Wireless Technology Overview

Wireless Technology Overview


Wireless technologies enable one or more devices to communicate without an actual wired connection. Radio frequency is used
to transmit the data. Such technologies are rapidly evolving to meet a variety of communications needs, from simple to complex.
Wireless communications needs can all be classified in one of three ways, based on the distance they are meant to cover. These
include: wireless personal area networks (WPAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), and wireless wide area networks (WWAN).

 





Wireless networks form the transport mechanism between devices and traditional wired networks. WPANs are limited
to distances under about 10 meters and include technologies such as infrared (IR), Bluetooth® technology, and
ultra-wideband (UWB). WLANs cover a local area with distances of individual access points reaching to about 100 meters,
and include technologies such as Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n). WWANs cover even larger areas, using cellular data networks.
This section discusses some of the most popular and widely used wireless technologies to provide readers with a point
of reference for the use of 3G technology.

WPAN

WPANs typically provide ad hoc network connections designed to dynamically connect devices to other devices within close
range of each other. These connections are termed ad hoc because they do not generally need to connect to any network
infrastructure to operate. They can simply connect to each other and perform necessary communications without the need of
any access network devices, such as access points or base stations.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth has emerged as the most widely used WPAN network standard. The Bluetooth standard is an industry specification
that describes how mobile phones, headsets, computers, handhelds, peripherals, and other computing devices should
interconnect with each other. Bluetooth network applications include wireless headsets, hands-free operation, wireless
synchronization, wireless printing, advanced stereo audio, dial-up networking, file transfer, and image exchange, to name a few.

WLAN

WLANs provide connections designed to connect devices to wired networks. Unlike a wired LAN, a WLAN does not require cabling
to connect the device to a switch or router. Devices connect wirelessly to nearby wireless access points that are attached to the
local network using an Ethernet connection. A single access point communicates with nearby WLAN devices in a coverage area of
about 100 meters. This coverage area allows users to move freely within range of an access point with their notebook computers,
handhelds, or other network devices. Multiple access points can be coordinated together by a network WLAN switch to allow
users to hand off between access points.

Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi (or IEEE 802.11) is the set of standards established to define wireless LANs. A number of different protocols are defined
in the 802.11 family of standards, addressing various operating frequencies and maximum throughputs. The 802.11g standard
is currently the predominant protocol deployed in WLAN implementations.

WWAN

WWANs provide broadband data networks with a far greater range, using cellular technologies such as GPRS, HSPA, UMTS, 1xRTT,
1xEV-DO, and LTE. Wireless data devices connect to a wireless broadband network through a commercial carrier’s data network,
allowing broadband performance without the need for a cabled connection to a network infrastructure (much like a WLAN), while
providing end users with far greater mobility. These WWANs typically incorporate sophisticated user identification techniques to
ensure that only authorized users are accessing the network. Multiple base stations are coordinated by base station controllers
to allow users to hand off between base stations (cell sites).



1xEV-DO is the broadband wireless network standard developed by the Third-Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) as part
of the CDMA2000 family of standards. EV-DO networks were first launched based on release 0 of the standard. The standard is
currently in revision A, which has been deployed nationally by Verizon Wireless, and provides average download speeds of 600
Kbps to 1.4 Mbps, and average upload speeds of 500 to 800 Kbps, with low latency, typically between 150 and 250 milliseconds.