Wireless LAN Hardware and Types

Wireless LAN (WLAN) Hardware

• WLANs are wireless networks used in homes, offices, and campuses.
• WLANs enable mobility in home and business environments.
• Wireless infrastructure adapts to changing needs and technologies.

Types of Wireless Networks

• Wireless Personal-Area Network (WPAN): Low power, short-range (20-30 feet or 6-9 meters), based on IEEE 802.15 standard and 2.4 GHz frequency. Examples include Bluetooth and Zigbee.
• Wireless LAN (WLAN): Medium-sized networks up to 300 feet, based on IEEE 802.11 standard and 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequency.
• Wireless MAN (WMAN): Large geographic area (city or district), uses specific licensed frequencies.
• Wireless WAN (WWAN): Extensive geographic area (national or global), uses specific licensed frequencies.

Wireless Technologies

• Bluetooth: IEEE WPAN standard for device pairing up to 300 feet (100 meters).
  • Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE): Supports mesh topology for large-scale network devices.
  • Bluetooth Basic Rate/Enhanced Rate (BR/EDR): Optimized for point-to-point topologies, ideal for audio streaming.
• WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access): Alternative broadband wired internet connections, using IEEE 802.16 WLAN standard for up to 30 miles (50 km).

Wireless Technologies (Continued)

• Cellular Broadband: Used by phones, automobiles, tablets, and laptops, carrying voice and data.
  • Global System for Mobile (GSM): Internationally recognized.
  • Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA): Primarily used in the US.
• Satellite Broadband: Uses directional satellite dishes aligned with satellites in geostationary orbit, ideal in rural areas where cable and DSL are unavailable.

IEEE 802.11 Standards

Radio Frequencies

• Wireless devices operate within the electromagnetic spectrum.
• WLAN networks operate in the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands.

Wireless Standards Organizations

• International Telecommunication Union (ITU): Regulates the allocation of radio spectrum and satellite orbits.
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE): Defines standards for local and metropolitan area networks (LAN/MAN).
• Wi-Fi Alliance: Promotes the growth and acceptance and interoperability of WLAN products based on the 802.11 standard.

WLAN Components

• Antennas
• Wireless Router
• Internet Port
• Wireless Access Point
• Autonomous and controller-based access points

Wireless NICs

• Laptops, tablets, smart phones, and automobiles commonly include integrated wireless NICs (Network Interface Cards) that act as radio transmitter/receiver.
• If a device doesn't have an integrated wireless NIC, a USB wireless adapter can be used.

Wireless Home Router

• Home users interconnect wireless devices with a small wireless router.
• Wireless routers function as access points, switches, and routers, providing wired access, interconnecting wired devices, and providing a gateway to other networks and the internet.

Wireless Access Point

• Wireless clients discover nearby access points (APs) using their wireless NICs.
• Clients associate and authenticate with an AP.
• After authentication, wireless users access network resources.

AP Categories

• Autonomous APs: Standalone devices, configured via command-line interface or GUI, act independently, and are configured/managed manually by an administrator.
• Controller-based APs (lightweight APs): Use Lightweight Access Point Protocol (LWAPP) to communicate with a central Lightweight WAN controller (WLC), which automatically configures and manages each AP.

Wireless Antennas

• Omnidirectional: Provide 360-degree coverage, suitable for homes and offices.
• Directional: Focus the radio signal in a specific direction (e.g., Yagi, parabolic dish).
• Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO): Use multiple antennas to increase bandwidth.

WLAN Operation

• For wireless devices to communicate over a network, they must associate with an access point (AP) or wireless router. This involves a three-stage process:
  • Discover a wireless AP
  • Authenticate with the AP
  • Associate with the AP

WLAN Operation (Continued)

• To successfully associate, wireless clients and APs must agree on specific parameters:
  • SSID (Service Set Identifier): The network name.
  • Password: Authenticates the client to the AP.
  • Network Mode: The 802.11 standard in use.
  • Security Mode: Security settings (e.g., WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA3).
  • Channel settings: The frequency bands in use.

Channel Management

• The 2.4 GHz band is divided into multiple, non-overlapping channels, each with 22 MHz bandwidth, separated by 5 MHz.
• A best practice for 802.11b/g/n WLANs using multiple access points is to use non-overlapping channels (like channels 1, 6, and 11) to prevent interference.
• The 5 GHz band has more channels with 20 MHz separation, 36, 48, and 60 are non-overlapping channels.

Secure WLANs

• SSID Cloaking: Disabling the SSID broadcast hides the network name from unauthorized devices; clients must be manually configured with the SSID to connect.
• MAC Address Filtering: Manually permitting or denying wireless access based on a device's Media Access Control (MAC) address; devices with different MAC addresses may be blocked from joining the network.

802.11 Authentication Methods

• Open System Authentication: No password required, typically used in public access points.
• Shared Key Authentication: Uses encryption methods like WEP, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3 to securely encrypt data between the client and access point. The password needs to be pre-shared.

Shared Key Authentication Methods

• Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP): Older, static key encryption; not recommended.
• Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA): Stronger encryption than WEP; uses Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) for more secure key management.
• Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2): Employs Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for robust encryption.
• Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3): The latest standard, addressing security weaknesses; using Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) and improved security protocols.

WPA3

• WPA3 is recommended due to enhanced security over WPA2.
• Features include:
  • WPA3-Personal: Thwarts brute force attacks using Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE).
  • WPA3-Enterprise: Uses 802.1X/EAP authentication for enterprise use, eliminating the mixing of security protocols and using a 192-bit cryptographic suite.
  • Open Networks: Uses Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE) to encrypt wireless traffic.
  • IoT Onboarding: Uses Device Provisioning Protocol (DPP) for onboarding IoT devices.

Explore the essentials of Wireless LAN (WLAN) hardware and the different types of wireless networks. This quiz covers key concepts such as WLAN functionalities, various wireless standards, and the range of different networks like WPAN, WMAN, and WWAN. Test your knowledge on wireless technologies and their applications.