Wireless LAN - (WLAN) Resources

By most accounts, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) first began in 1971 when a wireless computer network was implemented (dubbed the AlohaNet) at the University of Hawaii. In 1990 AT&T, developed WaveLAN, a Direct Sequence Spread-Spectrum (DSSS) that exhibited superior interference immunity. After many versions of designs using discrete components, in 1996, Harris (now Intersil) introduced their PRISM WLAN chipset. Needing a standard to guarantee interoperability, in 1997, the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers published the first specification for IEEE 802.11 - 2.4 GHz, 2 Mbps, using Frequency Hopping (FH) and DSSS. In 1998, the ETSI HomeRF standard was developed for 2.4 GHz, 1.6 Mbps, Wideband Frequency Hopping. 1999 saw the publication of the IEEE 802.11b standard - 2.4 GHz, 11 Mbps, DSSS.

With the unlicensed 2.4 GHz ISM band being crowded with existing WLAN, Bluetooth, ZigBee and microwave ovens, and with a need for higher datarates, in 1999 the IEEE released its 802.11a standard, which moved up into the 5 GHz ISM band, and provided 54 Mbps, OFDM data. In 2000, the ETSI HiperLAN2 emerged - 5 GHz, 54 Mbps, OFDM, connection-oriented QoS. Alas, the difficulty with mass-producing high yielding, inexpensive systems at 5 GHz forced, combined with revolutionary modulation methods, drove the IEEE in 2003 to provide a new high datarate  spec for operation back in the 2.4 GHz band, but offering the same datarate as the  spec 802.11g - 2.4 GHz, 54 Mbps, OFDM, compatible with 802.11b. Now, 802.11n is in the works for 2.4 GHz operation yielding greater than 100 MHz datarates.

 

WLAN Spectral Masks (802.11a/b/g)       Wireless LAN (WLAN) Manufacturers & Services

 

802.1x News Sites |
802.11a | 80211anews.com
802.11b | 80211bnews.com
802.11g | 80211gnews.com
802.16 | 80216news.com
OFDM | OFDMnews.com

AbsoluteValue Systems | linux-wlan.org | 321-259-0737 | Melbourne, FL
Information about an ongoing AVS project to contribute 802.11 wireless LAN (WLAN) support for the GNU/Linux operating system and other Open Source platforms.

Converge! Network Digest | convergedigest.com/WiFi/wlans.asp?category=[Wireless LANs]
Wireless LAN News.

IEEE 802.11TM Wireless Local Area Networks | grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/11
The Working Group for WLAN Standards.

Multimedia Networks Laboratory | dvd1.ecs.umass.edu/wireless | 413-545-4847 | Amherst, MA
Advancing the science of computer networks especially as they pertain to the future wireless networks and their need to transport a maze of multimedia, voice and data applications across the globe, from the University of Massachusetts.

Network World, Inc | nwfusion.com/topics/wirelesslans.html
Breaking wireless LAN news.

Palo Wireless | palowireless.com
Wireless Technology Resources.

Radio theory and link planning for Wireless LAN (WLAN) | swisswireless.org/wlan_calc_en.html
By Mathias Coinchon.

Spread Spectrum Scene | sss-mag.com/wlan.html | 865-717-1019
Links & information on basic theory of WLANs, to the design of WLANs, through the selection of vendor hardware and system architecture, to discussions of WLAN security issues.

The Unofficial 802.11 Security Web Page | drizzle.com/~aboba/IEEE
Wireless LAN security information & standards.

Wi-Fi Alliance | wi-fi.org
A global, non-profit industry association of more than 200 member companies devoted to promoting the growth of wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs).

Wireless LAN Association | wlana.org
The Wireless Networking Industries information source - Find out how about wireless LAN fundamentals, proper wireless LAN design, and advanced wireless network security.

Wireless LAN Resources for Linux | hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/Linux
Linux Wireless LAN Howtos, wireless LAN drivers web pages, wireless Linux software on the Internet, security software for your wireless LAN, public wireless Linux networks, wireless LAN hardware (surveys and reviews).

Wireless LANs: Business Models, Technologies, Deployment, and Challenges | comsoc.org/tutorials/Yu/index.html
This tutorial presents the Wireless LAN (WLAN) technology a s specified in the IEEE 802.11 standard and its extensions. It also presents how to design and deploy WLAN networks for different market segments. Issues and challenges of security, Quality of Services (QoS), and IP mobility are addressed, along with potential solutions to these problems. By James T. Yu.

Wireless LAN Security: 802.11 Wardriving & Warchalking | wardrive.net
Contains links to 802.11 Security related websites, whitepapers, articles, presentations, howto's, and more.

WK Multimedia Network Training | wkmn.com/newsite/wireless.html | 415-586-1713 | Daly City, CA
Wireless Networking Mini-Tutorial.

WLAN Forum | wireless--lan.com
Wireless LAN (WLAN) information, news, events and happenings, conferences, announcements & more. Other Wireless Technologies such as Bluetooth, UWB, fixed wireless & similar topics may also be featured.

WLAN Lab Opnet Tutorial | comnets.uni-bremen.de/~mms/wlan_lab_script_1_2.pdf
By Mohammad M. Siddique and Andreas Könsgen.

Wlan.org.uk | wlan.org.uk/page2.html
Not-for-profit Amateur and Community Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) using Open Spectrum Technology.