A Field Guide to Wireless LANs for Administrators and Power Users

• Deploy, manage, and troubleshoot any wireless LAN ... home or business
• WLAN technology for non-experts: clear, accurate, easy
• Proven quick-start configurations for Windows®, and Linux®, and MacOS®
• No-hassle wireless security solutions
• Covers IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11i/WPA
• Contrasts IEEE 802.11 WLAN technology with IEEE 802.16 WMAN and IEEE 802.15 WPAN technology

Expert knowledge and insight for deploying and managing any wireless LAN.

In this book, best-selling networking author Thomas Maufer explains how wireless LANs work, and how to make them work for you-reliably and securely. Maufer takes you under the hood with today's latest WLAN technologies, offering practical insight and context for deploying, managing, and troubleshooting WLANs in any environment, from the enterprise to the home.

• Covers all leading IEEE 802.11 wireless standards: 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11i/WPA
• Shows how to deploy small, mid-sized, large, public, business, and home networks
• Provides sample Windows®, Linux®, and MacOS® configurations that help you get started quickly
• Demystifies WLAN security so you can understand how to protect your data
• Illuminates the 802.11 protocol so you can troubleshoot more effectively
• Previews tomorrow's WLAN standards and applications for business and home (IEEE 802.11j and 802.11n)

Whether you're a network/system administrator or a power user, Thomas Maufer demystifies wireless LAN technology... so you can maximize the benefits while minimizing the hassles.

Table of Contents

Preface.

1. Wireless LAN Preliminaries.

Why Wireless? WLANs Arrive on the Scene. Components of IEEE 802.11 LANs. Where Do Wireless LAN Standards Come From? What Is Wi-Fi™? Is It the Same as IEEE 802.11? Summary.

2. A Brief History of Networking Standards.

The Mother of All Networking Standards. Aside: The IETF and TCP/IP Standards. IEEE LAN Standards. Introduction to IEEE 802.11's MAC Sub-layer Frame Structure. Summary.

3. Speeds and Feeds.

Overview of IEEE 802.11 PHYs. Summary of IEEE 802.11 PHYs. The Future's So Bright…

4. IEEE 802.11's MAC Sub-layer Protocol—Frames, etc.

IEEE 802.11 MAC Sub-layer Frame Structure. Structure of the IEEE 802.11 MAC Sub-layer Frame. Structure of the IEEE 802.11 MAC Frames. IEEE 802.11 Data Exchange Interfaces. Higher-Layer Protocol Encapsulation. Modes of Operation. Summary.

5. Dissection of a Probe Response MMPDU.

Reprise of IEEE 802.11's MMPDU Structure. What Causes a Probe Response? Dissection of an Actual Probe Response. Summary.

6. IEEE 802.11's MAC Sub-layer Protocol—Access, etc.

Building Blocks: Joining a Wireless LAN. IEEE 802.11 WLAN Components. MAC/PLCP Interactions. DCF, PCF, Time, and Power Management. Summary.

7. Security Mechanisms for Wireless LANs.

Introduction to Wireless LAN Security. Security and the OSI Model. Introduction to Wireless LAN Security. Wired-Equivalent Privacy (WEP). IEEE 802.11i-Robust Security Network.

8. Applications and Deployment of Wireless Technology.

IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN Devices. Wireless LANs at Home. WLANs in Medium-to-Large Enterprise Networks. Wireless LANs in Public Places. Deploying WLANs at Home: A Case Study. Summary.

Index.