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WLAN Topology

WLAN Topology

Chapter 10

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WLAN Topology

Notes:

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WLAN Topology

Overview

IBSS (ad-hoc) BSS

BSS

Independent
radio cell BSS Radio cell

WDS

Extended WLAN
network (ESS)

WLAN has been designed as cellular system. The smallest unit is called a radio cell.
The data end devices in a WLAN radio cell such as laptops or PDAs with WLAN card are called
stations. A radio cell consists of at least one WLAN station and is defined by the transmission range
of the radio signal.
In most cases, a radio cell still has access to a cable-based network, i.e. to an access point. The
basic radio cell is called basic service set (BSS). If this BSS is connected to a cable network, we
speak of an infrastructure network.
If the radio cell is operated without access point, it is an independent radio cell or independent basic
service set (IBSS). Quite some notebooks with WLAN interface can be connected spontaneously to
an independent BSS. Thus the IBSS often is called an ad-hoc network.
The WLAN extension can be enlarged anytime by interconnecting several BSS. The BSS are
connected according to the standard via cable-based networks. They are called distribution
systems. The distribution system itself is wireless and thus is called a wireless distribution system
(WDS). The combination of BSS, access points and WDS is called an extended infrastructure
network or extended service set (ESS).
WLAN station in general can be operated in an IBSS as well as in a BSS with access point. In order
to realize this, the user must have the option to select the station operating modes ad-hoc mode
and infrastructure mode.

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WLAN Topology

Radio Cell With Access Point (BSS)

Distribution System (DS)

IEEE 802.3

Access Point
(AP)
IEEE 802.11

Station (ST)

All stations communicating with each other via the radio path together form a common radio cell.
The basic WLAN structure is called basic service set (BSS).
In a radio cell with one access point, the WLAN stations are transparently connected with a cable-
based network. This means they can access network resources such as printers or servers as if
they would be directly connected with the LAN. The access point operates like a switch that
manages a LAN port and a WLAN port. Thus the access point must convert the telegram format of
the WLAN to the Ethernet format (and vice versa) in accordance with IEEE 802.3.
Telegrams output at the WLAN port reaches all stations of a radio cell. The stations are connected
behind the WLAN port like to a hub. They must share the bandwidth of the access point.

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Data Exchange Within the BSS

Distribution System (DS)

IEEE 802.3

Access Point
(AP)
IEEE 802.11

IEEE 802.11
IEEE 802.11
Station A

Station C

Station B

In a BSS, telegrams always run via the access point even if two stations directly want to exchange
data. Since the access point only has one radio unit, it cannot simultaneously send and receive
telegrams at its antenna.
This means that during data exchange within the radio cell each telegram is emitted two times
consecutively. This doubles the transmission time compared to the data exchange in the
distribution system.
This is not valid for an ad-hoc network or for telegrams being transmitted into the cable-based
network. Here, each telegram only needs to cross the radio path between station and access point
once.
On the other hand, the application of an access points doubles the possible distance between two
stations since it is sufficient that the stations reach the access points. The stations then do not need
any direct radio connection with each other.

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Ad-hoc Network (IBSS)

Radio
cell

Station 2

Station 4
Station 1

Station 3

An IBSS (also called an ad-hoc network) does not have a defined access point. Instead, one of the
stations within an ad-hoc network takes over the tasks of the access point. Most WLAN stations
allow for operation within an IBSS (without access point) and a BSS (with access point.) The user
needs to set the desired operating mode when configuring the WLAN interface of the station.
The ad-hoc network is (as the name already states) a network type that often is designed
spontaneously and operated temporarily. A typical example is a meeting of several laptop users
interconnecting their laptops for file exchange or common data access via their integrated WLAN
cards to form an ad-hoc network. To do this, they do not need an interface to a LAN.
In ad-hoc operating mode, only limited access and encoding methods are available since a central
access point is missing. The extension of radio cells is limited to a maximum transmission range of
a station because all stations must be able to listen to each other.
It is the advantage of the ad-hoc network that there is no need to install an access point. Also the
fact that the data throughput is doubled compared to that of a radio cell with access point (BSS)
since telegrams are directly transmitted to other stations without being diverted via an access point.

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WLAN Topology

Radio Cell ID (BSSID)

BSSID Zelle

Each Ethernet participant in accordance with IEEE 802.3 has an Ethernet address that is unique
world-wide. This so-called MAC address (Medium Access Control) is used on the lowest protocol
level for accessing the medium. The fact that the Ethernet participant belongs to a certain network
is clearly defined by a physical connection , i.e. the Ethernet cable. The telegrams transmitted via
the cable originate from the network to which the end device is connected.
For Wireless LAN the radio field of the access point forms the physical interface to the WLAN
stations. If the radio fields of different access points overlap, WLAN stations also receive telegrams
from other radio cells. However, only telegrams from its own radio cell must be processed or
forwarded. Thus an additional address field is introduced into which the so-called identification of
the corresponding radio cell had been entered. In the corresponding standard, this identification is
called a BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier). The BSSSID format corresponds to the one of the
MAC address within the cable-based Ethernet. In the case of a radio cell with access point, the
BSSID corresponds to the WLAN MAC address of the access points. In the ad-hoc network, the
BSSID is selected by a station by chance.

Note: Since usually the access point is configured via the Ethernet interface, it has a web
server that as Ethernet node also has a MAC address. This so-called host MAC is
not relevant for data transfer within the radio cell. Opposed to that the BSSID,
also called the WLAN MAC of the access point, is an essential part of the radio telegrams.

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Extended Network (ESS)

1 6 11 1

A wireless LAN consisting of several radio cells networked via Ethernet, is called an Extended
Service Set (ESS). This network type is applied in the following cases:

Increase in wireless coverage

Due to the transmission power of the WLAN devices being limited by the standard, often several
access points are used to achieve the desired extension of the WLAN.

Increasing the bandwidth

The data volume of the WLAN stations can be distributed onto several access points and can be
processed in parallel by using several access points. The data throughput is thus increased.
However, this is only valid if there is no overlapping with identical channel numbers.

Roaming
In ESS, a WLAN station can roam between several radio cells without loosing the connection to
the cable-based network.

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WLAN Topology

Wireless Bridge
Cable substitute

Via the radio path, a wireless bridge connects two cable-based networks with each other. Both
WLAN devices must transmit telegrams between radio cell and cable and thus take over tasks of an
access point. In order to be able to discern which telegrams need to be transmitted to the radio cell,
the access point needs to know which addresses can be reached via the radio cell.
In a standard radio, each WLAN station logs in at the access point using its MAC address. Thus the
access point knows the MAC addresses of all end devices and can decide which telegrams are to
be emitted into the radio cell.
In the wireless bridge the WLAN devices only know each other. The MAC address of the end
devices connected via cables remain unknown.
Many manufacturers ask the users to manually enter the MAC address of the corresponding
network into the access point configuration. However, when replacing an Ethernet device, the
WLAN configuration would have to be processed as well. Thus in automation, we prefer systems
that independently learn the MAC addresses like a switch. However, this only functions well for
devices of the same manufacturer.

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Wireless Distribution System (WDS)

Bridge function Repeater function

WB 1 WB 2 WB 3

Dual access point

In order to replace longer cables by a wireless connection, several wireless bridges need to be
connected in series. There are two methods to do this:

Bridge Mode
An access point of the wireless bridge is connected to the access point of the next wireless bridge
via a short Ethernet cable. In order to simplify the installation and to save space, Phoenix Contact
offers so-called dual access points. They consists of two independent access points that
interconnected via Ethernet. The dual access point can receive telegrams from a radio cell via the
first radio interface and it can forward them immediately via the second antenna. In this way, the
data throughput is not reduced when cascading several radio cells. However, the latency times of
the access points just add.

Repeater Mode
For the interconnection of two wireless bridges, a simple access point with only one radio cell. It
can only forward telegrams via the antenna when data reception is complete. Thus the bandwidth is
reduced by 50% with each additional repeater. Cascading is only possible to some extent.

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WDS Applications

K1 K1

K6 K6 K6

PROFINET PROFINET

Wireless distribution systems are often used when it is too expensive or even impossible to install
cables. Obstacles like streets, water runs or the neighboring property can easily be bridged using
WDS. WDS is also beneficial for temporary installations.
In most cases the WDS is installed via wireless connections between stationary WLAN devices. In
these cases, you can use directional antennas to increase the transmission range.
In the above example, monitoring cameras are installed subsequently on a marshaling yard. The
voltage supply is available between the tracks. However, the subsequent installation of data cables
would strongly impair the marshaling yard traffic and thus would cause considerable costs. For this
reason, digital cameras are used that can transmit the video image as Ethernet stream. Via a WDS
the Ethernet telegrams are then transmitted to the headquarters. The Ethernet infrastructure also
allows for the use of PROFINET/IO, also in order to control the cameras rotary and swivel drives.

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Creating Large-Surface Wireless Fields

1 6 11 1

11 1 6 11

1 6 11 1

In order to reach seamless radio coverage in large rooms such as industrial halls and open plan
offices also, several radio cells are needed. The access points are arranged in a way that the
transmission ranges overlap. For channel distribution it is essential that the radio cells with identical
channel numbers do not overlap. You can see a typical distribution scheme for applications within
the 2.4 GHz range in the illustration above.
The higher the required minimum transmission rate, the stronger the radio cells have to overlap in
order to guarantee the required signal strength in each spatial point. This reduces not only the
distance between the access points but also the danger of radio cells - with identical radio channel -
overlapping.
In real life the radio fields will not be propagated in circles as shown above but their propagation will
be more irregular due to reflections and other wave effects. Overlapping radio cells with identical
radio channels can thus not be prevented in the 2.4-GHz range in particular. In some cases the
overlapping of identical radio channels can be reduced by applying directional antennas and
systematic transmission power adaptation.
The access point assignment should only be finally determined after local measurements have
taken place.

Note: The overlapping of radio cells with identical channel does not lead to a recognizably
increased collision rate because the media reservation used for WLAN also functions
between stations of different radio cells. However, the bandwidth available for each
station is reduced since all stations with identical channel need to share the available
bandwidth of one radio cell.

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WLAN Network ID (SSID)

SSID Laptop

SSID Admin

SSID PDA

In a cable-based network, the network access of an end device is determined by a cable

connection. In a radio network, however, often several potential access points are within the
transmission range of a station. In order to be able to determine the network access in a unique
way, the WLAN networks receive a network name or a Service Set ID (SSID). Only devices with the
same SSID can establish radio connections. In complex WLAN connections such as the complete
WLAN coverage of entire office buildings, the network accesses can be explicitly demarcated from
each other by assigning SSIDs.
The network name is a character sequence to be defined by the user and it has a length between 0
and 32 characters (case-sensitive).
The SSID is regularly made known by the access point via broadcast messages. Stations searching
for a network access can then register themselves at the access point using this SSID and thus
these stations can become part of the radio cell in question. Many public WLAN network accesses
(hot spots) are working according to this principle.
For some WLAN stations, the connection to any access point can be allowed for using the any
network ID. However, this only functions if the access point broadcasts its network name (SSID).
The emission of the SSID can be switched off. Then a potential user must know the SSID for the
network access and has to manually enter it at the WLAN station.
The SSID is only exchanged during login. However the SSID is not contained as information field in
other telegrams.

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Roaming

1 6

1 6

In order to enlarge the operating range of a mobile station, several radio cells can be combined
(ESS). This enables continuous network access. If the station leaves the reception area of an
access point, the station tries to connect to the next access point within reach. When changing to
the new access point, data exchange is shortly interrupted (for some 100 ms) since the station
needs to login there first.

Roaming prerequisites
The radio areas must overlap in the periphery so that at least one access point can be reached.
Due to the overlapping, the adjacent radio cells should operate in separate frequency ranges.
The mobile station and access points must have the SSID.

Roaming process
Roaming is roughly determined by one station. In order to guarantee the quickest possible change
to the next access point, the station tries to find an access point with higher signal strength and
identical SSID before the connection is finally aborted. Since the adjacent access points operate on
other channels, it is relatively time-consuming for the station to search through the different
frequency ranges. During the search procedure, data transmission must be interrupted. In this way
it is disadvantageous for the data rate to go through the search routine too often.
The search for another access point usually is triggered by the receivers signal strength falling
below the defined value. The criteria for starting the access point search are manufacturer-specific.
For some devices, the roaming dynamic can be set by the user.
If access point density is high, the stronger signal sources should already be searched for when
receiving power is high. For applications with hardly overlapping radio cells, the search only is
profitable for essentially lower signal strength.

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Network Structure via SSID

Office_2 Office_1 Office_2

Office_1

Office_2 Bro_1 Office_1

Office_2
K1 K6

Open-plan office

One application is the targeted network load distribution to two or more access points within an
open-plan office. The overlapping radio cells cover the same office area in order to increase the
data throughput. In order to evenly distribute the network load onto the overlapping radio cells, the
stations are assigned to an access point each via SSID. In order to be able to operate overlapping
radio cell, different channels need to be set for the access points.
Another application is the separation of networks (e.g., strict separation of production and office
network of a company). If different SSIDs are used for the networks WLAN accesses, the
separation of WLAN devices also is ensured.

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Network Structure via Channel ID

K1 K6
Auto
K1 K6

K1 K6

Production Stock

SSID Site A

If roaming is to be an available option within an ESS, all access points must use the same SSID
and the roaming stations have to be set to automatic selection.
If, however, selected stations still have to be assigned to an access point (excluding roaming), this
can be done by giving a defined channel number.
In automation application in particular, it may happen more often that systems are disconnected.
Once the access point is disconnected or once there is no defined switching sequence anymore, it
needs to be checked whether the stations now can produce undesirable connections to other
access points due to this fact.
In those cases, stations and access points are assigned by setting channel numbers.

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Access Point
2-port switch with LAN and
WLAN port
Access control for WLAN stations
Organizing the data encoding
within the radio cell
Managing expandable MAC
WL A
address lists for wireless bridges N
IEEE port
802.1
Exchange of MAC address lists 1

and registration information for WLA

N
IEEE port
fast roaming support (standard in 802.3
process)
Diagnostic/status information
from the radio cell
Switch functions
VLAN, MAC filter, ..

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Notes:

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