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Overview of IEEE 802 Wireless Standards

ieee 802 standards wlan wimax wireless lan mac layer

This article provides an overview of the IEEE 802 family of standards, which have been developed for Local Area Networks (LANs), Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), and Wide Area Networks (WANs). It covers both the Physical (PHY) and Media Access Control (MAC) layer specifications essential for modem and system designers.

IEEE 802 Standards Summary

Here’s a breakdown of the key IEEE 802 standards:

  • IEEE STD 802.1®: Defines specifications for BRIDGING & MANAGEMENT in network environments.

  • IEEE STD 802.2®: Describes the Logical Link Control (LLC) for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks. Essentially, it’s Part 2 of the LLC protocol.

  • IEEE STD 802.3®: Focuses on Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD), along with the PHY layer.

  • IEEE STD 802.4®: Covers the Token Bus network architecture.

  • IEEE STD 802.5®: Specifies the MAC layer for Token Ring networks.

  • IEEE STD 802.6®: Developed by ANSI for Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs).

  • IEEE STD 802.10®: Establishes standards for security functions within LANs and MANs. This includes security association, key management, data confidentiality, and access control.

  • IEEE STD 802.11®: Describes the PHY and MAC layers of various WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) standards. This is a big one! It encompasses:

    • 802.11a
    • 802.11b
    • 802.11g
    • 802.11n
    • 802.11ac
    • 802.11ad

  • IEEE STD 802.12®: Specifies requirements for 100Mbps networks, typically utilizing twisted pair cables.

  • IEEE STD 802.15®: Defines both the PHY and MAC layers for various personal area network technologies.

    • Zigbee
    • Bluetooth

  • IEEE STD 802.16®: Focuses on the air interface for broadband wireless access.

    • Covers both PHY and MAC layers.
    • OFDM PHY/MAC (Fixed WiMAX)
    • OFDMA PHY/MAC (Mobile WiMAX)
    • Fixed WiMAX - PHY, MAC
    • Mobile WiMAX - PHY, MAC

  • IEEE STD 802.17®: Defines the MAC layer for bridges used in Local and Metropolitan Area Networks.

  • IEEE STD 802.20®: Specifies the PHY and MAC layers used for vehicular mobile speed broadband connections.

  • IEEE STD 802.21®: Defines Media Independent Handover Services for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks, facilitating seamless transitions between different network types.

  • IEEE STD 802.22®: Defines Cognitive Wireless RAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY).

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