TKK | Tietoverkkolaboratorio | Opetus

Wireless Local Area Network

WLAN is a flexible data communication system, which can be used for applications in which mobility is necessary or desirable. Using electromagnetic waves, WLANs transmit and receive data over the air without relying on physical connection. Current WLAN technology is capable of reaching a data rate of 11Mbps. Overall, WLAN is a promising technology for the future communication market. This presentation presents an overview of wireless network concepts describing the basic technology alternatives, user applications, benefits and potential problems of WLAN technology.

Contents

• Overview of WLAN
• How does WLAN work?
  • Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS)
  • Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)
  • Infrared (IR)
• WLAN setups
  • Ad-hoc network
  • infrastructure LAN
• Uses of WLAN
  • Healthcare
  • Conducting everyday business
  • Network managers in older buildings
  • Network managers in dynamic environments
• Benefits of WLAN
  • Mobility
  • Range of coverage
  • Installation Speed, Simplicity and Flexibility
  • Scalability
  • Cost
• Restrictions and potential problems with WLAN
  • Radio signal interference
  • Connection problem
  • Network security
• A civilian application scenario