and Design (I)

Topic and Structure of next session

Wireless Interference Interoperability and WLAN Backbones

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Computer Network Infrastructure