Types of Wireless Network Explained with Standards (computernetworkingnotes.

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Types of Wireless Network Explained with

Standards
This tutorial explains Wireless Network types (WLANS, WPANS, WMANS and WWANS)
and Wireless network terminology (Ad hoc mode, Infrastructure mode, BSS, ESS, BSA,
SSID, WEP, EAP, WPA, WPA2, Infrared, Bluetooth, FHSS, DSSS, FHSS, OFDM, MIMO, RF,
Omni directional, 802.11g, 802.11a and 802.11h ) in detail.

A wireless network enables people to communicate and access applications and

information without wires. This provides freedom of movement and the ability to extend
applications to different parts of a building, city, or nearly anywhere in the world.
Wireless networks allow people to interact with e-mail or browse the Internet from a
location that they prefer.

Many types of wireless communication systems exist, but a distinguishing attribute of a

wireless network is that communication takes place between computer devices. These
devices include personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptops, personal computers (PCs),
servers, and printers. Computer devices have processors, memory, and a means of
interfacing with a particular type of network. Traditional cell phones don't fall within the
definition of a computer device; however, newer phones and even audio headsets are
beginning to incorporate computing power and network adapters. Eventually, most
electronics will offer wireless network connections.

As with networks based on wire, or optical fiber, wireless networks convey information
between computer devices. The information can take the form of e-mail messages, web
pages, database records, streaming video or voice. In most cases, wireless networks
transfer data, such as e-mail messages and files, but advancements in the performance
of wireless networks is enabling support for video and voice communications as well.

Types of Wireless Networks

WLANS: Wireless Local Area Networks

WLANS allow users in a local area, such as a university campus or library, to form a
network or gain access to the internet. A temporary network can be formed by a small
number of users without the need of an access point; given that they do not need
access to network resources.
WPANS: Wireless Personal Area Networks

The two current technologies for wireless personal area networks are Infra Red (IR) and
Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15). These will allow the connectivity of personal devices within an
area of about 30 feet. However, IR requires a direct line of site and the range is less.

WMANS: Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks

This technology allows the connection of multiple networks in a metropolitan area such
as different buildings in a city, which can be an alternative or backup to laying copper or
fiber cabling.

WWANS: Wireless Wide Area Networks

These types of networks can be maintained over large areas, such as cities or countries,
via multiple satellite systems or antenna sites looked after by an ISP. These types of
systems are referred to as 2G (2nd Generation) systems.

Comparison of Wireless Network Types

Type Coverage Performance Standards

Wireless Within reach of a Moderate Wireless PAN Within reach of a person Moderate Bluetooth,
PAN person IEEE 802.15, and IrDa Cable replacement for peripherals
Wireless Within a building High IEEE 802.11, Wi-Fi, and HiperLAN
LAN or campus
Wireless Within a city High Proprietary, IEEE 802.16, and WIMAX
MAN
Wireless Worldwide Low CDPD and Cellular 2G, 2.5G, and 3G
WAN
Wireless Networking

Wireless networking is the new face of networking. Wireless networking have been
around for many years. Cell phones are also a type of wireless communication and are
popular today for people talking to each other worldwide.
Wireless networking are not only less expensive than more traditional wired
networking but also much easier to install. An important goal of this site is to provide
you adequate knowledge for installing a wireless network and get certified in wireless
networks as well as.
Perhaps you already useing wireless networking in your local coffee shop, at the airport,
or in hotel lobbies, and you want to set up a small office or home network. You already
know how great wireless networking is, so you want to enjoy the benefits where you live
and work. It is truly transformational to one's lifestyle to decouple computing from the
wires! If you are looking to set up a wireless network, you've come to the right place. We
will show you the best way to set up wirless network easily. Many people are looking to
find out how to use wireless networking at home.

In this wireless networking section we provides An Absolute Beginner's Guide in the

perfect format for easily learning what you need to know to get up to speed with
wireless network without wasting a lot of time.
The organization of this site, and the special elements that we have described in this
section will help you get the information you need quickly, accurately, and with clarity.
In this section you will find inspiration as well as practical information. we believe that
Wireless networks is a modest technology that has the power to have a huge and
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for? It's time to Go for wireless networking.
 Wireless Basic

Radio Frequency Transmission Factors

Radio frequencies (RF) are generated by antennas that propagate the waves into the air.
Antennas fall under two different categories:

directional and omni-directional.

Directional antennas are commonly used in point-to-point configurations (connecting

two distant buildings), and sometimes point-to-multipoint (connecting two WLANs).
An example of a directional antenna is a Yagi antenna: this antenna allows you to adjust
the direction and focus of the signal to intensify your range/reach.

Omni-directional antennas are used in point-to-multipoint configurations, where they

distribute the wireless signal to other computers or devices in your WLAN. An access
point would use an omni-directional antenna. These antennas can also be used for
point-to-point connections, but they lack the distance that directional antennas supply

Three main factors influence signal distortion:

 Absorption Objects that absorb the RF waves, such as walls, ceilings, and floors
 Scattering Objects that disperse the RF waves, such as rough plaster on a wall,
carpet on the floor, or drop-down ceiling tiles

 Reflection Objects that reflect the RF waves, such as metal and glass

Responsible body

The International Telecommunication Union-Radio Communication Sector (ITU-R) is

responsible for managing the radio frequency (RF) spectrum and satellite orbits for
wireless communications: its main purpose is to provide for cooperation and
coexistence of standards and implementations across country boundaries.

Two standards bodies are primarily responsible for implementing WLANs:

 IEEE defines the mechanical process of how WLANs are implemented in the
802.11 standards so that vendors can create compatible products.
 The Wi-Fi Alliancebasically certifies companies by ensuring that their products
follow the 802.11 standards, thus allowing customers to buy WLAN products from
different vendors without having to be concerned about any compatibility issues.
 Frequencies bands:

WLANs use three unlicensed bands:

 900 MHz Used by older cordless phones

 2.4 GHz Used by newer cordless phones, WLANs, Bluetooth, microwaves, and
other devices
 5 GHz Used by the newest models of cordless phones and WLAN devices

 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequencies are referred to as the Industrial, Scientific, and
Medical (ISM) bands.
 5 GHz frequency the Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (UNII) band.
 Unlicensed bands are still regulated by governments, which might define
restrictions in their usage.

A hertz (Hz) is a unit of frequency that measures the change in a state or cycle in a wave
(sound or radio) or alternating current (electricity) during 1 second.

Transmission Method

Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) uses one channel to send data across all
frequencies within that channel. Complementary Code Keying (CCK) is a method for
encoding transmissions for higher data rates, such as 5.5 and 11 Mbps, but it still allows
backward compatibility with the original 802.11 standard, which supports only 1 and 2
Mbps speeds. 802.11b and 802.11g support this transmission method.

OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) increases data rates by using

a spread spectrum: modulation. 802.11a and 802.11g support this transmission method.

MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) transmission, which uses DSSS and/or
OFDM by spreading its signal across 14 overlapping channels at 5 MHz intervals.
802.11n uses it. Use of 802.11n requires multiple antennas.

WLAN Standards

Standards 802.11a 802.11b 802.11g 80

Data Rate 54 Mbps 11 Mbps 54 Mbps 24
Throughput 23 Mbps 4.3 Mbps 19 Mbps 74
Frequency 5 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.4
Compatibility None With 802.11g and the original 802.11 With 802.11b 80
 Standards 802.11a 802.11b 802.11g 80
Range (meters) 35–120 38–140 38–140 70
Number of Channels 3 Up to 23 3 14
Transmission OFDM DSSS DSSS/OFDM M
Two 802.11 access modes can be used in a WLAN:

 Ad hoc mode
 Infrastructure mode

Ad hoc mode is based on the Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS). In IBSS, clients can
set up connections directly to other clients without an intermediate AP. This allows you
to set up peer-to-peer network connections and is sometimes used in a SOHO. The
main problem with ad hoc mode is that it is difficult to secure since each device you
need to connect to will require authentication. This problem, in turn, creates scalability
issues.

Infrastructure mode was designed to deal with security and scalability issues. In
infrastructure mode, wireless clients can communicate with each other, albeit via an AP.
Two infrastructure mode implementations are in use:

 Basic Service Set (BSS)

 Extended Service Set (ESS)

In BSS mode, clients connect to an AP, which allows them to communicate with other
clients or LANbased resources. The WLAN is identified by a single SSID; however, each
AP requires a unique ID, called a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID), which is the MAC
address of the AP’s wireless card. This mode is commonly used for wireless clients that
don’t roam, such as PCs.

In ESS mode, two or more BSSs are interconnected to allow for larger roaming
distances. To make this as transparent as possible to the clients, such as PDAs, laptops,
or mobile phones, a single SSID is used among all of the APs. Each AP, however, will
have a unique BSSID.

Coverage Areas

A WLAN coverage area includes the physical area in which the RF signal can be sent and
received Two types of WLAN coverage’s are based on the two infrastructure mode
implementations:

 Basic Service Area (BSA)

 Extended Service Area (ESA)

The terms BSS and BSA, and ESS and ESA, can be confusing. BSS and ESS refer to the
building topology whereas BSA and ESA refer to the actual signal coverage

BSA With BSA, a single area called a cell is used to provide coverage for the WLAN
clients and AP

ESA With ESA, multiple cells are used to provide for additional coverage over larger
distances or to overcome areas that have or signal interference or degradation. When
using ESA, remember that each cell should use a different radio channel.

How an end user client with a WLAN NIC accesses a LAN

 To allow clients to find the AP easily, the AP periodically broadcasts beacons,

announcing its (SSID) Service Set Identifier, data rates, and other WLAN information.
 SSID is a naming scheme for WLANs to allow an administrator to group WLAN
devices together.
 To discover APs, clients will scan all channels and listen for the beacons from the
AP(s). By default, the client will associate itself with the AP that has the strongest signal.
 When the client associates itself with the AP, it sends the SSID, its MAC address,
and any other security information that the AP might require based on the
authentication method configured on the two devices.
 Once connected, the client periodically monitors the signal strength of the AP to
which it is connected.
 If the signal strength becomes too low, the client will repeat the scanning process
to discover an AP with a stronger signal. This process is commonly called roaming.

SSID and MAC Address Filtering

When implementing SSIDs, the AP and client must use the same SSID value to
authenticate. By default, the access point broadcasts the SSID value, advertising its
presence, basically allowing anyone access to the AP. Originally, to prevent rogue
devices from accessing the AP, the administrator would turn off the SSID broadcast
function on the AP, commonly called SSID cloaking. To allow a client to learn the SSID
value of the AP, the client would send a null string value in the SSID field of the 802.11
frame and the AP would respond; of course, this defeats the security measure since
through this query process, a rogue device could repeat the same process and learn the
SSID value.
Therefore, the APs were commonly configured to filter traffic based on MAC addresses.
The administrator would configure a list of MAC addresses in a security table on the AP,
listing those devices allowed access; however, the problem with this solution is that
MAC addresses can be seen in clear-text in the airwaves. A rogue device can easily sniff
the airwaves, see the valid MAC addresses, and change its MAC address to match one of
the valid ones.
This is called MAC address spoofing.

WEP

WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) was first security solutions for WLANs that employed
encryption. WEP uses a static 64-bit key, where the key is 40 bits long, and a 24-bit
initialization vector (IV) is used. IV is sent in clear-text. Because WEP uses RC4 as an
encryption algorithm and the IV is sent in clear-text, WEP can be broken. To alleviate
this problem, the key was extended to 104 bits with the IV value. However, either
variation can easily be broken in minutes on laptops and computers produced today.

802.1x EAP

The Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) is a layer 2 process that allows a wireless
client to authenticate to the network. There are two varieties of EAP: one for wireless
and one for LAN connections, commonly called EAP over LAN (EAPoL).

One of the concerns in wireless is allowing a WLAN client to communicate to devices

behind an AP. Three standards define this process: EAP, 802.1x, and Remote
Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS). EAP defines a standard way of
encapsulating authentication information, such as a username and password or a digital
certificate that the AP can use to authenticate the user.802.1x and RADIUS define how to
packetize the EAP information to move it across the network.

WPA

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) was designed by the Wi-Fi Alliance as a temporary
security solution to provide for the use of 802.1x and enhancements in the use of WEP
until the 802.11i standard would be ratified. WPA can operate in two modes: personal
and enterprise mode. Personal mode was designed for home or SOHO usage. A pre-
shared key is used for authentication, requiring you to configure the same key on the
clients and the AP. With this mode, no authentication server is necessary as it is in the
official 802.1 x standards. Enterprise mode is meant for large companies, where an
authentication server will centralize the authentication credentials of the clients.

WPA2
 WPA2 is the IEEE 802.11i implementation from the Wi-Fi Alliance. Instead of using WEP,
which uses the weak RC4 encryption algorithm, the much more secure Advanced
Encryption Standard (AES)–counter mode CBC-MAC Protocol (CCMP) algorithm is used.

Infrared

Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than that of

visible light, but shorter than that of microwave radiation. The name means "below red"
(from the Latin infra, "below"), red being the color of visible light of longest wavelength.

Bluetooth

Is an industrial specification for wireless personal area networks (PANs). Bluetooth

provides a way to connect and exchange information between devices like personal
digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, laptops, PCs, printers and digital cameras via a
secure, low-cost, globally available short range radio frequency.

FHSS

Frequency-hopping spread spectrum is a spread-spectrum method of transmitting radio

signals by rapidly switching a carrier among many frequency channels, using a
pseudorandom sequence known to both transmitter and receiver. Spread-spectrum
transmission offers these advantages over a fixed-frequency transmission:

 Highly resistant to noise and interference.

 Signals are difficult to intercept. A Frequency-Hop spread-spectrum signal
sounds like a momentary noise burst or simply an increase in the background noise for
short Frequency-Hop codes on any narrowband receiver except a Frequency-Hop
spread-spectrum receiver using the exact same channel sequence as was used by the
transmitter.
 Transmissions can share a frequency band with many types of conventional
transmissions with minimal interference. As a result, bandwidth can be utilized more
efficiently.

DSSS

direct-sequence spread spectrum is a modulation technique where the transmitted

signal takes up more bandwidth than the information signal that is being modulated,
which is the reason that it is called spread spectrum. Direct Sequence Spread
Spectrum (DSSS) uses one channel to send data across all frequencies within that
channel. Complementary Code Keying (CCK) is a method for encoding transmissions for
 higher data rates, such as 5.5 and 11 Mbps, but it still allows backward compatibility
with the original 802.11 standard, which supports only 1 and 2 Mbps speeds. 802.11b
and 802.11g support this transmission method.

Comparison of DSSS and Frequency Hopped SS

DSSS

 Flexible support of variable data rates

 High capacity is possible with enhancements (interference cancellation, adaptive
antenna, etc.)
 Suffers from near-far effect

FHSS

 Suitable for ad hoc networks (no near-far problem)

 Robust to interference
 Limited data rate

OFDM

Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing, also called discrete multitone modulation

(DMT), is a transmission technique based upon the idea of frequency-division
multiplexing (FDM). OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) increases
data rates by using a spread spectrum: modulation. 802.11a and 802.11g support this
transmission method.

 Used in some wireless LAN applications, including WiMAX and IEEE 802.11a/g
 Used in many communications systems such as: ADSL, Wireless LAN, Digital
audio broadcasting.

MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output)

MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) transmission, which uses DSSS and/or OFDM by
spreading its signal across 14 overlapping channels at 5 MHz intervals. 802.11n uses it.
Use of 802.11n requires multiple antennas.

802.11a 802.11b 802.11g 802

Data Rate 54 Mbps 11 Mbps 54 Mbps 248
Throughput 23 Mbps 4.3 Mbps 19 Mbps 74
Frequency 5 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.4
 Compatibility None With 802.11g and the original 802.11 With 802.11b 802
Range (meters) 35–120 38–140 38–140 70–
Number of Channels 3 Up to 23 3 14
Transmission OFDM DSSS DSSS/OFDM MI
Radio Frequency Transmission Factors

Radio frequencies (RF) are generated by antennas that propagate the waves into the air.
Antennas fall under two different categories:

 Directional
 Omni-directional

Directional Directional antennas are commonly used in point-to-point configurations

(connecting two distant buildings), and sometimes point-to-multipoint (connecting two
WLANs). An example of a directional antenna is a Yagi antenna: this antenna allows you
to adjust the direction and focus of the signal to intensify your range/reach.

Omni-directional Omni-directional antennas are used in point-to-multipoint

configurations, where they distribute the wireless signal to other computers or devices
in your WLAN. An access point would use an omni-directional antenna. These antennas
can also be used for point-to-point connections, but they lack the distance that
directional antennas supply

Three main factors influence signal distortion:

 Absorption Objects that absorb the RF waves, such as walls, ceilings, and floors
 Scattering Objects that disperse the RF waves, such as rough plaster on a wall,
carpet on the floor, or drop-down ceiling tiles

 Reflection Objects that reflect the RF waves, such as metal and glass

Responsible body

The International Telecommunication Union-Radio Communication Sector (ITU-R) is

responsible for managing the radio frequency (RF) spectrum and satellite orbits for
wireless communications: its main purpose is to provide for cooperation and
coexistence of standards and implementations across country boundaries.
Two standards bodies are primarily responsible for implementing WLANs:

 The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)

 The Wi-Fi Alliance.
 IEEE Defines the mechanical process of how WLANs are implemented in the 802.11
standards so that vendors can create compatible products.

The Wi-Fi Alliance Basically certifies companies by ensuring that their products follow
the 802.11 standards, thus allowing customers to buy WLAN products from different
vendors without having to be concerned about any compatibility issues.

Frequencies bands:

WLANs use three unlicensed bands:

 900 MHz Used by older cordless phones

 2.4 GHz Used by newer cordless phones, WLANs, Bluetooth, microwaves, and
other devices
 5 GHz Used by the newest models of cordless phones and WLAN devices

900 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequencies are referred to as the Industrial, Scientific, and
Medical (ISM) bands.

5 GHz frequency the Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (UNII) band.

Unlicensed bands are still regulated by governments, which might define restrictions in
their usage.

A hertz (Hz) is a unit of frequency that measures the change in a state or cycle
in a wave (sound or radio) or alternating current (electricity) during 1 second.

802.11g

Suffers from the same interference as 802.11b in the already crowded 2.4 GHz range.
Devices operating in this range include microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices, and
cordless telephones. Since the 2.4 GHz band is heavily used, using the 5 GHz band gives
802.11a the advantage of less interference. However, this high carrier frequency also
brings disadvantages. It restricts the use of 802.11a to almost line of sight, necessitating
the use of more access points; it also means that 802.11a cannot penetrate as far as
802.11b since it is absorbed more readily, other things (such as power) being equal.

802.11a

Transmits radio signals in the frequency range above 5 GHz. This range is "regulated,"
meaning that 802.11a gear utilizes frequencies not used by other commercial wireless
 products like cordless phones. In contrast, 802.11b utilizes frequencies in the
unregulated 2.4 GHz range and encounters much more radio interference from other
devices.

IEEE 802.11a / IEEE 802.11h

This is also a physical layer enhancement. IEEE 802.11a provides significantly higher
performance than 802.11b, at 54 Mbps. Unlike 802.11b, the 802.11a standard operates
within the frequency range of 5.47 to 5.725 GHz and is not subject to the same
interference from other commercial electronic products. This higher frequency band
allows significantly higher speeds of communication over the 2.4 GHz range.

802.11g APs are backward compatible with 802.11b APs. This backward compatibility
with 802.11b is handled through the MAC layer, not the physical layer. On the negative
side, because 802.11g operates at the same frequency as 802.11b, it is subject to the
same interferences from electronic devices such as cordless phones. Since the standard’s
approval in June 2003, 802.11g products are gaining momentum and will most likely
become as widespread as 802.11b products. Table II-1 displays basic 802.11b/a/g
characteristics.

The common range of operation for 802.11b is 150 feet for a floor divided into
individual offices by concrete or sheet-rock, about 300 feet in semi-open indoor spaces
such as offices partitioned into individual workspaces, and about 1000 feet in large open
indoor areas. Disadvantages of 802.11b include interference from electronic products
such as cordless phones and microwave ovens.

Range

The layout of your building can reduce the range.

 A lot of concrete walls can reduce your range.

 The size of the antenna and the placement greatly affect the range of their
signals
 The weather and amount of water vapor in the air can affect your signals strength

Speed

 The layout of your building can reduce the speed

 The size of the antenna and its signal can affect your speed
 The weather and amount of water vapor can weaken the signal and affect your
speed
Types of Wireless Networks and Usage | Tutorial-Reports.com (tutorial-reports.com)

Introduction to Wireless Networking

Submitted by gc on Mon, 02/18/2013 - 08:11

A wireless network is a flexible data communications system, which uses wireless media such as
radio frequency technology to transmit and receive data over the air, minimizing the need for
wired connections (What is Wireless LAN, White Paper). Wireless networks are used to
augment rather than replace wired networks and are most commonly used to provide last few
stages of connectivity between a mobile user and a wired network.

Wireless networks use electromagnetic waves to communicate information from one point to
another without relying on any physical connection. Radio waves are often referred to as radio
carriers because they simply perform the function of delivering energy to a remote receiver. The
data being transmitted is superimposed on the radio carrier so that it can be accurately extracted
at the receiving end. Once data is superimposed (modulated) onto the radio carrier, the radio
signal occupies more than a single frequency, since the frequency or bit rate of the modulating
information adds to the carrier. Multiple radio carriers can exist in the same space at the same
time without interfering with each other if the radio waves are transmitted on different radio
frequencies. To extract data, a radio receiver tunes in one radio frequency while rejecting all other
frequencies. The modulated signal thus received is then demodulated and the data is extracted
from the signal.

Wireless networks offer the following productivity, convenience, and cost advantages over
traditional wired networks:

 Mobility: provide mobile users with access to real-time information so that they can roam
around in the network without getting disconnected from the network. This mobility supports
productivity and service opportunities not possible with wired networks.
 Installation speed and simplicity: installing a wireless system can be fast and easy and
can eliminate the need to pull cable through walls and ceilings.

 Reach of the network: the network can be extended to places which can not be wired

 More Flexibility: wireless networks offer more flexibility and adapt easily to changes in the
configuration of the network.

 Reduced cost of ownership: while the initial investment required for wireless network
hardware can be higher than the cost of wired network hardware, overall installation expenses
and life-cycle costs can be significantly lower in dynamic environments.

 Scalability: wireless systems can be configured in a variety of topologies to meet the needs
of specific applications and installations. Configurations can be easily changed and range from
peer-to-peer networks suitable for a small number of users to large infrastructure networks that
enable roaming over a broad area.
Bluetooth and 802.11b have the potential to dramatically alter how people use devices to connect
and communicate in everyday life. Bluetooth is a low-power, short-range technology for ad hoc
cable replacement; it enables people to wirelessly combine devices wherever they bring them.

Conversely, 802.11b is a moderate-range, moderate-speed technology based on Ethernet; it

allows people to wirelessly access an organizational network throughout a campus location.
Although the technologies share the 2.4 GHz band, have some potentially overlapping
applications, and have been pitted against each other in the press, they do not compete and can
even been successfully combined for corporate use.

One thing is clear, wireless technologies will continue to evolve and offer organizations and end
users higher standard of life by making us more mobile and increasing our ability to interact with
each other, removing distance as a barrier. There will be a time when a traveler can sit in any
airport or hotel and surf the Web or connect to the home office and work. Users will be able to surf
or work in places such as malls, parks, or (with smaller handheld computers) just walking down
the street. Internet service providers will install larger wireless networks allowing users to connect
from anywhere in the city. All of these things are possible with wireless technology.

One day soon, the network will follow you instead of you following it.

Types of Wireless Networks and

Usage
Submitted by gc on Mon, 02/18/2013 - 08:11

There are three primary usage scenarios for wireless connectivity :

 Wireless Personal Area Networking (WPAN)

 Wireless Local Area Networking (WLAN)

 Wireless Wide Area Networking (WWAN)

WPAN describes an application of wireless technology that is intended to address usage

scenarios that are inherently personal in nature. The emphasis is on instant connectivity between
devices that manage personal data or which facilitate data sharing between small groups of
individuals. An example might be synchronizing data between a PDA and a desktop computer. Or
another example might be spontaneous sharing of a document between two or more individuals.
The nature of these types of data sharing scenarios is that they are ad hoc and often
spontaneous. Wireless communication adds value for these types of usage models by reducing
complexity (i.e. eliminates the need for cables).

WLAN on the other is more focused on organizational connectivity not unlike wire based LAN
connections. The intent of WLAN technologies is to provide members of workgroups access to
corporate network resources be it shared data, shared applications or e-mail but do so in way that
does not inhibit a user’s mobility. The emphasis is on a permanence of the wireless connection
within a defined region like an office building or campus. This implies that there are wireless
access points that define a finite region of coverage.

Whereas WLAN addresses connectivity within a defined region, WWAN addresses the need to
stay connected while traveling outside this boundary. Today, cellular technologies enable wireless
computer connectivity either via a cable to a cellular telephone or through PC Card cellular
modems. The need being addressed by WWAN is the need to stay in touch with business critical
communications while traveling.

The following table summarizes each wireless connectivity usage scenario by a wireless
technology.

Wireless Usage Scenarios by Technology

Wireless Application Usage Scenario

Standard Category

Bluetooth Wireless  I want to instantly connect my notebook computer to

Personal Area another Bluetooth enabled notebook to transfer a file.
Networking
(WPAN)  I want to collaboratively work on a document where
meeting participants use notebooks that are wirelessly
connected via Bluetooth.

 Using a Bluetooth enabled, wireless headset, I want to

listen to a CD playing on my notebook computer while it is in
my briefcase.

 I often travel to a remote site and want to walk up to a

shared printer, connect and print a document without having to
physically connect using a standard printer cable.

 I want to connect to the Internet via a cellular phone without

having to take my telephone out of my briefcase

802.11b Wireless  I want to always be connected to my corporate LAN while

Local Area moving about in my office building or campus.
Networking
(WLAN)  Usage demands that I have access to corporate network
data at performance levels equivalent to a wire based LAN
connection.

Cellular Wireless Wide  I want access to e-mail and web resources while traveling
Technologies Area away from the home office.
(GSM) Networking
 (WWAN)

Bluetooth and 802.11 are emerging as the preferred technology in the commercial space for
WPAN and WLAN respectively. Higher throughput, longer range and other characteristics make
802.11 better suited for WLAN than Bluetooth. The rest of this document gives a basic overview of
these two technologies detailing the basic concepts, the principles of operations, and some of the
reasons behind some of their features.

Wireless Networks – Types of Wireless

Networks
Last Updated By Admin on March 25, 2015

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The term ‘WiFi Network’ refers to any kind of networking that does not involve cables. It
is a technique that helps entrepreneurs and telecommunications networks to save the
cost of cables for networking in specific premises in their installations. The transmission
system is usually implemented and administrated via radio waves where the
implementation takes place at physical level.

Notes: This is image to elaborate basic visual functionality of wireless networks

What are the Types of Wireless Networks?

There are four basic types of wireless networks. Types of wireless networks are defined
on the bases of their size (that is the number of machines), their range and the speed of
data transfer.

1 – Wireless Pan
2- Wireless Lan
3 -Wireless Man
4- Wireless Wan

Wireless PAN – Personal area network Wireless Personal Area Networks

Such networks interconnect devices in small premises usually within the reach of a
person for example invisible infra red light and Bluetooth radio interconnects a
headphone to a laptop by the virtue of WPAN. With the installation of Wi-Fi into
customer electronic devices the Wi-Fi PANs are commonly encountered.

Wireless LAN – Local Area Network

The simplest wireless distribution method that is used for interlinking two or more
devices providing a connection to wider internet through an access point. OFDM or
spread-spectrum technologies give clients freedom to move within a local coverage
area while remaining connected to the LAN. LAN’s data transfer speed is typically 10
Mbps for Ethernet and 1 Gbps for Gigabit Ethernet. Such networks could accommodate
as many as hundred or even one thousand users.

Wireless MAN – Metropolitan Area Networks

The wireless network that is used to connect at high speed multiple wireless LANs that
are geographically close (situates anywhere in a few dozen kilometers). The network
allows two or more nodes to communicate with each other as if they belong to the same
LAN. The set up makes use of routers or switches for connecting with high-speed links
such as fiber optic cables. WiMAX described as 802.16 standard by the IEEE is a type
of WMAN.

Wireless WAN

WAN is the wireless network that usually covers large outdoor areas. The speed on
such network depends on the cost of connection that increases with increasing
distance. The technology could be used for interconnecting the branch offices of a
business or public internet access system. Developed on 2.4GHz band these systems
usually contain access points, base station gateways and wireless bridging relays. Their
connectivity with renewable source of energy makes them stand alone systems. The
most commonly available WAN is internet.

Mobile devices networks

The advent of smart phones have added a new dimension in telecommunications ,

referred as “Mobile communication“; today’s telephones are not meant to converse only
but to carry data.

GSM – Global System for Mobile Communications Global System for Mobile
Communications is categorized as the base station system, the operation and support
system and the switching system. The mobile phone is initially connected to the base
system station that establishes a connection with the operation and support station that
later on connects to the switching station where the call is made to the specific user.

PCS – Personal Communications Service is a radio band that is employed in South

Asia and North America; the first PCS service was triggered by Sprint.

D-AMPS Digital Advanced Mobile Phone Service is the upgraded version of AMPS
that is faded away due to technological advancements.

TAN – Tiny Area Network and CANs – Campus Area Networks are two other types
of networks. TAN is similar to LAN but comparatively smaller (two to three machines)
where CAN resembles MAN (with limited bandwidth between each LAN network).
The Utility of Wireless Networks

The development of wireless networks is still in progress as the usage is rapidly

growing. Personal communications are made easy with the advent of cell phones where
radio satellites are used for networking between continents. Whether small or big,
businesses uses wireless networks for fast data sharing with economical means.
Sometimes compatibility issues with new devices might arise in these extremely
vulnerable networks but the technology has made the uploading and the downloading of
huge data a piece of cake with least maintenance cost.

WEP – Wired Equivalent Privacy as well as firewalls could be used for securing the
network. Wireless networks are the future of global village. For referring to security of
wireless LAN networks you can refer to related articles in section below

Classification of Computer Networks - Computer Notes (ecomputernotes.com)

Classification of Computer Networks

By Dinesh Thakur

A computer network can be classified into different categories. Different criteria are
used to classify computer networks. Following are the criteria widely used.
• Geographical spread
• Topology
• Ownership

Classification by Geographical Spread

Based on geographical spread, networks can be classified into the following three
categories.
• Local Area Network (LAN)
• Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
• Wide Area Network (WAN)
Local area network (LAN) LAN is a computer network that consists of few or more
computers and other communication devices connected in the form of a network within
a well-defined area such as a room or a building.
A typical example is a college or university computer network. Users in a LAN can
share both hardware and sharable software resources. For example, hardware
resources include expensive laser printer, plotter, fax machines, modem, etc. Almost
all local area networks use a single communication media, as it restricted to a limited
area. All network resources and their management activities are controlled using
special system software called Network Operating System (NOS).
Metropolitan area network (MAN) MAN is a network more extensive than a LAN. The
name metropolitan is due to the ability to cover a relatively larger area of a city, from a
few tens to a maximum of hundred kilometers. Different hardware and transmission
media often used in a MAN for efficient transmission of information.
Wide area network (WAN) WAN is a computer network that spans a large geographical
area. It uses dedicated or switched connections to link computers in geographically
remote locations. Wide area networks are implemented to connect a large number of
LANs and MANs. Due to this reason, it is possible to see a large number of
heterogeneous components in a wide area network. Different communication media
used, and the network spreads across several national boundaries. Computers
connected to a WAN often connected to a public network. They can also be connected
through leased lines or satellite links. The government or large concerns mostly use
WAN because of the considerable investment made to implement them.
There are three categories of wide area networks, namely
Enterprise network: An interconnected version of all the local area networks of a
single organization is known as an enterprise network.
Global network: A network formed by combining the networks of several organizations
over a wide area.
Internet: A network of networks of broad area category. It is the biggest network in the
world. The network components are LANs, WANs, MANs, and millions of autonomous
computers of different category. A single authority does not control the network; the
local, national authority controls every segment of the Internet.

You’ll also like:

1. What is the difference between computer networks and network communications?
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5. Types of Computer Networks

What is Network Architecture? Types of Network Architecture - Computer Notes

What is Network Architecture? Types of
Network Architecture
By Dinesh Thakur

Network architecture understood as the set of layers and layer protocols that
constitute the communication system.
Network architectures offer different ways of solving a critical issue when it comes to
building a network: transfer data quickly and efficiently by the devices that make up the
network. The type of network architecture used will not only determine the network
topology but also define how network nodes access those media. There are different
types of network architecture, all of them with their strategy to conduct information over
the network.
Network Architecture defines the communications products and services, which ensure
that the various components can work together. In the early days of data
communication systems, the majority of communications were between the DTE and
the host computer. Therefore, transmission control procedures were alone enough as
communication protocols. However, recent computer systems link with other systems
to form a network which result in a situation where different protocols serving different
purposes are required. Hence, the network architecture represents a systemization of
the various kinds of protocols needed to build a network.
Computer manufacturers have developed different protocols as needed. This means
that each type of computer needed to support different protocols. This necessitated
large development and maintenance costs. All computer manufacturers, worked
together to standardize and systemize protocols to link their models and reduce the
development and maintenance costs thereby. This was how each manufacturer built
their own network architecture.
Since the concept of the network architecture was first introduced, connecting
computers of the same Manufacturer has become easier. However, from user’s
perspective, the ideal form of network architecture is one which enables machines of
all manufacturers to connect to each other. Therefore, the need of standardization of
network architecture arose.
 Following are
the ways to achieve connection between different manufacturers:
1. Protocol Converters These are devices that translate from one native protocol into
another, for example, from ASCII to IBM SNA/SDLC.
2. Gateways These are hardware/software combinations that connect devices running
different native protocols. In addition to protocol conversion, gateways provide a gateway
connection between incompatible networks. Examples include Ethernet-to-Token Ring
gateways, X.25-to- Frame Relay gateways, and T-carrier-to-E-Carrier International
Gateway Facilities (IGFs).

In addition to the above, Protocol Analyzers are available as diagnostic tools for
displaying and analyzing communications protocols. Analyzers allow technicians,
engineers and managers to test the performance of the network to ensure that the
systems and the network are functioning according to specifications. LAN managers,
for instance, use protocol analyzers to perform network maintenance and
troubleshooting and to plan network upgrades and expansions.
Types of Network Architecture

Ethernet

Ethernet is the most used network architecture today. Ethernet provides network
access using multiple cover perception access with collision detection or CSMA / CD
(carrier sense multiple access with collision detection). This network access strategy is
basically that each component of the network or node listens before transmitting
the information packets. If two nodes transmit at the same time, a collision occurs.
When a collision is detected, the computer interrupts the transmission and waits for the
line to be free. One of the computers then goes on to transmit the data, achieving
control of the line, and complementing the transmission of the packets.
Ethernet is a passive wait and listens to architecture. Collisions between packets are
often frequent on the network and computers have to dispute the transmission time.
Ethernet networks are usually implemented in bus or star configurations, depending on
the type of medium used for the network connection. One of the most common
Ethernet implementations (used with different types of media) is the one that works at
10Mbps. This 10 Megabit Ethernet that runs with twisted pair cables is called 10BaseT:
10 indicates the transmission speed in megabits per second; the term Base which is a
transmission in base-band (the base is nothing more than a sequence of bits, or a
digital flow of information); and the T is the letter used to abbreviate the twisted pair
cable.
When the packets are ready for transmission over the cable, their final form is called a
frame. Ethernet uses, in fact, several types of frames, which can cause problems in the
network if all the nodes have not been configured to use the same type of frame.
These are the different types of frames that Ethernet uses:
• 802.3 Ethernet: Although this frame has the relevant IEEE number, it does not meet
all Ethernet specifications. Novel Netware 2.2 and 3.1 networks use this type of frame.
• 802.2 Ethernet: This type of frame meets all the specifications dictated by the IEEE.
It found in the latest versions of Novell Netware, including Netware 3.12, 4.x and 5.x.
• Ethernet SNAP: This type of Ethernet frame is the one used by Apple Talk networks.
• Ethernet II: Networks that run several protocols such as the Internet generate
Ethernet II frames.
Although 10 Megabits Ethernet networks were the most used until recently, they
increasingly replaced by Fast Ethernet or Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps) and Gigabits
(1000Mbps or 1Gbps). Both versions of Ethernet require category 5 twisted pair cables
as well as unique network cards and hubs (Gigabit Ethernet often uses category 6
twisted pair cables).
The main advantage of Ethernet refers to the low cost of implementing such a network
architecture. The NICs, cables, and hubs that used are quite economical compared to
the hardware required by other architectures such as Token Ring. As for its
disadvantages, the worst of all has to do with the number of collisions that occur. And it
is already known: the more collisions that occur in a network, the more slowly it run,
and may even cause the whole network to fall.
Token Ring

IBM Token Ring is a faster and safer network that uses the signal token as a strategy
to access the communication channel. Token Ring networks connected in a star-
shaped topology through a Multistation Access Unit (MAU) that provides the central
connection for the nodes of the network. The ring through which the signal or token
circulates (the token travels in only one direction) is a logical ring included within the
MAU.
The token circulates through the ring until it is picked up by a computer that wants to
send information over the network. The computer that passes the token to the next
computer included in the logical ring is called the nearest active upstream neighbor or
NAUN. For its part, the computer that receives the signal or token is known as the
nearest active downstream neighbor or NADN.
After taking the token and transmitting the data, the computer generates a new token
and passes it to your NADN. If it does not have to transmit data, the token goes back
through the ring waiting for a node in the network to capture it to send information.
The Token Ring architecture is characterized by not causing data collisions and offers
the same level of access to the communication channel to all nodes included in the
network. It is slower than other Ethernet implementations (Token Ring can work at
maximum speeds between 4 and 16Mbps), but the network degrades more smoothly
during a possible overload of the system.
Token Ring also offers some fault tolerance thanks to its error detection strategy called
beaconing. When computers connected to the network for the first time, the first one
that is turned on becomes the active Monitor. The active monitor is responsible for
sending, every seven seconds, a packet of data that travels through the ring to help
determine if any node does not work correctly. For example, if a computer does not
receive the package sent to you by your NAUN, it creates a package that includes your
address and that of the NAUN and sends it to the network. Since it includes all relevant
information, the Token Ring can use it to reconfigure the ring and maintain traffic on
the network automatically.
FDDI

The Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) is an architecture that provides a high
speed and high capacity environment that can be used to connect several different
types of networks (see Figure). FDDI uses fiber optic cables and configured in a ring
topology. FDDI uses the signal or token pass as a method of access to the
communication channel and can operate at high speeds (almost all implementations
work at 100Mbps, but data can also transfer at higher speeds).
Since FDDI uses a token pass strategy to access the data channel, it does not pose
security problems and provides the same level of access to all nodes connected to the
network. With FDDI, priority levels can also be specified, although network servers can
always send more data frames than client computers.
Since FDDI uses an authentic ring topology, breakages in the wiring system can pose
serious problems. To build a fault tolerance within an FDDI network, a second ring
used. And so, when a computer cannot communicate with its nearest previous
neighbor, it goes on to send the data to the second ring (which conducts the data in the
opposite direction to the one used by the first ring).
Logically, FDDI implementations require a special NIC card. Dual connection stations
(where computers connected to the two rings of the network) use a network card that
connects them to the two rings of the upper communication channel. Instead of using
hubs, hubs are used to connect the LAN nodes to the FDDI network. Since these
computers not directly coupled to the FDDI ring, they only require a NIC connection to
connect to the hub.
AppleTalk

AppleTalk is the network architecture used by Apple Macintosh computers. The

network hardware required in this case already installed on each Macintosh (although,
if you want to connect a Macintosh to an Ethernet network, you need an Ethernet
network card for Mac). The wiring system that allows Macintosh computers to connect
is called local talk and uses twisted pair cables with a special adapter for Macintosh.
 AppleTalk uses a unique addressing system to determine the address of the nodes
included in the network. When a Macintosh connected to the network is turned on, that
computer generates a random address and transmits it over the network. This random
address becomes your network address (provided that no other Macintosh computer
uses that same address; otherwise, the computer have to continue generating random
addresses until it finds one that has not used).
AppleTalk is quite similar to Ethernet since it is also a passive network architecture.
AppleTalk uses the CSMA / CA method (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision
Avoidance or Multiple Cover Perception Access with collision avoidance), in which
computers listen to the network to determine if the communication channel occupied.
Once verified that the channel is free, the computer sends the packet to the network
letting the rest of the computers know its intention to transmit data. The fact that the
computer notifies the rest of the network nodes of its intention to transmit data
substantially reduces the number of possible collisions in a particular CSMA / CA
network when compared to Ethernet. These packet announcements, however, tend to
slow down the network speed, which is not very desirable since Macintosh networks
only work with transmission speeds of 230.4Kbps. The good thing is that by having the
hardware and software necessary to connect to the network installed, Macintosh
computers provide a secure and economical way to connect several workstations in
order to share files or a printer.

what is network? Types of Network

By Dinesh Thakur

Computer Networks fall into three classes regarding the size, distance and the
structure namely: LAN (Local Area Network), MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), WAN
(Wide Area Network). Before we discussing about type of network we can discuss
about what is a network.
We’ll be covering the following topics in this tutorial:

 What is Network?
 Types of Networks
 Wireless Networks
What is Network?

In the today world, Two devices are in network if a process in one device is able to
exchange information with a process in another device. Networks are known as a
medium of connections between nodes (set of devices) or computers. A network is
consist of group of computer systems, servers, networking devices are linked together
to share resources, including a printer or a file server. The connections is established
by using either cable media or wireless media.

Types of Networks

LAN (Local Area Network)

A Local Area Network is a privately owned computer network covering a small

Networks geographical area, like a home, office, or groups of buildings e.g. a school
Network. A LAN is used to connect the computers and other network devices so that
the devices can communicate with each other to share the resources. The resources to
be shared can be a hardware device like printer, software like an application program
or data. The size of LAN is usually small. The various devices in LAN are connected to
central devices called Hub or Switch using a cable.
Now-a-days LANs are being installed using wireless technologies. Such a system
makes use of access point or APs to transmit and receive data. One of the computers
in a network can become a server serving all the remaining computers called Clients.

For example, a library will have a wired or wireless LAN Network for users to
interconnect local networking devices e.g., printers and servers to connect to
the internet.
LAN offers high speed communication of data rates of 4 to 16 megabits per second
(Mbps). IEEE has projects investigating the standardization of 100 Gbit/s, and possibly
40 Gbit/s. LANs Network may have connections with other LANs Network via leased
lines, leased services.

Types of LAN

There are basically two types of Local Area Networks namely: ARCnet and Ethernet.
ARCNET (Attached Resource Computer NETwork)

ARCNET is one of the oldest, simplest, and least expensive types of Local-
Area Network protocol, similar in purpose to Ethernet or Token Ring. ARCNET was
the first widely available networking system for microcomputers and became popular in
the 1980s for office automation tasks. ARCnet was introduced by Data-point
Corporation in 1977.
A special advantage of ARCNET is that it permits various types of transmission media
– twisted-pair wire, coaxial cable, and fiber optic cable – to be mixed on the same
network. The specification is ANSI 878.1. It can have up to 255 nodes per network.
A new specification, called ARCnet Plus, will support data rates of 20 Mbps
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks
commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely
replaced competing wired local area network technologies. Ethernet uses a bus or star
topology Network and supports data transfer rates of 10 Mbps.
Ethernet Network uses the CSMA/CD access method to handle simultaneous
demands. It is one of the most widely implemented LAN standards. A newer version of
Ethernet Network, called 100Base-T (or Fast Ethernet), supports data transfer rates of
100 Mbps.
And the newest version, Gigabit Ethernet supports data rates of 1 gigabit (1,000
megabits) per second. Ethernet is a physical and data link layer technology for local
area networks (LANs). Ethernet Network was invented by engineer Robert Metcalfe.
MAN (Metropolitan Area Networks)

MAN stands for Metropolitan Area Networks is one of a number of types of networks. A
MAN is a relatively new class of network. MAN is larger than a local area network and
as its name implies, covers the area of a single city. MANs rarely extend beyond 100
KM and frequently comprise a combination of different hardware and transmission
media. It can be single network such as a cable TV network, or it is a means of
connecting a number of LANs into a larger network so that resources can be shared
LAN to LAN as well as device to device.

A MAN can be created

as a single network such as Cable TV Network, covering the entire city or a group of
several Local Area Networks (LANs). It this way resource can be shared from LAN to
LAN and from computer to computer also. MANs are usually owned by large
organizations to interconnect its various branches across a city.

MAN is based on IEEE 802.6 standard known as DQDB (Distributed Queue Dual Bus).
DQDB uses two unidirectional cables (buses) and all the computers are connected to
these two buses. Each bus has a specialized device that initiates the transmission
activity. This device is called head end. Data that is to be sent to the computer on the
right hand side of the sender is transmitted on upper bus. Data that is to be sent to the
left hand side of the sender is transmitted on lower bus.

The two most important components of MANs are security and standardization.
Security is important because information is being shared between dissimilar systems.
Standardization is necessary to ensure reliable data communication.
A MAN usually interconnects a number of local area networks using a high-capacity
backbone technology, such as fiber-optical links, and provides up-link services to wide
area networks and the Internet.

The Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN) protocols are mostly at the data link level
(layer 2 in the OSI model), which are defined by IEEE, ITU-T, etc.
WAN (Wide Area Networks)

A wide area network (WAN) is a telecommunication network. A wide area network is

simply a LAN of LANs or Network of Networks. WANs connect LANs that may be on
opposite sides of a building, across the country or around the world. WANS are
characterized by the slowest data communication rates and the largest distances.
WANs can be of two types: an enterprise WAN and Global WAN.
Computers connected to a Wide Area Networks are often connected through public
networks, such as the telephone system. They can also be connected through leased
lines or satellites. The largest WAN in existence is the Internet. Some segments of the
Internet, like VPN based extranets, are also WANs in themselves. Finally, many WANs
are corporate or research networks that utilize leased lines.

Numerous WANs have been constructed, including public packet networks, large
corporate networks, military networks, banking networks, stock brokerage networks,
and airline reservation networks.
Organizations supporting WANs using the Internet Protocol are known as Network
Service Providers (NSPs). These form the core of the Internet.
By connecting the NSP WANs together using links at Internet Packet Interchanges
(sometimes called “peering points”) a global communication infrastructure is formed.
WANs (wide area networks) generally utilize different and much more expensive
networking equipment than do LANs (Local Area Networks). Key technologies often
found in WANs (wide area networks) include SONET, Frame Relay, and ATM.

Clarify Enterprise WANs.

An enterprise WAN (wide area networks) connects an entire organization including all
LANs (Local Area Networks) at various sites. This term is used for large, widespread
organizations such as corporations, universities and governments.
Clarify Global WANs.

Global WANs (wide area networks) also span the world but they do not have to
connect LANS (Local Area Networks) within a single organization. The Internet is an
example of a global WAN. It connects diverse locations, organizations and institutions
throughout the world. Global WANS (wide area networks) can be public or private.
Private WANs (wide area networks) are called Intranet which belongs to an
organization. Public WANs (wide area networks) are open to everybody so that
anybody can connect and use the resources and services available.
WLANs – Wireless Local Area Networks

WLANs (Wireless Local Area Networks or sometimes referred to as LAWN, for local
area wireless network) provide wireless network communication over short distances
using radio or infrared signals instead of traditional network cabling.WLANs (Wireless
Local Area Networks) is one in which a mobile user can connect to a local area
network (LAN) through a wireless (radio) connection
Norman Abramson, a professor at the University of Hawaii, developed the world’s first
wireless computer communication network,
A WLAN typically extends an existing wired local area network. WLANs (Wireless
Local Area Networks) are built by attaching a device called the access point (AP) to the
edge of the wired network. Clients communicate with the AP using a wireless network
adapter similar in function to a traditional Ethernet adapter.
Network security remains an important issue for WLANs (Wireless Local Area
Networks). Random wireless clients must usually be prohibited from joining the WLAN.
Technologies like WEP raise the level of security on wireless networks to rival that of
traditional wired networks.
The IEEE 802.11 group of standards specify the technologies for wireless LANs.
802.11 standards use the Ethernet
WLAN (Wireless Local Area Networks) hardware was initially so expensive that it was
only used as an alternative to cabled LAN in places where cabling was difficult or
impossible.
All components that can connect into a wireless medium in a network are referred to as
stations. All stations are equipped with wireless network interface controllers (WNICs).
Wireless stations fall into one of two categories: access points, and clients. Access
points (APs), normally routers, are base stations for the wireless network.
They transmit and receive radio frequencies for wireless enabled devices to
communicate with. Wireless clients can be mobile devices such as laptops, personal
digital assistants, IP phones and other smartphones, or fixed devices such as desktops
and workstations that are equipped with a wireless network interface.
WLAN (Wireless Local Area Networks) types

Private home or small business WLAN

Commonly, a home or business WLAN employs one or two access points to broadcast
a signal around a 100- to 200-foot radius. You can find equipment for installing a home
WLAN in many retail stores.
With few exceptions, hardware in this category subscribes to the 802.11a, b, or g
standards (also known as Wi-Fi); some home and office WLANs now adhere to the
new 802.11n standard. Also, because of security concerns, many home and office
WLANs adhere to the Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) standard.
Enterprise class WLAN

An enterprise class WLAN employs a large number of individual access points to

broadcast the signal to a wide area. The access points have more features than home
or small office WLAN equipment, such as better security, authentication, remote
management, and tools to help integrate with existing networks. These access points
have a larger coverage area than home or small office equipment, and are designed to
work together to cover a much larger area. This equipment can adhere to the 802.11a,
b, g, or n standard, or to security-refining standards, such as 802.1x and WPA2.
Examples:
For WLANs that connect to the Internet, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
technology allows Web content to be more easily downloaded to a WLAN and
rendered on wireless clients like cell phones and PDAs.
Storage Area Network (SAN)

A storage area network (SAN) is a type of local area network (LAN) is a high-speed
special-purpose network. A SAN typically supports data storage, retrieval and
replication on business networks using high-end servers, multiple disk arrays and Fiber
Channel interconnection technology.
Storage Area Networks (SANs) technology is similar but distinct from network
attached storage (NAS) technology. While SANs traditionally employ low-level network
protocols for transferring disk blocks, a NAS device typically works over TCP/IP and
can be integrated fairly easily into home computer networks.
The term SAN can sometimes refer to system area networks instead of a storage area
network. System area networks are clusters of high performance computers used for
distributed processing applications requiring fast local network performance. Storage
area networks, on the other, are designed specifically for data management.
SANs support disk mirroring, backup and restore, archival and retrieval of archived
data, data migration from one storage device to another and the sharing of data among
different servers in a network. SANs can incorporate sub networks with network
attached storage (NAS) systems.

Storage Area Networks Make Your Life Easier

Simplification of Storage Administration is now possible because of Storage Area

Networks cause cables and storage devices doesn’t need to be moved physically.
Moving data from one server into another is now a breeze. Thanks to Storage Area
Networks. Life is much easier.
Before, storage area networks process can take as little as half an hour. But this was
before and now we can accelerate it.
The boo-table features of Storage Area Networks can also be effective and enable
during recovery of data because of certain disaster such as server failure or human
error. Storage area networks are great tools in recovering important data and back ups.
Distant location doesn’t effect the storage area networks as long as the secondary
storage array is working.
This enables storage replication either implemented by disk array controllers, by server
software, or by specialized SAN devices. Since IP WAN’s are often the least costly
method of long-distance transport, the Fiber Channel over IP (FCIP) and iSCSI
protocols have been developed to allow SAN extension over IP networks.
In the old model like in physical SCSI layer, it supported a few meters of distance and
no guarantee of business continuity when disaster strike.In storage area networks, the
disk arrays has accelerated and consolidated in the features like I/O caching, volume
cloning and snap shotting making business continuance possible or BCV’s (Business
Continuance Volumes).
Campus Area Network (CAN)

A campus area networks (CANs) is a computer network interconnecting a few local

area networks (LANs) within a university campus or corporate campus
Network.Campus area network may link a variety of campus buildings.A campus area
network is larger than a local area network but smaller than a metropolitan area
network (MAN) or wide area network (WAN). CAN can also stand for corporate area
network.
Personal Area Network (PAN)

A personal area network is a computer network organized around an individual person.

Personal area networks typically involve a mobile computer,Personal area networks
can be constructed with cables or wirelessly. Personal area networks generally cover a
Network range of less than 10 meters (about 30 feet).
PAN (Personal Area Network) first was developed by Thomas Zimmerman and other
researchers at M.I.T.’s Media Lab and later supported by IBM’s Almaden research lab.
Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN)

which is virtually a synonym since almost any personal area network would need to
function wirelessly. Conceptually, the difference between a PAN ( personal area
network ) and a wireless LAN ( Local Area Network) is that the former tends to be
centered around one person Network while the latter is a local area network (LAN) that
is connected without wires Network and serving multiple users.
Wireless Networks

• The fastest growing segment of the computer industry is the mobile computers such
as notebook computers and personal digital assistant (PDAs).
• The wireless networks are becoming increasingly important because the wired
connection is not possible in cars or aero planes.
• Wireless networks can have many applications. A very common example is the
portable office
• People traveling on road often want to make use of their portable electronic
equipment for telephone calls, e-mails, faxes, read remote files etc.
• Wireless networks can exist on trucks, buses, taxies, aero planes etc. They are used
where the telephone systems are destroyed in the event of disasters such as. fires,
floods and earthquakes etc.
• The wireless networks are important for military.
• Wireless networks and mobile computing are related but they are not identical
because portable computers are sometimes wired and some wireless computers are
not portable.
• But some applications are truly mobile wireless applications such as a portable office,
inventories being handled by PDAs, etc.
• Wireless LAN is another example of wireless network. Direct digital cellular service
CDPD (Cellular Digital Packet Data) is now becoming available:
• It is possible to have combinations of wired and wireless networking.

You’ll also like:

 Network Connection Types
 What is a computer network? Advantages of Network .
 What is Network Architecture? Types of Network Architecture
 What is Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)? – Definition
 What is Network Topology? or Network Topologies
Architecture of the GSM Network - Computer Notes (ecomputernotes.com)

Architecture of the GSM Network

By Dinesh Thakur

The generic GSM network architecture is composed of three subsystems as the Radio
Subsystem (RSS), the network and Switching Subsystem (NSS) and the Operation
Subsystem (OSS). The subscriber carries the Mobile Station, which is part or RSS.

The RSS basically consists of radio specific equipment such as mobile station (MS),
Base Station Subsystem (BSS) to control the radio link. The connection between RSS
and NSS is established with A interface based on circuit switched PCM·30 system with
2.048 Mbit/s date rate. The chief components of ass are BSS, cellular layout and base
station controller (BSC).
We’ll be covering the following topics in this tutorial:
 Radio Substation (RSS)
 Base Station Subsystem (BSS)
 Mobile Station (MS)
Radio Substation (RSS)

The RSS consists of the components that are necessary in order to allocate the radio
resources to the individual subscribers. It principally consists of the mobile terminals
(mobile phone or mobile station, MS) and the base station subsystem (BSS).
Base Station Subsystem (BSS)

The Mobile Station and the Base Station Subsystem communicate across the Um
interface, also known as the air interface or radio link. A BSS is controlled by a BSC.A
BSS maintains radio connections to an MS, coding/decoding of voice and data rate
adaptation to/from the wireless network part. There may be many BSS in a GSM
network and each BSS contains several MS. Base transceiver station (BTS) and a
base station controller (BSC) along with the cellular layout. These communicate across
a standardized Abis interface, allowing operation between components made by
different suppliers.
Mobile Station (MS)

MS is basically mobile equipment (the handset) which comprises all user equipment
and software needed for mobile communication and a smart card called the Subscriber
Identity Module (SIM). The MS, which contain a SIM, card in the form of a very small
chip b\side the equipment.
The Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) contains all subscriber information necessary for
identifying GSM subscriber. Broadly, it holds a subscriber’s International Mobile
Subscriber Identity (IMSI), authentication key and algorithm. SIM is independent of the
device or handset In which it is being used because an MS can be identified via
International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI). As soon as the SIM is inserted into
handset, it becomes immediately programmed for use. Therefore, it can be inserted
into any handset. If you have forgotten to carry your handset but are carrying your SIM
card, it can be inserted in any borrowed phone for use. Without SIM a handset can
access only emergency services. Advances in memory and processing capacity has
enabled SIM cards to be programmed to display custom menus for personalized
services and therefore, makes it different from conventional cellular phones, Typically,
mobile stations have transmitted power from 2 W to 1W depending upon the cell size,
If cell size is smaller, the transmitted power will be less.

You’ll also like:

 GSM Cellular Radio System and Features of GSM
 What is Network Architecture? Types of Network Architecture
 What is SNA (System Network Architecture)?
 What is the Cisco Digital Network Architecture?
 What is a Communication Network? Network Effectiveness Criteria