WiFi MAC Protocol

History

WiFi is used to describe

the underlying technology
of wireless local area
networks (WLAN) based
on the IEEE 802.11
specifications
WiFi developed by Kyle
Brown
IEEE 802.11 denotes a
set of Wireless
LAN/WLAN standards
developed by working
group 11 of the IEEE
LAN/MAN Standards
Committee (IEEE 802)
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First WiFi

Intended for cashiers

Called WaveLAN

Vic Hayes

Father of WiFi
Helped design IEEE 802.11b, 802.11a and 802.11g

MAC Protocol
MAC

stands for Medium Access Control

Used to provide the data link layer of the
Ethernet LAN system
Job is to add a 14 byte header (Protocol
Control Information (PCI)) before the data
and append a 4-byte Cyclic Redundancy
Check (CRC) after the data
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Network-Level Architecture

Network-Level Architecture Cont.

IEEE 802.11 Standard

PHY/MAC

standard for wireless LANs

First

standardized in 1997
Meet great success starting in 1999
Several
IEEE

working groups

802.11a: high speed extension to the 5GHz

band
802.11b/g: high speed extension to the 2.4GHz band
802.11e: Quality of service (QoS) enhancement (still
active)
802.11i: Security enhancement
802.11s: Mesh-networking support
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Slide taken from: http://www.cse.ucsc.edu/classes/cmpe257/Spring05/lecture/lecture3.pdf#search='802.11e%20MAC%20protocol%2C%20powerpoint

Protocols
Protocols

Release
Date

Op.
Frequency

Date Rate
(Typ)

Date Rate
(Max)

Range
(indoor)

Legacy

1997

2.4 2.5 GHz

1 Mbit/s

2 Mbit/s

802.11a

1999

5.15-5.35/5.475.725/5.7255.875 GHz

25 Mbit/s

54 Mbit/s

~30 meters
(~100 feet)

802.11b

1999

2.4 2.5 GHz

6.5 Mbit/s

11 Mbit/s

~50 meters
(~150 feet)

802.11g

2003

2.4 2.5 GHz

11 Mbit/s

54 Mbit/s

~30 meters
(~100 feet)

802.11n

2006 (draft)

2.4 GHz or 5GHz

bands

200 Mbit/s

540 Mbit/s

~50 meters
(~160 feet)
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Protocols

IEEE 802.11 Group Standards

IEEE 802.11

The original 1 Mbit/s and 2 Mbit/s , 2.4 GHz RF and IR standard (1999)

IEEE 802.11a

54 Mbit/s, 5 GHz standard (1999, shipping products in 2001)

IEEE 802.11b

Enhancements to 802.11 to support 5.5 and 11 Mbit/s (1999)

IEEE 802.11c

Bridge operation procedures; included in the IEEE 802.1D standard (2001)

IEEE 802.11d

International (country-to-country) roaming extensions (2001)

IEEE 802.11e

Enhancements: QoS, including packet bursting (2005)

IEEE 802.11f

Inter-Access Point Protocol (2003) Withdrawn February 2006

IEEE 802.11g

54 Mbit/s, 2.4 GHz standard (backwards compatible with b) (2003)

IEEE 802.11h

Spectrum Managed 802.11a (5 GHz) for European compatibility (2004)

IEEE 802.11i

Enhanced security (2004)

IEEE 802.11j

Extensions for Japan (2004)

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IEEE 802.11 Group Standards Cont.

IEEE 802.11k

Radio resource measurement enhancements

IEEE 802.11l

(reserved and will not be used)

IEEE 802.11m

Maintenance of the standard; odds and ends.

IEEE 802.11n

Higher throughput improvements using MIMO (multiple input, multiple output antennas)

IEEE 802.11o

(reserved and will not be used)

IEEE 802.11p

WAVE - Wireless Access for the Vehicular Environment (such as ambulances and passenger
cars)

IEEE 802.11q

(reserved and will not be used, can be confused with 802.1Q VLAN trunking)

IEEE 802.11r

Fast roaming Working "Task Group r"

IEEE 802.11s

ESS Mesh Networking

IEEE 802.11T

Wireless Performance Prediction (WPP) - test methods and metrics Recommendation

IEEE 802.11u

Interworking with non-802 networks (for example, cellular)

IEEE 802.11v

Wireless network management

IEEE 802.11w

Protected Management Frames

IEEE 802.11x

(reserved and will not be used)

IEEE 802.11y

3650-3700 Operation in the U.S.

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802.11 Protocol Entities

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Slide taken from: http://www.cse.ucsc.edu/classes/cmpe257/Spring05/lecture/lecture3.pdf#search='802.11e%20MAC%20protocol%2C%20powerpoint

MAC in Detail
Channel

access mechanism

Distributed

Coordination Function (DCF)

Carrier

sense multiple access (CSMA) with

immediate MAC-level ACK
RTS/CTS(4-way handshaking) exchange (optional)
RTS

stands for Request-to-Send

CTS stands for Clear-to-Send

Point

Coordination Function (PCF)

Polled

access through AP and distributed access

Contention-free period (CFP) and contention
period (CP)
Seldom implemented in practice

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Slide taken from: http://www.cse.ucsc.edu/classes/cmpe257/Spring05/lecture/lecture3.pdf#search='802.11e%20MAC%20protocol%2C%20powerpoint

CSMA/CA Explained

Reduce collision probability where mostly needed

Efficient Backoff algorithm stable at high loads

Stations are waiting for medium to become free

Select Random Backoff after a Defer, resolving contention to avoid
collisions
Exponential Backoff window increases for retransmissions
Backoff timer elapses only when medium is idle

Implement different fixed priority levels

To allow immediate responses and PCF coexistence

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Slide taken from: http://www.cse.ucsc.edu/classes/cmpe257/Spring05/lecture/lecture3.pdf#search='802.11e%20MAC%20protocol%2C%20powerpoint

CSMA/CA + ACK Protocol

Defer access based on Carrier Sense

Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) from PHY and Virtual Carrier

Sense state

Direct access when medium is sensed free longer then

DIFS, otherwise defer and backoff
Reciever of directed frames to return an ACK
immediately when CRC correct

When no ACK received then retransmit frame after a random

backoff (up to maximum limit)

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Slide taken from: http://www.cse.ucsc.edu/classes/cmpe257/Spring05/lecture/lecture3.pdf#search='802.11e%20MAC%20protocol%2C%20powerpoint

CSMA/CD

CSMA stands

for Carrier Sense Multiple

Access
CD stands for Collision Detection
Allows for Retransmission Back-Off

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RTS/CTS Based Access

Duration field in RTS and CTS frames distribute Medium

Reservation information which is stored in a Net
Allocation Vector (NAV)
Defer on either NAV or CCA indicating Medium Busy
Use RTS/CTS is optional but must be implemented
Use is controlled by a RTS_Threshold parameter per
station
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To limit overhead for short frames

Slide taken from: http://www.cse.ucsc.edu/classes/cmpe257/Spring05/lecture/lecture3.pdf#search='802.11e%20MAC%20protocol%2C%20powerpoint

Frame Formats

MAC

Header format differs per Type:

Control

Frames (several fields are omitted)

Management Frames
Data Frames
Includes

Sequence Control Field for filtering of

duplicates caused by ACK mechanism

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Slide taken from: http://www.cse.ucsc.edu/classes/cmpe257/Spring05/lecture/lecture3.pdf#search='802.11e%20MAC%20protocol%2C%20powerpoint

Address Field Description

Addr

1 = All stations filter on this address.

Addr 2 = Transmitter Address (TA)
Identifies

transmitter to address the ACK frame to

Addr

3 = Dependent on To and From DS bits

Addr 4 = Only needed to identify the original
source of WDS (Wireless Distribution System)
frames

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Slide taken from: http://www.cse.ucsc.edu/classes/cmpe257/Spring05/lecture/lecture3.pdf#search='802.11e%20MAC%20protocol%2C%20powerpoint

Applications
Wireless Access

Point (WAP)
Wireless Routers
Wireless Ethernet Bridge
Range Extender

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Gaming Applications
Nintendo

DS
Sony PSP
Xbox 360
Playstation 3
Nintendo Wii

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Problems / Performance Issues

Interruption

by other devices
High power consumption
When setup the network defaults to open
mode
Large area coverage

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Security Issues
WEP encryption

is breakable
Spoofing authorized MAC addresses
Wardriving and Warchalking

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Question Summary / Conclusion

What is WiFi MAC Protocol?

Who came up with WiFi MAC Protocol?

It is the underlying technology of wireless local area

networks (WLAN) based on the IEEE 802.11 specifications
that provides the data link layer of the Ethernet LAN
system.
The IEEE Task Groups and created the IEEE 802.11 or
IEEE 802.11x Committee, however IEEE only sets
specifications. WiFi Alliance runs the certification program.

What is the difference between DCF and PCF?

DCF uses carrier sense multiple access with immediate

MAC-level ACK and contains RTS/CTS optional exchange.
PCF uses polled access through AP and distributed
access; cotains a contention-free period and a contention
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period; and is seldom implemented in practice.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wi-Fi_logo.png
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi
http://www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/ima/rm5/images/cashier_lg.jpg
http://www.art-events.de/systeme/images/wlan3.jpeg
http://www.aria.co.uk/mainimages/wpn802a.jpg
http://media.pugetsoundsoftware.com/ask-leo.com/images/wireless2bad.png
http://www.circuitcity.com/IMAGE/product/detail/dlk/EC.DLK.DWLG710.JPG
http://www.wsdmag.com/Files/32/8624/Figure_01.gif
http://www.os2warp.be/wireless/wireless_comparison.jpg
http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/50th/IEEE.logo.GIF
http://tab.computer.org/tcca/images/ieee.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bd/Blue_infrared_light.jpg/300px-Blue_infrared_light.jpg
https://weather.unisys.com/satellite/images/sat_ir_us.gif
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11#802.11_legacy
http://microwave.gotovim.ru/pics/microvawe.jpg
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http://acni.dnsalias.net/sites/batist/Picture%20Library/1/Open-door.jpg
http://www.cse.ucsc.edu/classes/cmpe257/Spring05/lecture/lecture3.pdf#search='802.11e%20MAC%20protocol
%2C%20powerpoint
http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~cpyue/PatrickWebFiles/AR5110.jpg
http://www.personaltelco.net/albums/album26/DSC00152.jpg
http://www.blurtek.com/uploaded_images/belkin-n-726511.jpg
http://www.erg.abdn.ac.uk/users/gorry/eg3561/dl-pages/crc.html
http://www.erg.abdn.ac.uk/users/gorry/eg3561/lan-pages/csma-cd.html
http://www.erg.abdn.ac.uk/users/gorry/eg3561/lan-pages/mac.html
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http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/9858/31043/01443506.pdf