Wireless Networking

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Chapter Objectives

Identify wireless networking Compare wireless and wired network Explain the different wireless standards List the components required for wireless networking Discuss the various applications of wireless networking Troubleshoot wireless network problems

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Recall

Structured Cabling is a set of standards that determine how to create a central point to start the wiring for data or voice communications The subsystems of structured cabling systems:

Entrance Facilities Equipment Room Telecommunications Room Backbone Cabling Horizontal Cabling Administration and Work Area

Conduits are plastic pipes that run through wall plate to wiring closet and between the wiring closets
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Wireless Networking Basics

Wireless networking allows you to establish:

Communication using standard network protocols Communication without the use of cables Technologies used for wireless access based on

Wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) Home Radio Frequency (HomeRF)

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Types of Wireless Network I

Peer-to-Peer(P2P) or Ad-Hoc

Connected wirelessly with the use of wireless Network Interface Card (NIC) Computers can access printers and share files Wired LAN can be accessed using bridging

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Types of Wireless Network II

Access point or Infrastructure wireless LAN Wireless device connects to the access point to connect to the network Access point acts as a hub to connect two wireless devices Wireless bridge used to connect wireless network to wired network
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Wireless Standards

Variety of standards accepted worldwide and offer different levels of security

Wireless Standards

IEEE 802.11

Bluetooth

IrDA

HomeRF

WiMAX

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IEEE 802.11 I

Developed by Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) for defining different aspects of Radio Frequency Wireless networking
IEEE 802.11 Standards

802.11

802.11a

802.11b

802.11g

802.11n

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IEEE 802.11 II
Standard 802.11 802.11a 802.11b Data Rate 2Mbps 54Mbps 11Mbps Max range 46 meter 46 meter 91 meter Frequency 2.4 GHz 5 GHz 2.4 GHz Compatibility 802.11 802.11a 802.11b

802.11g

54Mbps

91 meter

2.4 GHz

802.11b, 802.11g

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IEEE 802.11 III

Security

Four methods of wireless network security: Data encryption (WEP and WPA) Port based access control Service Set Identifier (SSID) Media Access Control (MAC) address filtering

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Components Requirements

The important components required for setting up a wireless network are:

Medium Access point and Extension point Wireless bridges and Power line bridges Antennas Wireless adapters Wireless Station and Server Software

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Medium

Wireless medium is an unguided form of networking medium Wireless transmission involves use of technologies such as Bluetooth, Infrared, Lasers, Radio signals and Microwave technologies Mobile computing allows users to do their work at any location

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Access Point and Extension Point

Access Point

Device that bridges a wireless connection and a wired connection Two types of access points: Hardware access points and Software access points
Used if single access point is not able to cover entire area

Extension Point

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Hardware Access Points

Hardware access point is a physical device that is used to establish a connection between a wired network and a wireless network

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Software Access Points

Software Access Points are computer which includes a wireless network interface card.

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Extension Point

Extension points are used if a single access point is not able to cover the entire area.

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Wireless and Power-line bridges

Wireless bridge

Power-line bridge

Used to connect two or more wireless networks

Used to penetrate a wireless network that is otherwise difficult to penetrate

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Antennas and Adapters

Antennas are used to increase the range of wireless network Types of antennas used:

Omnidirectional antennas - Used indoors and small in size Directional antennas - High gain and used for long range outdoor use

Wireless adapters help to connect computer or PDA to a network Wireless adapters are available as PC cards, PCI and mini PCI, USB, and CompactFlash.

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Wireless Station and Server

Wireless Local Area Network consists of wireless station and wireless server Wireless station - Connects wireless network into a wireless medium
Wireless Stations

Wireless Clients

Access Points

Wireless server The main server which controls all devices within the wireless network
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Software

Wireless network adapter requires two types of software so as to function properly:

Driver Configuration Utility

Windows XP has built-in tools for configuring network adapter settings

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Case Study 1
Hyderabad branch of MoneyMaker bank has a wireless network setup in the whole office. Network administrator Smith identifies that the signal strength in the insurance department is slightly weak as compared to other parts of the office. It provides poor connectivity to the wireless devices present in that department.

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Problem

Signal strength is slightly weak

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Suggested Solution

Access point is away from the insurance department. Smith can connect an extension point to the existing access point to increase the range of the wireless network. If the problem still exists then add an access point.

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Application

Common applications of wireless technologies:

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (WMAN) Mobile Computing

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Troubleshooting I

Wire and Wireless Adapter

Software Troubleshooting - Wireless adapter configuration utility and wireless APs firmware version

Driver Compatibility Low signal strength Can be solved with:

Interference Installing repeater Changing Antenna Installing Window XP Service Pack 2

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Troubleshooting II

Network settings Common network setting problems are:

SSID setting DHCP Addresses Encryption Keys MAC Address Filters

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Case Study 2

The MoneyMaker banks Hyderabad branch office has setup a wireless network. The network engineer Smith receives complains about slow connectivity from an employee whose computer is located slightly far away from the access point.

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Problem

Low signal strength

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Suggested Solution
Smith should try placing the access point at a central location far away from physical obstructions and mirrors. He can also change the position of the antenna sideways or downwards just to check if there is better reception. He can also replace the antenna with a high gain antenna or install a repeater to troubleshoot the problem if there is no success in the previous solution.

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Summary I

Peer-to-peer and ad-hoc access point wireless LAN are types of wireless networks 802.11 is a standard which was developed by Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) for defining all aspects of Radio Frequency Wireless networking IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g and IEEE 802.11n are the different IEEE 802.11 standards Methods of wireless network security are Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), Service Set Identifier (SSID), Media Access Control (MAC) address filtering and Port Based Access Control: 802.1x

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Summary II

Bluetooth is a radio standard and communication protocol with low power consumption and short range of transmission and reception Bluetooth 1.0 and 1.0B, Bluetooth 1.1, Bluetooth 1.2, and Bluetooth 2.0 are the different Bluetooth standards Bluetooth devices operate in a master/slave scheme where in the master device can controls up to seven active slave devices The Bluetooth devices go through four different stages before starting a communication: device discovery, name discovery, association and service discovery The various services that are supported by Bluetooth are known as profiles and there are 13 Bluetooth services

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Summary III

IrDA is the example of free space optical communication over a short range IrPHY, IrLAP, IrLMP, Tiny TP, IrCOMM, IrOBEX, and IrLAN are the different layers of IrDA specifications In Infrared the two devices must be configured in an ad-hoc mode thereby making it more vulnerable to interference Infrastructure mode is not available in infrared communication Security features like encryption and decryption are not available in IrDA Microwave and Radio Frequency (RF) are the medium for wireless networking
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Summary IV

Hardware access points and Software access points are the two types of access points Wireless bridge is used to connect two or more wireless or wired networks Antennas are used to increase the range of the wireless network Wireless adapter card helps to connect the computer or a laptop to a wireless network Devices that can connect to the wireless network through a wireless medium are known as Wireless stations Wireless server is the main server that is connected to the wired network
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