Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

Topic & Structure of the lesson

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

Wireless Interference Interoperability and WLAN Backbones

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Learning Outcomes
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

At the end of this module, YOU should be able to:

Describe the factors contributing to Wireless Interference.

Describe the standard regulations concerning Wireless Interference. Describe the relationship and relevance of the Industrial, Scientific, And Medical (ISM) standards devices. Describe the approaches for detecting Interferences. Describe Wireless Interoperability and WLAN Backbone.

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Key Terms you must be able to use

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

If you have mastered this topic, you should be able to use the following terms correctly in your assignments and exams: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) Detecting Interference Access Points (AP) Radio Frequency (RF) Frequency Hopping (FH) Basic Service Set (BSS) Extended Service Set ID (ESSID)

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Main Teaching Points

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

Wireless Interference Interoperability and WLAN Backbones

Detecting Interference
Access Points (AP) Radio Frequency (RF)

Frequency Hopping (FH)

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Wireless Interference
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

Introduction

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules

Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation

Interference is typically the state of the signal you are interested in while it's being destructively overpowered by a signal you are not interested in

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Wireless Interference
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

The FCC has a specific definition of "harmful interference":

Part 2.1(c) Harmful interference -Interference which endangers the functioning of a radio-navigation service or of other safety services or seriously degrades, obstructs, or repeatedly interrupts a radiocommunication service operating in accordance with these [International Radio] Regulations

Interference will be a factor in your deployment The 2.4GHz band is a bit more congested than the 5.8GHz band, but both have co-users that you must consider Refer to the following figure:

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Wireless Interference
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)
Spectrum allocations for 802.11b and co-users Start GHz End GHz 0.4700 10.5000 2.3900 2.4500 2.4000 2.4830 2.4000 2.4835 2.4000 2.5000 2.4000 9.6000 2.4010 2.4730 2.4500 2.4835 2.4500 2.5000 2.4500 2.8350 5.0910 5.2500 5.1500 5.2500 5.2500 5.3500 5.6500 5.9250 5.7250 5.8250 5.7250 5.8500 5.7250 5.87

Part / Use Part 87 Part 97 Part 15 RF lighting Part 18 Part 80 ISM - 802.11b Part 74 Part 101 Part 90 Part 25 U-NII Low U-NII Middle Part 97 U-NII High ISM Part 18

The following subsections describe users that you may encounter while deploying 802.11 devices and detail what interference mitigation may be possible for each

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Wireless Interference
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

Devices that Fall into Part 15 of the ISM Band (2400 to 2483 MHz)

This includes unlicensed telecommunications devices such as cordless phones, home spy cameras, and Frequency Hopping (FHSS) or Direct Sequence (DSSS) Spread Spectrum LAN transceivers You have neither priority over nor parity with any of these users Any device that falls into Part 15 must not cause harmful interference to all other licensed and legally operating Part 15 users but it must accept interference from all licensed and legally operating Part 15 users

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Wireless Interference
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

This is explicitly defined in 15.5:

15.5(b) Operation of an intentional, unintentional, or incidental radiator is subject to the conditions that no harmful interference is caused and that interference must be accepted that may be caused by the operation of an authorized radio station, by another intentional or unintentional radiator, by industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) equipment, or by an incidental radiator

Interference objections don't necessarily have to come from a "Commission representative." Operators of other licensed and non-licensed devices can inform you of interference and require that you terminate operation.

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Wireless Interference
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

Users of 802.11b can interfere with each other even if they are on different channels, as the channels are 22MHz wide and spaced only 5MHz apart Channels 1, 6, and 11 are the only channels that don't interfere with each other. Refer to table below:
Channel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Bottom (GHz) 2.401 2.406 2.411 2.416 2.421 2.426 2.431 2.436 2.441 2.446 2.451 Center (GHz) 2.412 2.417 2.422 2.427 2.432 2.437 2.442 2.447 2.452 2.457 2.462 Top (GHz) 2.423 2.428 2.433 2.438 2.443 2.448 2.453 2.458 2.463 2.468 2.473

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Wireless Interference
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) Devices: Part 18

This is also an unlicensed service Typical ISM applications include the production of physical, biological, or chemical effects such as heating, ionization of gases, mechanical vibrations, hair removal, and the acceleration of charged particles Users of this band include ultrasonic devices such as jewelry cleaners, ultrasonic humidifiers, and microwave ovens. Medical devices, such as diathermy equipment and magnetic resonance imaging equipment (MRI) also use ISM, along with some industrial devices such as paint dryers

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Wireless Interference
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

RF should be contained within the devices, but other users must accept interference from them Part 18 frequencies that could affect 802.11 devices are 2.400 to 2.500GHz and 5.725 to 5.875GHz It is difficult to coordinate with the users of Part 18 devices because they are unlicensed and may not realize the impact their equipment has on 802.11 devices This part of the FCC's rules is applicable to the uplink or downlink of data to and from satellites in Earth orbit

Satellite Communications: Part 25

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Wireless Interference
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

One band that overlaps the U-NII band is reserved for Earth-to-space communications at 5.091 to 5.25GHz Within this spectrum, 5.091 to 5.150GHz is also allocated to the fixed-satellite service (Earth-to-space), for non-geostationary satellites on a primary basis The FCC is trying to decommission this band for "feeder" use to satellites Because satellite transmissions involve very narrow aperture antennas pointing into the sky and relatively high power, you are not likely to interfere with them If you are near one of these installations, there is a very slight chance they could interfere with you

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Wireless Interference
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

Detecting Interference

A pre-site survey form should have a place to identify any known RF systems that are used on the site However, not all sites will have a single document or even someone who knows all of the RF equipment that is in use

Most enterprise WLAN equipment has the capability to look for other WLAN devices (usually referred to as rogue AP detection), and some can even report other interfering signals The drawback to such features is that the APs for the new WLAN need to be installed first

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Wireless Interference
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

If the installer is not aware of the other WLANs, he might install an AP in very close proximity to an interfering device This will in turn require a relocation of the AP, possibly affecting other AP locations as well It is vital to identify all other possible interference in the site before starting any RF survey work (through a walkabout survey, for example) Even if the survey to be used is an automated survey, it is a vital part of an installation to first look for and identify any interfering signals There are a number of methods to identify potential interference

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Wireless Interference
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

The most accurate is to use a spectrum analyzer Spectrum analyzers enable you to view the entire spectrum, looking for signals that might not only be within the frequency range of the intended WLAN system, but could be near or at a frequency that could cause interference It is vital to the quality of interference detection to become proficient with a spectrum analyzer To locate any possible interference from some non802.11 transmitter), use a higher-gain antenna on the analyzer, a peak hold function to capture any signals that are on line for a short period of time, and proper resolution and video bandwidth settings

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Wireless Interference
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

Existing WLAN devices represent another common source of interference If the existing device uses a separate band (900 MHz, for instance), then this should not cause an issue However, it is still recommended to keep some minimum distance between any two RF devices (minimum of 3 feet, or about 1 meter) even if they are on different bands When installing a system in the same facility that has competing RF on the same band, exercise extreme caution during the installation to keep interaction to a minimum

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Wireless Interference
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

For example, when adding an 802.11b or 802.11g system to a site that has an existing frequency-hopping (FH) system, maintain a minimum of 10 feet (3 meters) between the 802.11b or 802.11g and the FH system RF components Another common issue with regard to interference is the rogue AP (that is, the AP that some employee has brought in and put into the network without the consent of the IT staff) This type of AP can cause several issues, with the number one being security (because rogue APs typically do not conform to the IT security requirements)

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Wireless Interference
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

The second issue is interference with the properly installed WLAN If not identified before the walkabout portion of the survey begins, it can cause missed packets and higher noise-floor readings, which in turn might trigger the need for another AP in that location These devices should be "sought and destroyed" before starting a survey Some WLANs systems offer rogue AP detection utilities, but require the WLAN to be fully installed and operational before they can be used Therefore these utilities are more for maintaining a WLAN and identifying rogue APs in an operation WLAN and not for use as part of a site survey

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Interoperability and WLAN Backbones

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

Interoperability

Interoperability is also a concern when you are selecting products Make sure that any product you select is Wi-Fi certified (and not just that they use the term Wi-Fi in their literature) Go to the Wi-Fi Alliance website (www.wi-fi.com) and view the list of certified devices This at least provides some basic level of interoperability testing and certification

Also be aware that there are several different Wi-Fi certifications, such as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, security, quality of service, and so on

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Interoperability and WLAN Backbones

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

The packages of newer Wi-Fi certified products include a certification compliance label that lists the features supported by the product (802.11a, 802.1b, WPA, QoS, and so forth) No matter how many wireless clients you intend to support, you will eventually need to "hit the wire" in order to access other networks (such as the Internet). There are a number of different kinds of physical devices you can use to jump from wireless back to your wired infrastructure:

WLAN Backbones

Access Point Hardware APs are widely considered ideal for "campus" coverage

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Interoperability and WLAN Backbones

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

They provide a point of entry to the wired infrastructure that can be configured by a central authority They typically allow for one or two radios per AP, theoretically supporting hundreds of simultaneous wireless users at a time They must be configured with an ESSID (Extended Service Set ID, also known as the Network Name or WLAN Service Area ID, depending on who you talk to) It's a simple string that identifies the wireless network Many APs use a client program for configuration and a simple password to protect their network settings All hardware access points provide BSS master services Most APs also provide a number of enhanced features

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Interoperability and WLAN Backbones

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

External antennas (or antenna connectors), advanced link status monitoring, and extensive logging and statistics are now common on many APs In addition, most access points provide two additional security measures: MAC address filtering and closed networks

With MAC filtering enabled, a client radio attempting access must have its MAC address listed on an internal table before it can associate with the AP
In a closed network, the AP doesn't beacon its ESSID at regular intervals This means that each client must know the ESSID ahead of time

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Interoperability and WLAN Backbones

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

APs are by far the most widely used devices for providing wireless services, particularly in corporate networks

Another class of AP is occasionally referred to as a residential gateway (RG)

The Apple Airport, Orinoco RG series, and Linksys WAP11 are popular examples of RGs

They are typically much less expensive than their "commercial" counterparts
Many have built-in modems, allowing for wireless-todialup access (which can be very handy, if Ethernet access isn't available) Most even provide Network Address Translation (NAT), DHCP, and bridging services for wireless clients

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Interoperability and WLAN Backbones

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

While they may not support as many simultaneous clients as a high-end AP, they can provide cheap, simple access for many applications When configuring an inexpensive AP for bridged Ethernet mode, you can still have a high degree of control over what individual clients can access on the wired network by controlling communications at a higher level APs (that is, BSS masters) do not talk to each other over the air In order to have 802.11b BSS mode communications, one device (e.g., an access point) must be a master, and the other must be a client

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Interoperability and WLAN Backbones

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

Peer-to-Peer (IBSS) Networking Radios that are operating in IBSS mode can communicate with each other without a hardware access point if they have the same ESSID and WEP settings This is particularly handy for setting up temporary wireless workgroups without an AP, or for building pointto-point wireless connections As stated earlier, any computer with an 802.11b card and another network connection (usually Ethernet, dialup, or even another wireless connection) can serve as a gateway between the two networks

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Interoperability and WLAN Backbones

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

There is one important constraint on using IBSS mode: although it is defined by the 802.11b standard, few client cards actually interoperate well in the real world with others using IBSS

While two radios of the same manufacturer (and of the same firmware revision) generally work just fine, trying to get a Cisco card to talk to a Proxim card in IBSS mode (for example) is usually futile With this in mind, why would you choose to use IBSS mode rather than use an AP or the Host AP driver?
There are a couple of reasons

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Interoperability and WLAN Backbones

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

If you happen to have two cards of the same manufacturer and a couple of old computers, IBSS mode is ideal if you want to create a fixed point-to-point connection

Also, Host AP supports only a limited set of wireless cardsif you already own a card that isn't supported, you're out of luck
Finally, if you're using a laptop and need to exchange data with another wireless user, IBSS is your only option if you're out of range of an AP and can't run Host AP

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Quick Review Question

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Follow Up Assignment
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Summary of Main Teaching Points

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Question and Answer Session

WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

Q&A
CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs

Next Session
WLAN System Architecture and Design (II)

Topic and Structure of next session

Defining Security, Vulnerabilities and Threats to a Wireless LAN Wireless LAN Security Standards and Technology

CT031-3-3-Fundamentals of Wireless LANs