Keywords
Citation
Rigelsford, J. (2003), "802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide", Sensor Review, Vol. 23 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.2003.08723bae.003
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide
802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide
Matthew GastO'Reilly2002464 pp.ISBN 0-596-00183-5£31.95
Keywords: Wireless, IEEE
802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide provides a practical manual for designing, debugging and administering wireless networks. It addresses the capabilities, limitation and risks associated with integrating wireless LAN technology into current systems.
The book comprises 18 chapters and two appendices, with the first chapter providing an Introduction to wireless networks. An overview of 802.11 networks is given in chapter 2 and discusses topics including: the IEE 802 network technology family tree; 802.11 nomenclature and design; and mobility support. The following two chapters present the 802.11 media access control (MAC) and 802.11 framing in detail, respectively. Topics addresses include: encapsulation of higher layer protocols within 802.11; data control and management frames; frame transmission, association and authentication states.
Chapter 5, wired equivalent privacy (WEP), discusses the cryptographic background to WEP and associated problems, while chapter 6, security, take 2: 802.1x, addresses the extensible authentication protocol. Chapters 7 and 8 discuss management operations and content-free service with the point coordinate function (PCF) respectively.
Physical-layer architecture: the radio link and RF and 802.11 are addressed in chapter 9, Physical layer overview. The following five chapters present the ISM PHYs: FH, DS and HR/DS; 802.11a: 5GHz orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) PHY; using 802.11 on Windows; using 802.11 on Linux and using 802.11 access points. Chapter 15, 802.11 network deployment, presents topics including: the topology archetype; project planning; the site survey; installation and the final rollout.
802.11 network analysis and 802.11 performance tuning are addressed in chapters 16 and 17. They discuss topics including "why use a network analyser?", tuning radio and power management; 802.11 network analysis examples and a summary of tuneable parameters. The final chapter of the book discusses the future of 802.11.
Overall, this is a well written book that will be invaluable to those wishing to develop or maintain an IEEE 802.11 wireless network.
Jon Rigelsford