1. 802.11 – Wireless PHY and MAC Stallings 502-507

2. Types of 802.11 802.11 Infrared 802.11 FHSS (frequency hopping spread spectrum) 802.11 DSSS (direct sequence spread spectrum) 802.11b HR-DSSS (HR = high rate) 802.11a OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing)

3. Spread Spectrum Put the signal onto many frequencies, not just one. Two approach –Frequency hopping (Hedy Lamarr) Pseudorandom number generator dictates which frequency to use. Stay at a frequency for a short “dwell time.” –Direct sequence spread spectrum Each symbol is spread over many frequencies. 802.11b uses Barker code +1 –1 +1 +1 –1 +1 +1 +1 –1 –1 –1. If 1 is to be sent, then +1 –1 +1 +1 –1 +1 +1 +1 –1 –1 –1 is sent to the modulator. If 0 is to be sent, then -1 +1 -1 -1 +1 -1 -1 +1 +1 +1 +1 is sent to the modulator. (Like CDMA?)

4. Collision Avoidance in 802.11 Two approaches –DCF (Distributed Coordination Function) No RTS/CTS CSMA/CA (Carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (not /CD = carrier detection which is very difficult in wireless). If a node wants to broadcast, it checks if the channel is idle for a little while (DIFS). If not, use binary exponential backoff in slot times (like Ethernet). If the channel is idle, it broadcasts. When the receiver gets the frame, it check the CRC and if all is ok, it transmits an ACK. If the source fails to get an ACK, it will resend the (after getting control of the channel again).

5. Collision Avoidance in 802.11 DCF – problems(is DCF better than Aloha?) –It is possible that two nodes are listening at the same time. But this is not very likely if there is not too much traffic. Remember, propagation delay is very small. –The hidden node problem. Suppose that node A want to transmit to node B and while node C is transmitting to node B….. B A C

6. Collision Avoidance in 802.11 DCF with RTS/CTS –Suppose that node C wants to transmit to node B. First, C broadcast a RTS (request to send). If B is not currently hearing another broadcast (i.e., B gets the RTS), then B broadcasts a CTS (clear to send) to C. When the packet has arrived, an ACK is sent. Now, if A then wants to broadcast, it would have heard the CTS. So, instead, node A waits….

7. Collision Avoidance in 802.11 DCF with RTS/CTS –Suppose that node C wants to transmit to node B. First C broadcast a RTS (request to send) which includes information on how long the broadcast will last. If B is not currently hearing another broadcast (i.e., B gets the RTS), then B broadcasts a CTS (clear to send) to C along with C’s estimate of the time the broadcast will last. When the packet has arrived, an ACK is sent to Now, if A then wants to broadcast, it would have heard the CTS. So it waits for the amount of time specified in the CTS. Suppose you hear a RTS but no CTS, should you wait the length of time in the RTS?

8. Collision Avoidance in 802.11 DCF with RTS/CTS 1.If a node wants to transmit, it checks that the channel is idle. And continues to check it for DIFS seconds. If it remains idle for this whole period it transmits. 2.Otherwise, it waits until it is idle and then wait a random amount of time Back off = Random(0,CW) * SlotTime Random(0,CW) is a random number between 0 and CW. 3.After waiting, goto 1. channel busy DIFS channel checked channel still idle Slot time backoff transmit if idle

9. DCF: CW calculation CW may be increased when the channel fails to be clear when checked. CW may be decreased when the channel is idle when checked. Channel found to be busy CW max CW Channel found to be idle CW min could be zero

10. DCF: When do you sense the channel? When you want to send a frame and –No CTS and RTS indicates that there might be an ongoing transmission. –There is no ongoing backoff. The network allocation vector (NAV) is an internal structure that records when the channel might be free. If the NAV indicates that the channel is busy, then we say that the virtual channel is busy. A transmission is only attempted when both the physical sense and the NAV agree that the channel might be idle.

11. Flowchart of CSMA/CA start NAV=0 ? sense channel yes Channel Idle ? transmit frame yes collision ? No - success random backoff no ?

12. Fragmenting in DCF The BER for wireless channels may be large. So frames are fragmented to increase throughput… But if a many fragments are used, then the overhead of gaining access to the channel is large. To alleviate this problem, two different time intervals are specified. –For a node broadcasts, it first checks if the channel is idle for DIFS. –Thus, after an ACK, the channel is guaranteed to be idle for at least DIFS. However, if another fragment needs to be sent or resent, or if an frame is to be resent (because the ACK did not arrive), it will be broadcast after waiting SIFS (short interfame spacing). With SIFS < DIFS.

13. Timing SIFS = 16  s, PIFS = 25  s, DIFS = 34  s, EIFS = 43  s, Slottime = 9  s begin to sense channel DIFS decide that the channel to be idle RTSCTS SIFS DATAACK How long does it take to send an RTA, CTA, Data or ACK? Later SIFS channel sense Sending a single data packet SIFS DIFS RTSCTS SIFS Frag 1ACK SIFS Frag 2ACK SIFS Sending a fragmented data packet

14. DIFS RTSCTS SIFS DataACK SIFS Sending back to back packets DIFS Wait an random backoff, i.e., random(0,CW)*slottime) But don’t increment/decrement CW. RTSCTS SIFS

15. Problems with RTS/CTS

16. Frame Layout for 802.11b Sync 128 bits SFD 16 bits PLCPMPDU physical layer convergence protocol MAC protocol data unit Physical layer convergence protocol always transmitted at 1Mbps Signal 8 bits Preamble Enable synchronization contains the bit rate of the MPDU 1Mbps, 2Mbps, 5.5Mbps, 11Mbps Service 8 bits Length 16 bits CRC 16 bits time in microseconds to transmit the MPDU total time to transmit PLCP = ?

17. Frame Layout for 802.11b PLCPMPDU physical layer convergence protocol MAC protocol data unit MPDU data frame

18. Frame Layout for 802.11b RTS frame control 2 bytes 00011011X…X duration 2 bytes receiver address 6 bytes transmitter address 6 bytes error detection 4 bytes CTS ACK frame control 2 bytes 00011100X…X duration 2 bytes receiver address 6 bytes error detection 4 bytes frame control 2 bytes 00011101X…X duration 2 bytes receiver address 6 bytes error detection 4 bytes

19. What is the overhead for a data packet and for a fragment?

20. PCF Definition AP access point – the central controller of the nodes. Often these are connected to the wired network. The access point polls each node to ask if it wants to send something. Hence, no collisions. When a node moves closer from one AP domain to another, it waits for a beacon. The beacon invites nodes to sign up for polling service.