RFID Technology Quiz

Chapter 4-4: Bluetooth, WiMAX, RFID, and Mobile Communications

• This chapter examines three wireless technologies: Bluetooth, WiMAX, and RFID.
• Bluetooth is based on the 802.15 standard, designed to replace wired connections.
• Information is transmitted via the 2.4 GHz ISM frequency band, which is also used by 802.11b/g/n.
• Bluetooth has three output power classes with varying maximum output power and operating ranges.
  • Class 1: ~100 meters
  • Class 2: ~10 meters
  • Class 3: ~1 meter
• A Bluetooth device uses an inquiry procedure upon enabling, to detect available devices.
• This procedure also enables the device to be discovered by others, setting up a connection.
• The process involves sending an inquiry reply back, paging, and establishing a piconet, a small ad-hoc network.
• Piconets can include up to 8 devices, with one acting as a master for synchronization.
• WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a broadband wireless system.
• It's designed for broadband wireless access (BWA) for fixed and mobile stations.
• The frequency range is from 2 GHz to 66 GHz.
• WiMAX has a 30-mile range for fixed stations and a 3-10 mile range for mobile stations.
• WiMAX is typically used for last mile wireless broadband access.
• WiMAX also features flexible channel sizes such as 3.5 MHz, 5 MHz, and 10 MHz. This provides adaptability for global standards to ensure maximum data transfer rates are supported.
• The WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e) media access control (MAC) layer differs from the IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi MAC layer. This is because WiMAX only needs to compete once to access the network and is assigned a time slot by the base station.
• WiMAX has a range of up to 31 miles and it operates in both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint configurations. This makes it useful when DSL or cable network connectivity is not available.
• RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a technique that uses radio waves to track and identify people, animals, objects, and shipments.
• RFID systems rely on modulated backscatter, where radio waves striking the RFID tag are reflected back with stored identification information.
• RFID systems consist of an RFID tag (also called an RF transponder) and a reader (transceiver).
• The reader transmits radio waves to activate the tag, retrieving information stored in the tag.
• The parameters that define an RFID system include: means of powering the tag (passive, semi-active, active); frequency of operation (Low Frequency, High Frequency, Ultra-High Frequency); and communication protocols (air interface protocol).
• RFID tags obtain power through passive (rectifying RF energy), semi-active (battery for electronics, backscatter), or active (battery for transmission).
• RFID systems operate in three frequency bands (LF, HF, and UHF), with varying data rates and read ranges.
• RFID uses Slotted Aloha as the communication protocol. This protocol determines the allowed transmission times for tags and reduces data collisions to allow up to 1000 tags per second.

Chapter 4-5: Configuring a Point-to-Point Wireless LANs: A Case Study

• This section provides an example of preparing a proposal for a point-to-multipoint wireless network for a company.
• Administrators want a wireless network connection for employees to the company's network.
• The example problem concerns antenna site surveys, establishing a point-to-point wireless link, configuring for multipoint distribution, performing an RF site survey to establish a baseline signal level for remote users, and configuring remote user installations.
• A site survey was performed to determine an antenna site with a tower for placement. Antenna selection factors involved radiation pattern, range, and cost. Options include Omni, Yagi, or Dish antennas.
• A point-to-point wireless link to the home network was established.. Costs were a factor.
• Multipoint distribution using omni-directional antenna (for broader coverage) was used.
• An RF site survey verified signal quality across the desired area.
• Remote user installations needed a directional antenna (Yagi) with mount and lightning arrestor.

Chapter 4-6: Troubleshooting Wireless Networks

• This section focuses on common techniques for troubleshooting wireless networks, which can sometimes encounter failure.
• Primary hardware is the access point, which is checked using ping to test network connectivity.
• Troubleshooting steps include verifying the access point hardware, unplugging/re-plugging for a reset, evaluating signal strength and range, determining if obstacles (physical or electrical) are causing problems. Potential electrical interference comes from devices using the same frequency range, like microwaves (2.4 GHz). Users can also experience load issues, from too many users trying to connect at once. DHCP issues (with IP addresses) and SSID issues are handled by resetting the appropriate settings. Security protocols (e.g., WPA/WEP) need to be consistent between the client and access point. Selecting the correct wireless channels, as those without overlaps, is essential. Problems with extending wireless range may require moving the antenna or adding a high-gain antenna. Proper verification of cable connections is required when wireless devices are experiencing connectivity problems. Network switch uptime is verified using commands to identify reboots of the switch.

Chapter 6-2: TCP/IP Layers

• The TCP/IP model has four layers: Application, Transport, Internet, and Network Interface.
• The Application layer handles application-specific data and requests.
• The Transport layer defines the connection type and acknowledgements. TCP (connection-oriented) and UDP (connectionless) are important protocols.
• The Internet layer handles addressing and routing. Protocols include IP, ARP, ICMP, and IGMP.
• The Network Interface layer defines how the host connects to the network (Ethernet, token ring, frame relay).
• TCP/IP and OSI model layers correlate.
• The Application layer uses ports for specific applications (Table 6-3). Well-known ports (1–1023), registered ports (1024–49151), and private ports (49152–65535) are assigned by ICANN.
• The Transport layer utilizes TCP (connection-oriented) and UDP (connectionless).
• The establishment of a TCP connection involves a three-way handshake: SYN, SYN-ACK, and ACK.
• Port 1054 is an arbitrary port used in the example of an FTP transaction, while port 21 is the standard FTP destination port.
• UDP is connectionless, doesn't require acknowledgements, and is used for streaming applications (e.g., audio/video).

Chapter 6-4: IPv4 Addressing

• IPv4 addresses are 32 bits long, using dotted decimal notation.
• IPv4 addresses are categorized into classes (A, B, C, D, and E). Different classes have different ranges (Table 6-6).
• Private IP addresses are reserved for internal networks (e.g., 10.x.x.x, 172.16.x.x, 192.168.x.x) (Table 6-10).
• ARIN (American Registry for Internet Numbers) assigns blocks of IP addresses to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) based on qualification.

Chapter 6-5: Subnet Masks

• Subnetting divides networks into smaller subnetworks (subnets).
• The subnet mask identifies network/subnet bits in an IP address, enabling routing to the correct subnet.
• Subnets are created by borrowing bits from the host portion of the IP address.
• Equations are used to determine the number of subnets created and the number of hosts per subnet (Eqs. 6-1,6-2, and 6-3).
• The subnet mask specifies bit positions for network and subnet bits. Subnets have unique network and broadcast addresses Table 6-12 gives decimal and binary equivalents.
• Example 6-8 provided the division of 10.0.0.0 into 8 subnets.

Test your knowledge on various types of RFID tags including active, passive, and semi-active. This quiz will cover frequency bands, read ranges, applications, and unique characteristics of RFID technology. Perfect for students or professionals looking to enhance their understanding of RFID systems.