TKK | Tietoverkkolaboratorio | Opetus
In July 1997, the IEEE published a standard for Wireless Local Area Networks. This standard is named IEEE 802.11, and in September 1999, they ratified the 802.11b (High rate) to the standard.
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.
Table 1: WLAN family of standards
| IEEE 802.11(DSSS) | IEEE 802.11a | IEEE 802.11b | |
| Application | Wireless Ethernet (LAN) | Wireless ATM | Wireless Ethernet (LAN) |
| Frequency range | 2.4 GHz | 5GHz | 2.4GHz |
| Data rate | 1-2Mbps | 20-25 Mbps | 5.5 Mbps, 11 Mbps |