1. CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition
Chapter One
It’s a Wireless World

2. Wireless Networks First Meeting Agenda Syllabus and Intro.
How to access class resources in your computer
Let’s get acquainted (forming groups)
Name
Industry certification
Networking or IT courses
Interests
Why you are taking the class
Expectations of yourself
Expectations of the instructor and the class
WebCT Login

3. Objectives
Describe how wireless technology is used in daily activities
Tell how wireless local area networks are used in applications such as education, business, travel, construction, and other areas
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of wireless technology

4. Real Life Wireless
What did Texas Department of Transportation do?

5. A Day in the Life of a Wireless User: Home
Wireless data communication has been the driving force in the 21st century
Hotspots: Locations where wireless data services are available
World-Wide growth rate: 350% a year
By 2007 revenue from hotspots will exceed $9 billion.
Wireless local area network (WLAN): Essentially identical to standard local area network (LAN)
Compare Ethernet LAN devices to Wireless LAN devices
Except devices not connected by wires
Can increase productivity (By how much?)
How do you use wireless at home?

6. A Day in the Life of a Wireless User: Car
Bluetooth wireless standard: Enables short range wireless communication
Used in many small devices
How is Bluetooth used in a car?
Bluetooth on the Road.

7. A Day in the Life of a Wireless User: Office
Fixed broadband wireless: Wireless transmissions between immobile devices
Typically between office buildings
Utilizes small, customized antennas
Otherwise known as WiMax
Free space optics (FSO): Alternative to high-speed fiber optic transmissions

8. A Day in the Life of a Wireless User: Field
Handheld devices used to connect to nearest cell tower
Cell tower connects to local telephone company
Telephone company connects to appropriate resources
Such as servers

9. A Day in the Life of a Wireless User: On Site
Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags:
“Electronic barcodes”
Used to identify items
Can be read if anywhere within range of transmitted radio signal
Depending on device

10. A Look at Wireless Technologies
Wireless technology woven throughout many aspects of life
Useful to get overview of some current technologies in today’s wireless world

11. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs)
Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity): Based on standard that transmits at up to 11 Mbps
Computers on WLAN must have wireless network interface cards (wireless NIC or Wireless adapter)
Performs same basic functions as standard NIC, plus more
Access point (AP): Transfers signals between wireless NICs
Patch cable connects AP to wired LAN or Internet

12. Wireless Local Area Networks (continued)
Wireless LAN

13. Wireless Local Area Networks (continued)
Home wireless LAN

14. Bluetooth
Low-power wireless data and voice transmission technology
Bluetooth devices communicate via radio modules
Link manager: Software that helps identify other Bluetooth devices, creates links between devices, and sends and receives data
Transmit data at up to 1 Mbps over 10 meters
Bluetooth devices within range of each other automatically connect
Master and slave
Piconet: Bluetooth network containing a master and at least one slave

15. Telecommunications Links
Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN): Transmits at 256 Kbps
T-1 lines: Transmit at Mbps
Cable modems: Use television cable connection
Digital subscriber lines (DSL): Use telephone lines
WiMax: Signal transmitted between antennas
Up to 75 Mbps and over up to 35 miles
Fixed Broadband

16. Telecommunications Links (continued)
FSO: Transmit at speeds up to 1.25 Gbps over up to 4 miles
Line-of-site transmission
Free space optics transceiver

17. Telecommunications Links (continued)
Wireless office technologies

18. Cellular Telephony
Global Systems for Mobile (GSM) communications technology: Coverage includes most of US and parts of Europe and Japan
Transmission speeds up to 9.6 Kbps
Information transmitted based on Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
Standard way to transmit, format, and display data for devices like cell phones and handheld devices

19. Cellular Telephony (continued)
WAP cell phone runs a microbrowser that uses Wireless Markup Language (WML) instead of HTML
WAP gateway or proxy: Translates between WML and HTML
WAP communications

20. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
Like an electronic barcode:
Can contain larger amounts of updatable information
Information transmitted via radio waves
Range typically about 1 foot at 5 Mbps
RFID tag

21. Wireless Technology Categories
Typical wireless technologies

22. Wireless LAN Applications: Education
Educational institutions some of first adopters of WLANs
Dramatic advantages in teaching and learning
Wireless LAN connections offer students important degree of freedom
WLAN technology translates into cost savings for colleges
Reduces need for wiring and infrastructure
Fewer computer labs necessary

23. Wireless LAN Applications: Education (continued)
Campus access point locations

24. Wireless LAN Applications: Business
Wireless LAN technologies have significantly changed how business conducted
Meetings not confined to conference rooms
Easier to connect to network resources and Internet
Can create office in space where traditional infrastructure does not exist

25. Wireless LAN Applications: Travel
Travel industry perhaps adopted wireless technologies more than any other industry
Many airport terminals provide wireless hotspots
Several large airlines providing wireless capabilities to passengers during flights
Some airlines use WLAN technology to communicate with aircraft on ground
Some airlines use WLAN technology to facilitate maintenance tasks
Some airlines use new wireless data service to send and receive messages

26. Wireless LAN Applications: Construction
Wireless technology has greatly benefited construction industry
Better management of resources
Better management of paperwork
Construction equipment being fitted with wireless terminals
“Smart” equipment
GPS information can provide location information to within centimeters

27. Wireless LAN Applications: Warehouse Management
New products arrive continuously
Must be inventoried and stored
Products being shipped must first be located then transferred to correct location and truck
Mistakes in inventory or inability to locate items can be devastating
Mark inventory with RFID tags
Warehouse management system (WMS) software: Can manage all activities from receiving through shipping
Utilize wireless technology

28. Wireless LAN Applications: Public Safety
Public safety departments using WLANs and GSM to communicate information with public safety vehicles
City-owned buildings equipped with APs
Large volumes of data can be quickly downloaded to vehicles
e.g., building floor plans, photographs of criminal suspects, and maps

29. Wireless LAN Applications: Healthcare
Wireless LAN point-of-care computer systems allow medical staff to access and update patient records immediately
Document patient’s medication administration immediately
Extensive use of RFID tags
Identify healthcare professionals, patients, medications
System verifies that medication being administered to correct patient in correct dosage
Eliminates potential errors and documentation inefficiencies

30. Wireless LAN Applications: Healthcare (continued)
Documentation process takes place at bedside where care delivered
Improves accuracy
Hospital personnel have real-time access to latest medication and patient status information
Wireless technology also used in other medical areas:
e.g., video pills

31. Wireless LAN Applications: Healthcare (continued)
Video pill

32. Wireless Advantages and Disadvantages: Advantages
Mobility: Primary advantage of wireless technology
Enables individuals to use devices no matter where users roam within range of network
Increasingly mobile workforce is characteristic of today’s business world
WLANs give mobile workers freedom while allowing them to access network resources
“Flatter” organizations: WLANs give team-based workers ability to access network resources needed while collaborating in team environment

33. Wireless Advantages and Disadvantages: Advantages (continued)
Easier and Less Expensive Installation: Installing network cabling in older buildings difficult and costly
Wireless LAN is ideal solution
Eliminating need for cabling results in cost savings
Significant time savings as well
Allows offices to reorganize easily
Increased Reliability: Wireless LAN technology eliminates certain types of cable failures and increases overall network reliability

34. Wireless Advantages and Disadvantages: Advantages (continued)
Disaster Recovery: Documented disaster recovery plan vital to every business
Hot site: Off-site facility that can run business’s operations if primary site is not available
Generally maintained by third party
Expensive
Cold site: Customer provides and installs equipment
Many businesses use cold sites and WLANs as major piece of disaster recovery plan
No consideration given to network cabling

35. Wireless Advantages and Disadvantages: Disadvantages
Security: Wireless signals broadcast in open air
Security for wireless LANs is prime concern
Unauthorized users might access network
War driving
Attackers might view transmitted data
Employees could install rogue access points
Attackers could easily crack existing wireless security
Older wireless products have very weak security features

36. Wireless Advantages and Disadvantages: Disadvantages (continued)
Radio Signal Interference: Signals from other devices can disrupt wireless transmissions
Or wireless device may be source of interference for other devices
e.g., Microwave ovens, elevator motors, photocopying machines, theft protection devices, cordless telephones
Solution: Locate source of interference and remove
Health Risks: Wireless devices emit RF energy
Not known if or to what extent low levels of RF might cause adverse health effects

37. Summary
Wireless devices and technologies enable users to roam almost anywhere and remain connected to data and voice networks
A WLAN, also known as Wi-Fi, functions the same as a standard wired network except devices send radio frequency signals through the air instead of being connected to the network by cabling
Bluetooth devices communicate using small radio transceivers called radio modules that are built into microprocessor chips

38. Summary (continued)
Two popular technologies are WiMax and free space optics (FSO)
Handheld devices can send and receive wireless signals using the Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications technology
RFID tags function as electronic barcodes
Wireless personal area networks (WPANs) cover technologies where the transmission generally extends only a few meters or feet, whereas wireless local area networks (WLANs) are generally restricted to 112 meters (375 feet)

39. Summary (continued)
Wireless LAN applications can be found in industries in which employees need the freedom to conduct business without being confined to a specific location
Wireless LANs have significant advantages, including increased mobility, easier and less expensive network installations, increased network reliability, and disaster recovery
Some of the disadvantages of wireless LANs include security, radio signal interference, and health concerns