Description:

As we all know by now, wireless networks offer many advantages over fixed (or wired) networks. Foremost on that list is mobility, since going wireless frees you from the tether of an Ethernet cable at a desk. But that's just the tip of the cable-free iceberg. Wireless networks are also more flexible, faster and easier for you to use, and more affordable to deploy and maintain.

The de facto standard for wireless networking is the 802.11 protocol, which includes Wi-Fi (the wireless standard known as 802.11b) and its faster cousin, 802.11g. With easy-to-install 802.11 network hardware available everywhere you turn, the choice seems simple, and many people dive into wireless computing with less thought and planning than they'd give to a wired network. But it's wise to be familiar with both the capabilities and risks associated with the 802.11 protocols. And 802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition is the perfect place to start.

This updated edition covers everything you'll ever need to know about wireless technology. Designed with the system administrator or serious home user in mind, it's a no-nonsense guide for setting up 802.11 on Windows and Linux. Among the wide range of topics covered are discussions on:

• deployment considerations
• network monitoring and performance tuning
• wireless security issues
• how to use and select access points
• network monitoring essentials
• wireless card configuration
• security issues unique to wireless networks

With wireless technology, the advantages to its users are indeed plentiful. Companies no longer have to deal with the hassle and expense of wiring buildings, and households with several computers can avoid fights over who's online. And now, with 802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition, you can integrate wireless technology into your current infrastructure with the utmost confidence.

 

Table of Contents:

Foreword

Preface

1. Introduction to Wireless Networking

     Why Wireless?

     What Makes Wireless Networks Different

     A Network by Any Other Name...

2. Overview of 802.11 Networks

     IEEE 802 Network Technology Family Tree
     802.11 Nomenclature and Design

     802.11 Network Operations

     Mobility Support

3. 802.11 MAC Fundamentals

     Challenges for the MAC

     MAC Access Modes and Timing

     Contention-Based Access Using the DCF

     Fragmentation and Reassembly

     Frame Format

     Encapsulation of Higher-Layer Protocols Within 802.11

     Contention-Based Data Service

     Frame Processing and Bridging

4. 802.11 Framing in Detail

     Data Frames

     Control Frames

     Management Frames

     Frame Transmission and Association and Authentication States

5. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)

     Cryptographic Background to WEP

     WEP Cryptographic Operations

     Problems with WEP

     Dynamic WEP

6. User Authentication with 802.1X

     The Extensible Authentication Protocol

     EAP Methods

     802.1X: Network Port Authentication

     802.1X on Wireless LANs

7. 802.11i: Robust Security Networks, TKIP, and CCMP

     The Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)

     Counter Mode with CBC-MAC (CCMP)

     Robust Security Network (RSN) Operations

8. Management Operations

     Management Architecture

     Scanning

     Authentication

     Preauthentication

     Association

     Power Conservation

     Timer Synchronization

     Spectrum Management

9. Contention-Free Service with the PCF

     Contention-Free Access Using the PCF

     Detailed PCF Framing

     Power Management and the PCF

10. Physical Layer Overview

     Physical-Layer Architecture

     The Radio Link

     RF Propagation with 802.11

     RF Engineering for 802.11

11. The Frequency-Hopping (FH) PHY

     Frequen