Last Lecture: Data Link Layer

802.11 Frame: Addressing

2

2

6

6

6

2

6

0 - 2312

frame control

duration

address 1

address 2

address 3

seq control

address 4

payload

CRC

4

Address 2: MAC address of wireless host or AP transmitting this frame

Address 1: MAC address of wireless host or AP

to receive this frame

Address 3: MAC address of router interface to which AP is attached

Address 4: used only in ad hoc mode

802.11 frame: addressing

Internet

AP

H1

R1 router

AP MAC addr

H1 MAC addr

R1 MAC addr

address 1

address 2

address 3

802.11 frame

R1 MAC addr

H1 MAC addr

dest. address

SUNY at Buffalo; CSE 489/589 – Modern Networking Concepts; Fall 2010; Instructor: Hung Q. Ngo

source address

802.3 frame

802.11 frame: more

2

2

6

0 - 2312

frame control

duration

address 1

address 2

address 3

seq control

address 4

payload

CRC

duration of reserved transmission time (RTS/CTS)

6 6 6 2

4

Protocol version

Type

Subtype

To AP

From AP

More frag

Retry

Power mgt

More data

WEP

Rsvd

2

2

4

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

frame seq # (for RDT)

frame type

(RTS, CTS, ACK, data)

SUNY at Buffalo; CSE 489/589 – Modern Networking Concepts; Fall 2010; Instructor: Hung Q. Ngo

Mobility Within the Same Subnet

hub or switch

AP 2

AP 1

H1

BBS 2

BBS 1

router

• H1 remains in same IP subnet
• IP address of the host can remain same
• Ongoing data transfers can continue uninterrupted
• H1 recognizes the need to change

• H1 detects a weakening signal
• Starts scanning for stronger one
• Changes APs with same SSID
• H1 disassociates from one
• And associates with other
• Switch learns new location
• Self-learning mechanism

Conclusions

• Wireless
• Already a major way people connect to the Internet
• Gradually becoming more than just an access network
• Mobility
• Today’s users tolerate disruptions as they move
• … and applications try to hide the effects
• Tomorrow’s users expect seamless mobility
• Challenges the design of network protocols
• Wireless breaks the abstraction of a link, and the assumption that packet loss implies congestion
• Mobility breaks association of address and location
• Higher-layer protocols don’t perform as well