Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Authorship by Chapter
- Foreword
- Preface
- Part I Introduction to 802.11
- Part II 802.11 Quality of Service
- Part III 802.11 Security
- Part IV High Throughput 802.11
- Part V 802.11 Mesh Networks
- Part VI 802.11/Cellular Interworking
- Part VII Coexistence
- Part VIII 802.11 Network and Radio Resource Management
- Part IX 802.11 Range
- Chapter 24 Wi-Fi Range: Impact on Data Rates, Coverage, and Capacity
- Part X 802.11 Hardware Design
- Part XI Wi-Fi Hotspots
- Part XII Wi-Fi Applications
- Part XIII Ultra WideBand (UWB)
- Part XIV Public Wireless Broadband
- Epilogue
- Index
Chapter 24 - Wi-Fi Range: Impact on Data Rates, Coverage, and Capacity
from Part IX - 802.11 Range
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 December 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Authorship by Chapter
- Foreword
- Preface
- Part I Introduction to 802.11
- Part II 802.11 Quality of Service
- Part III 802.11 Security
- Part IV High Throughput 802.11
- Part V 802.11 Mesh Networks
- Part VI 802.11/Cellular Interworking
- Part VII Coexistence
- Part VIII 802.11 Network and Radio Resource Management
- Part IX 802.11 Range
- Chapter 24 Wi-Fi Range: Impact on Data Rates, Coverage, and Capacity
- Part X 802.11 Hardware Design
- Part XI Wi-Fi Hotspots
- Part XII Wi-Fi Applications
- Part XIII Ultra WideBand (UWB)
- Part XIV Public Wireless Broadband
- Epilogue
- Index
Summary
Introduction
In the wired Ethernet environment, distance limitations and data rates are fully defined. This is a result of specific transmitter and receiver standards and a controlled media, i.e. the wire. A controlled media (such as wired Ethernet) is the key point here because a defined data rate can be maintained over a specified distance.
Things change significantly with wireless communications and once again the key is a controlled media, or lack there of. Physical media will always return fixed results; distances and data rates can vary greatly when using Radio Frequency (RF) as the transmission medium. It is because of this “fluid” nature of RF that deploying a Wi-Fi network can be fraught with issues, miss met expectations and a generally unhappy group of users.
It is also important to note the range, or the coverage area of a Wi-Fi Access Point is impacted by several items including data rate, capacity, interference and other variables so there are many things to contend with when going wireless.
However, with an understanding of a few basic principles such as antenna design and gain along with some information on items that impact a Wi-Fi network, you will be in a position to better create a higher performing, longer range wireless network.
Defining Range and Coverage
Before the RF signal leaves the antenna, a digital signal processor will convert the data stream into complex symbols that carry it over the air as it is transmitted.
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- Information
- Emerging Technologies in Wireless LANsTheory, Design, and Deployment, pp. 535 - 550Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2007