CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition Chapter Five IEEE 802.11 Media Access Control and Network Layer Standards

Objectives List and define the three types of WLAN configurations Tell the function of the MAC frame formats Explain the MAC procedures for joining, transmitting, and remaining connected to a WLAN CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

IEEE Wireless LAN Configurations: Basic Service Set Extended Service Set Independent Service Set CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

IEEE Wireless LAN Configurations: Basic Service Set Basic Service Set (BSS): Group of wireless devices served by single AP infrastructure mode BSS must be assigned unique identifier Service Set Identifier (SSID) Serves as “network name” for BSS Basic Service Area (BSA): Geographical area of a BSS Max BSA for a WLAN depends on many factors (technology, obstructions, interference, battery power,…etc.) CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

IEEE Wireless LAN Configurations: Basic Service Set (continued) Figure 5-1: Basic Service Set (BSS) CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

IEEE Wireless LAN Configurations: Extended Service Set Extended Service Set (ESS): Comprised of two or more BSS networks connected via a common distribution system APs can be positioned so that cells overlap to facilitate roaming Wireless devices choose AP based on signal strength Handoff CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

IEEE Wireless LAN Configurations: Extended Service Set (continued) Figure 5-2: Extended Service Set (ESS) CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

IEEE Wireless LAN Configurations: Independent Basic Service Set Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS): Wireless network that does not use an AP Wireless devices communicate between themselves Peer-to-peer or ad hoc mode IBSS useful for quickly and easily setting up wireless network When no connection to Internet or external network needed CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

IEEE Wireless LAN Configurations: Independent Basic Service Set (continued) Figure 5-3: Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS) CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

IEEE 802.11 Media Access Control (MAC) Layer Standards Media Access Control (MAC) layer performs several vital functions in a WLAN Discovering WLAN signal Joining WLAN Transmitting on WLAN Remaining connected to WLAN Mechanics of how functions performed center around frames sent and received in WLANs CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

MAC Frame Formats Frames: Packet at MAC layer Or Data Link layer in OSI model IEEE 802.11 MAC frames different from 802.3 Ethernet frames in format and function Used by wireless NICs and APs for communications and managing/controlling wireless network CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

MAC Frame Formats (continued) Frame control field identifies: Specific 802.11 protocol version Frame type Indicators that show WLAN configuration All frames contain MAC address of the source and destination device Frame sequence number Frame check sequence for error detection CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

MAC Frame Formats (continued) IEEE 802.11 standard specifies three categories of MAC frames: Management Frames Control Frames Data Frames CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

MAC Frame Formats (continued) Management Frames: Initialize communications between device and AP (infrastructure mode) or between devices (ad hoc mode) Maintain connection Figure 5-4: Structure of a management frame CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

MAC Frame Formats (continued) Types of management frames: Authentication frame Association request frame Association response frame Beacon frame Deauthentication frame Disassociation frame Probe request frame Probe response frame Reassociation request frame Reassociation response frame CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

MAC Frame Formats (continued) Control frames: Provide assistance in delivering frames that contain data Figure 5-5: Control frame CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

MAC Frame Formats (continued) Data frame: Carries information to be transmitted to destination device Figure 5-6: Data frame CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Discovering the WLAN: Beaconing At regular intervals, AP (infrastructure network) or wireless device (ad hoc network) sends beacon frame Announce presence Provide info for other devices to join network Beacon frame format follows standard structure of a management frame Destination address always set to all ones (broadcasting) CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Discovering the WLAN: Beaconing (continued) Figure 5-7: Beaconing CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Discovering the WLAN: Beaconing (continued) Beacon frame body contains following fields: Beacon interval Timestamp Service Set Identifier (SSID) Supported rates Parameter sets Capability information In ad hoc networks, each wireless device assumes responsibility for beaconing In infrastructure networks beacon interval normally 100 ms, but can be modified CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Discovering the WLAN: Scanning Passive scanning: Wireless device simply listens for beacon frame Typically, on each available channel for set period Active scanning: Wireless device first sends out a management probe request frame on each available channel Then waits for probe response frame from all available APs CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Discovering the WLAN: Scanning (continued) Figure 5-8: Active scanning CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Joining the WLAN: Authentication Unlike standard wired LANS, authentication performed before user connected to network Authentication of the wireless device, not the user IEEE 802.11 authentication: Process in which AP accepts or rejects a wireless device Open system authentication: Most basic, and default, authentication method Shared key authentication: Optional authentication method Utilizes challenge text CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Joining the WLAN: Authentication (continued) Figure 5-9: Open system authentication CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Joining the WLAN: Authentication (continued) Figure 5-10: Shared key authentication CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Joining the WLAN: Authentication (continued) Open system and Shared key authentication techniques are weak Open System: Only need SSID to connect Shared Key: Key installed manually on devices Can be discovered by examining the devices Digital certificates: Digital documents that associate an individual with key value Digitally “signed” by trusted third party Cannot change any part of digital certificate without being detected CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Joining the WLAN: Association Association: Accepting a wireless device into a wireless network Final step to join WLAN After authentication, AP responds with association response frame Contains acceptance or rejection notice If AP accepts wireless device, reserves memory space in AP and establishes association ID Association response frame includes association ID and supported data rates CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Transmitting on the WLAN: Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) MAC layer responsible for controlling access to wireless medium Channel access methods: Rules for cooperation among wireless devices Contention: Computers compete to use medium If two devices send frames simultaneously, collision results and frames become unintelligible Must take steps to avoid collisions CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Transmitting on the WLAN: Distributed Coordination Function (continued) Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD): Before networked device sends a frame, listens to see if another device currently transmitting If traffic exists, wait; otherwise send Devices continue listening while sending frame If collision occurs, stops and broadcasts a “jam” signal CSMA/CD cannot be used on wireless networks: Difficult to detect collisions Hidden node problem CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Transmitting on the WLAN: Distributed Coordination Function (continued) Figure 5-11: Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Transmitting on the WLAN: Distributed Coordination Function (continued) Figure 5-11 (continued): Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Transmitting on the WLAN: Distributed Coordination Function (continued) Figure 5-12: Hidden node problem CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Transmitting on the WLAN: Distributed Coordination Function (continued) Distributed Coordination Function (DCF): Specifies modified version of CSMA/CD Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) Attempts to avoid collisions altogether Time when most collisions occur is immediately after a station completes transmission All stations must wait random amount of time after medium clear Slot time CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Transmitting on the WLAN: Distributed Coordination Function (continued) CSMA/CA also reduces collisions via explicit frame acknowledgment Acknowledgment frame (ACK): Sent by receiving device to sending device to confirm data frame arrived intact If ACK not returned, transmission error assumed CSMA/CA does not eliminate collisions Does not solve hidden node problem CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Transmitting on the WLAN: Distributed Coordination Function (continued) Figure 5-13: CSMA/CA and ACK CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Transmitting on the WLAN: Distributed Coordination Function (continued) Request to Send/Clear to Send (RTS/CTS) protocol: Option used to solve hidden node problem Significant overhead upon the WLAN with transmission of RTS and CTS frames Especially with short data packets RTS threshold: Only packets that are longer than RTS threshold are transmitted using RTS/CTS CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Transmitting on the WLAN: Distributed Coordination Function (continued) Figure 5-14: Request to Send/Clear to Send (RTS/CTS) CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Transmitting on the WLAN: Fragmentation Fragmentation: Divide data to be transmitted from one large frame into several smaller ones Reduces probability of collisions Reduces amount of time medium is in use If data frame length exceeds specific value, MAC layer fragments it Receiving station reassembles fragments Alternative to RTS/CTS High overhead ACKs and additional SIFS time gaps CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Transmitting on the WLAN: Point Coordination Function (PCF) Polling: Channel access method in which each device asked in sequence if it wants to transmit Effectively prevents collisions Point Coordination Function (PCF): AP serves as polling device or “point coordinator” CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Summary A Basic Service Set (BSS) is defined as a group of wireless devices that is served by a single access point (AP) An Extended Service Set (ESS) is comprised of two or more BSS networks that are connected through a common distribution system An Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS) is a wireless network that does not use an access point Frames are used by both wireless NICs and access points for communication and for managing and controlling the wireless network CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Summary (continued) The MAC layer provides four major functions in WLANs: discovering the WLAN signal, joining the WLAN, transmitting on the WLAN, and remaining connected to the WLAN Discovery is a twofold process: the AP or other wireless devices must transmit an appropriate frame (beaconing), and the wireless device must be looking for those frames (scanning) Once a wireless device has discovered the WLAN, it requests to join the network; This is a twofold process known as authentication and association CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition

Summary (continued) The IEEE 802.11 standard specifies two procedures for transmitting on the WLAN, distributed coordination function (DCF) and an optional point coordination function (PCF) The 802.11 standard provides for an optional polling function known as Point Coordination Function (PCF) CWNA Guide to Wireless LANs, Second Edition