UNIT 1

Wired and Wireless

LAN Technologies
Mr T Haiduwa

04/29/2024

1
Introduction
• Wired and Wireless LAN technologies are the two primary
types of local area network (LAN) technologies used for
connecting devices within a limited geographical area, such
as homes, offices, or campuses.
• Each technology has its strengths and weaknesses, and their
suitability depends on the specific requirements and
constraints of the network.

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 Local Area Network (LAN)

• Local Area Network (LAN) refers to a group of

computers interconnected into a network in a smaller
geographical area so that they are able to
communicate, exchange information and share
resources (e.g., printers, application programs,
database, etc.)
• LANs are designed to provide fast data transfer rates
among connected devices.

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Characteristics of LANs

Information is in the form of data 'packets‘.

Local communications is a dedicated point-to-point connections.

LAN covers smaller geographic area.

All devices are attached to a shared medium.

A Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols are required to govern the access to the shared
medium since only one station should be allowed to use the medium at a time.

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 Wired LAN Technology
• Wired: refers to any physical medium made up of
cables.
• Wired local-area network (LAN) uses wires made out
of cables to connect devices to the network.
• Ethernet is the most common wired LAN technology.
• Power over Ethernet (PoE):an extension of Ethernet
technology that allows network devices, like IP
cameras and wireless access points, to receive power
and data over the same Ethernet cable.
• Universal Serial Bus (USB): Speed of 12 Mbps.
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Characteristics of Ethernet Technology
• It was adopted as a standard by the Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers (IEEE).
• Ethernet uses Twisted-pair Copper Cables or Optical Fibers to connect
devices in a network.
• Ethernet operates on different data transfer rates, such as 10 Mbps
(Ethernet), 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet), 1 Gbps (Gigabit Ethernet), and
10 Gbps (10 Gigabit Ethernet).
• Ethernet uses Bus Topology.
• Ethernet operates in two layers of the OSI model: Physical Layer, and Data Link Layer.
• Ethernet uses 802.3 IEEE Standard .
• Ethernet uses Carrier Sense Multiple Access(CSMA) with Collision Detect(CD) to
govern access and detect collision .
o The collision-based mechanism is for dealing with contention.
o It uses binary exponential backup in recovering from collision.
o Delay time is doubled after each successive collision.

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 Advantages of Ethernet
• Easy to troubleshoot
• High data transfer rate
• Historically Secure
• High Reliability
• Less Radio Frequency (RF)
interference

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 Disadvantages of Ethernet
• Limited Mobility
• Limited Range
• High Cost
• Bulk Cables

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 Ethernet Family & Data
Rates
Data rates of Ethernet Network over optical fibers
and twisted-pair cables:
1. Fast Ethernet- operates at 100 Mbps over
twisted pair cable, and also on Optical fiber.
2. Gigabit Ethernet -Gigabit Ethernet delivers a
data rate of 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps) over optical
fiber and twisted-pair cable.
3. 10 Gigabit Ethernet- operates at 10Gbps over
optical fiber.

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 Ethernet Data Migration
 10Mb/s to 100Mb/s
• Shrink the collision domain
• Only two repeaters
 100Mb/s to 1Gb/s
• Extend carrier to allow meaningful collision domain
• Only one repeater
 1Gb/s to 10Gb/s
• Make 10GbE full duplex only, no collision domain

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 Ethernet Media Access Methods &
Collision-Detection Mechanism

• Ethernet uses different media access

methods and a collision-detection
mechanism to manage access to the
network and handle potential collisions
when multiple devices try to transmit
data simultaneously.
• The most common Ethernet media access
method is Carrier Sense Multiple Access
with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD).
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 Carrier Sense Multiple Access with
Collision Detection (CSMA/CD)

• Ethernet uses CSMA/CD to determine when a computer is free

to transmit data on to the access medium.
• Using CSMA/CD allows computers to monitor the
transmission medium and wait until the medium is free before
transmitting.
• If two computers try to transmit at the same time, a
collision occurs.
• The computers then stop, wait for a random time interval,
and attempt to transmit again.
• All the business networks are installed and connected
using Ethernet Switches instead of Ethernet Hubs.
• There is no collision when devices are connected
using Ethernet Switches.
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 Carrier Sense Multiple Access with
Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) …
cont’d.

• Carrier Sense: Before transmitting data, a device listens

(senses) to the network medium to check if it is idle. If the
medium is busy (another device is transmitting), the device
waits for it to become idle before attempting to transmit.
• Multiple Access: Multiple devices are connected to the same
network segment and share the same communication medium
(e.g., coaxial cable, twisted-pair copper cable, or optical fiber).
They contend for access to the medium to send their data.
• Collision Detection: While a device is transmitting data, it
continuously monitors the medium for any possible collisions.
If two devices start transmitting simultaneously (due to the
shared nature of the medium), a collision can occur.

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Cont’d …
• Collision Handling: If a collision is detected, the colliding devices stop
transmitting immediately and send a jam signal to notify all other
devices on the network about the collision. After a random backoff
period, the devices that collided will attempt to retransmit their data.
• Random Backoff: To minimize the likelihood of repeated collisions,
the devices that experienced the collision will wait for a random
period before attempting to retransmit. This process reduces the
chances of the devices colliding again during retransmission.

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 Internet vs Ethernet

INTERNET ETHERNET

A global network A type of Networking Technology to establish

wired connections

Example of Wide Area Network (WAN) Example of Local Area Network (LAN)

Less Secure More Secure

One Internet Multiple Ethernets (Wired Connectivity)

Operates at a networking layers Operate at a physical layer

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 Wireless LAN Technology
• Wireless: communicate without wire. The media is made up of
electromagnetic waves/radio frequencies.
• Wireless local-area network (LAN) uses radio waves to connect
devices such as laptops and mobile phones to the internet.
• This include: Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) , Bluetooth, Near Field
Communication (NFC), etc.
• WLAN refers to the type of network connecting two or more
computers via a wireless distribution method.
• WAN have high-frequency radio waves and an Access Points (AP)
to the internet.
• Wireless Network uses antennas to broadcast Radio Frequency
signals through air.
• Wireless WAN is the next wave of network transformation to
connect people, places, and things by using LTE and 5G for business.
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 Bluetooth
• Bluetooth (1999-2002) was created as a wireless method for replacing serial, parallel,
and USB-type cables.
• Bluetooth sends and receives data.
• LAN links created with Bluetooth always use point-to-point protocol (PPP).
• BT is short-range RF-based connectivity for portable personal devices
• Devices using Bluetooth automatically detect and connect to each other, but they do
not interfere with other devices since each communicating pair uses a different
channel (from the 79 options/frequencies).
• When a device wants to communicate, it picks one of the 79 channels at random. If the
channel is already being used, it randomly picks another channel. This technique is
known as spread spectrum frequency hopping.
• Bluetooth communicates on a frequency of 2.45 Gigahertz (GHz) frequency
• BT uses low bandwidth and has a limit range of about 10meters.
• To further minimize the risks of interference with other devices, it send out very weak
signals of 1 milliwatt and the communication pairs constantly change the frequencies
(channels) they are using (several times a second).
• Bluetooth devices both uses point-to-point communication to speak.
• Bluetooth creates a secure wireless personal area network (WPAN) based on key
encryption.
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 Wi-Fi
• Wi-Fi is a popular in-home networks accessed via a wireless hotspot technology.
• Wi-Fi offers much faster data transfer rates, better range and better security than
Bluetooth.
• A Wi-Fi-enabled device (such as a computer or smart phone) can access the internet
wirelessly at any wireless access point (WAP) or ‘hot spot’ up to 100 metres away.
• Every device taking part in the wireless network has its own radio receiver and transmitter
built into it.
• It uses this radio receiver to connect to an Access Point device.
• Access point is effectively a wireless hub that behaves exactly like an Ethernet hub.
• Access point provides a central connection point, well known as Wi-Fi hotspot .
• Access points amplify Wi-Fi signals, so a device can be far from a router but still be
connected to the network.
• Roaming is a key concept in wireless communications.
• Roaming in a wireless LAN means a device moves from one Access point to another.
• For security reasons, a wireless LAN should be connected through a firewall.
• This can be accomplished using standard Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology.
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Benefits of a Wi-Fi
wireless network
• Convenience
• Mobility
• Easy setup
• Expandable
• advancements in Secure - New
Encryption methods e.g. IP v6
• Reduced cost

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 Disadvantages Wi-Fi wireless
network

• Unreliable due to Radio Signal

Interference
• Security Concerns i.e., Unauthorized
access, attacks, etc.
• Reduced Data Rate due to shared
bandwidth
• System Interoperability
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Wireless Networks Classifications

Classification of Wireless LAN:

1. Wireless Local Area Network(WLAN)
2. Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN)
3. Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks
(WMAN)

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 Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWAN)

• WWAN is also known as wireless

broadband, it makes use of cell towers.
• These towers transmit radio signals
spanning thousands of miles
• It comprises three major technologies:
• Global System for Mobile
communications (GSM)
• Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)

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Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks
(WMAN)
• MWAN has a coverage range size
approximately that of a city.
• It’s smaller as compared to WWAN but larger
than WLAN.
• It belongs to a single entity such as the
Government, or Internet Service Provider.
• MWAN restricts access to authorized users or
subscriber devices only.

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 Criteria of LAN Technology
Factors to consider when selecting a
LAN technology
1. Cost Efficiency
2. Reliability
3. Security
4. Performance
5. Scalability
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 Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) LAN Standards

• Standards regularize the transmission of packets are

called LAN standards.
• IEEE Standards used in common communications
technologies are:
 Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) Standards:
IEEE 802.11 (1997; 1-2 Mbps)
 Ethernet Standard: IEEE 802.3

 There are several versions of the IEEE 802.11

standard, each identified by a letter or combination
of letters
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Various IEEE 802.11 standards & data transfer rates

• IEEE 802.11a (1999; 5 GHz frequency band; 54 Mbps)

• IEEE 802.11b (1999; 2.4 GHz frequency band; 11Mbps)
• IEEE 802.11g (2003; 2.4 GHz band ; 54Mbps)
• IEEE 802.11n (2009; 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands; 600 Mbps )
• 802.11ac (2014; 5 GHz band; 6.77 Gbps)
• 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) (2019; 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands ; 9.6 Gbps)
• 802.11ay (2021; 60 GHz frequency band; extremely high data transfer
rates )

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 Wireless Security Protocols

• Security is a crucial aspect of wireless LANs.

• To advance and enhance security in wireless
network , more robust protocols are used:
1. Wired Equivalent Privacy(WEP)
2. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA2 & WPA3)
3. Advanced Encryption Standard(AES)
protocol

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WEP
• WEP provides security using a stream cipher
called RC4.
• Stream ciphers operate by expanding a secret
key into an arbitrarily long key stream of
pseudorandom bits.

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AES

• AES offers much stronger encryption. AES requires a

coprocessor (additional hardware) to operate.
• This means that companies need to replace existing
access points and client NICs to implement AES.

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WAP
• WAP consists of three parts: the cell phone, the
WAP gateway and the internet.
• The communication between the cell phone and
the gateway is protected by WTLS, a wireless
version of SSL/TL.

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