Wireless LAN Wikipedia. An example of a Wi Fi network. A wireless local area network WLAN is a wireless computer network that links two or more devices using wireless communication within a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building. This gives users the ability to move around within a local coverage area and yet still be connected to the network. Through a gateway, a WLAN can also provide a connection to the wider Internet. Most modern WLANs are based on IEEE 8. Wi Fi brand name. Ibss Software' title='Ibss Software' />MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL REVIEW is a doubleblind refereed journal that aims at the advancement and dissemination of research in the fields of International Management. A wireless local area network WLAN is a wireless computer network that links two or more devices using wireless communication within a limited area such as a home. Ibss Software' title='Ibss Software' />Wireless LANs have become popular for use in the home, due to their ease of installation and use. They are also popular in commercial properties that offer wireless access to their customers. Ibss Software' title='Ibss Software' />HistoryeditNorman Abramson, a professor at the University of Hawaii, developed the worlds first wireless computer communication network, ALOHAnet. The system became operational in 1. Oahu island without using phone lines. Mbits WLAN PCI Card 8. Wireless LAN hardware initially cost so much that it was only used as an alternative to cabled LAN in places where cabling was difficult or impossible. Early development included industry specific solutions and proprietary protocols, but at the end of the 1. IEEE 8. 02. 1. 1 in products using the Wi Fi brand name. Beginning in 1. 99. European alternative known as Hiper. LAN1 was pursued by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute ETSI with a first version approved in 1. This was followed by a Hiper. LAN2 functional specification with ATM influencescitation needed accomplished February 2. Neither European standard achieved the commercial success of 8. Hiper. LAN2 has survived in the physical specification PHY for IEEE 8. PHY of Hiper. LAN2. In 2. 00. 9 8. 02. It operates in both the 2. GHz and 5 GHz bands at a maximum data transfer rate of 6. Mbits. Most newer routers are able to utilise both wireless bands, known as dualband. This allows data communications to avoid the crowded 2. GHz band, which is also shared with Bluetooth devices and microwave ovens. The 5 GHz band is also wider than the 2. GHz band, with more channels, which permits a greater number of devices to share the space. Not all channels are available in all regions. A Home. RF group formed in 1. ArchitectureeditStationseditAll components that can connect into a wireless medium in a network are referred to as stations STA. All stations are equipped with wireless network interface controllers WNICs. Wireless stations fall into two categories wireless access points, and clients. Access points APs, normally wireless 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 non portable devices such as desktop computers and workstations that are equipped with a wireless network interface. Basic service seteditThe basic service set BSS is a set of all stations that can communicate with each other at PHY layer. Every BSS has an identification ID called the BSSID, which is the MAC address of the access point servicing the BSS. There are two types of BSS Independent BSS also referred to as IBSS, and infrastructure BSS. An independent BSS IBSS is an ad hoc network that contains no access points, which means they cannot connect to any other basic service set. Extended service seteditAn extended service set ESS is a set of connected BSSs. Access points in an ESS are connected by a distribution system. Each ESS has an ID called the SSID which is a 3. Distribution systemeditA distribution system DS connects access points in an extended service set. The concept of a DS can be used to increase network coverage through roaming between cells. DS can be wired or wireless. Current wireless distribution systems are mostly based on WDS or MESH protocols, though other systems are in use. Edraw Max Professional Crack. Types of wireless LANseditThe IEEE 8. In ad hoc mode, mobile units transmit directly peer to peer. In infrastructure mode, mobile units communicate through an access point that serves as a bridge to other networks such as Internet or LAN. Since wireless communication uses a more open medium for communication in comparison to wired LANs, the 8. Wired Equivalent Privacy WEP, now insecure, Wi Fi Protected Access WPA, WPA2, to secure wireless computer networks. Many access points will also offer Wi Fi Protected Setup, a quick but now insecure method of joining a new device to an encrypted network. InfrastructureeditMost Wi Fi networks are deployed in infrastructure mode. In infrastructure mode, a base station acts as a wireless access point hub, and nodes communicate through the hub. The hub usually, but not always, has a wired or fiber network connection, and may have permanent wireless connections to other nodes. Wireless access points are usually fixed, and provide service to their client nodes within range. Wireless clients, such as laptops, smartphones etc. Sometimes a network will have a multiple access points, with the same SSID and security arrangement. In that case connecting to any access point on that network joins the client to the network. In that case, the client software will try to choose the access point to try to give the best service, such as the access point with the strongest signal. Peer to peereditPeer to Peer or ad hoc wireless LANAn ad hoc network not the same as a Wi. Fi Direct network3 is a network where stations communicate only peer to peer P2. P. There is no base and no one gives permission to talk. This is accomplished using the Independent Basic Service Set IBSS. A Wi. Fi Direct network is another type of network where stations communicate peer to peer. In a Wi Fi P2. P group, the group owner operates as an access point and all other devices are clients. There are two main methods to establish a group owner in the Wi Fi Direct group. In one approach, the user sets up a P2. P group owner manually. This method is also known as Autonomous Group Owner autonomous GO. In the second method, also called negotiation based group creation, two devices compete based on the group owner intent value. The device with higher intent value becomes a group owner and the second device becomes a client. Group owner intent value can depend on whether the wireless device performs a cross connection between an infrastructure WLAN service and a P2. P group, remaining power in the wireless device, whether the wireless device is already a group owner in another group andor a received signal strength of the first wireless device. A peer to peer network allows wireless devices to directly communicate with each other. Wireless devices within range of each other can discover and communicate directly without involving central access points. This method is typically used by two computers so that they can connect to each other to form a network. This can basically occur in devices within a closed range. If a signal strength meter is used in this situation, it may not read the strength accurately and can be misleading, because it registers the strength of the strongest signal, which may be the closest computer. Hidden node problem Devices A and C are both communicating with B, but are unaware of each other.