Introducing Wireless Networking; Introduction - THOMSON Gateway Configuration Manual

Chapter 1

Introducing Wireless Networking

1 Introducing Wireless Networking
1.1

Introduction

IEEE 802.11
In the early '90s a lot of wireless systems were developed because people wanted to connect their laptop
computers to the network (and Internet) when entering the office. The problem was that none of these
systems was compatible with the other. Finally, the IEEE association elaborated a standard for Wireless Local
Area Networks (WLAN). This standard was referred to as 802.11 or Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity). As Ethernet had
become the actual standard for LAN, the WLAN standard was designed to be compatible with Ethernet above
the data link layer. As a result, IP packets can be sent over a WLAN in the same way that they are sent over
Ethernet.
Overview of wireless standards
This is an extensive alphabetical list of existing popular wireless standards:
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AMPS: Advanced Mobile Phone System. AMPS is the first analog cellular standard in the U.S. Although
AMPS is still in use, it is anticipated to be replaced by the United States Digital Cellular (USDC) standard.
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Bluetooth: Bluetooth is an industrial specification for Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs).
Bluetooth provides a way to connect and exchange information between devices such as mobile phones,
laptops, PCs, printers, digital cameras and video game consoles via a secure, globally unlicensed short-
range radio frequency. IEEE 802.15.1 has derived a WPAN standard based on the Bluetooth v1.1
specifications. It includes a medium access control and physical layer specification.
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CDPD: Cellular Digital Packet Data is a digital standard for packet data services. CDPD was designed to
overlay with existing cellular infrastructure, thereby permitting simple and inexpensive installation.
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CEBus: The Consumer Electronics Bus (CEBus) standard was created by the Electronic Industries
Association (EIA). CEBus is an engineering standard for home automation products. It supports carrier
current, RF, IR, coaxial cable, twisted pair, and fibre optic cable.
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DECT: Digital Enhanced (formerly European) Cordless Telecommunications is a universal cordless
telephone standard developed by the European Telecommunications Standard Institute (ETSI). DECT
offers services for both voice and data communications.
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GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications. The GSM standard was developed in Europe to
standardize cellular communications among European countries. GSM has proven to be one of the most
successful standards of the last decades and continues as one of the world`s most popular standards for
new cellular radio and personal communications equipment.
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HIPERLAN: HIgh PErformance Radio LAN is a WLAN standard. It is a European alternative for the
IEEE 802.11 standards. It is defined by ETSI. In ETSI, the standards are defined by the BRAN (Broadband
Radio Access Networks) project.
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IEEE 802.11
standardize WLAN development in the ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) band. The standard
focuses on the Media Access Control (MAC) and the physical (PHY) protocol levels. The IEEE 802.11
standard is still under development, but is anticipated to become the WLAN standard.
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IrDA: The Infrared Data Association (IrDA) was formed to develop a standard for wireless communication
using infrared (IR) technology. Some of the main goals of the committee are to develop a standard that
permits low cost, low power, point-to-point user communications using IR as the transmission medium.
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IS-54: Interim Standard 54. See USDC.
E-DOC-CTC-20060609-0001 v2.0
a,b,g: This is the IEEE standard for WLANs. The goal of the IEEE 802.11 committee is to
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