Wireless LANs - Standards and security

Del Smith CCNA, CCA, MCSE Tech Republic

Published: 08 May 2002 09:42 BST

If you listen closely, you can almost hear the sound of wireless LAN radio frequencies zipping network traffic through the air. Well, of course you can't literally hear RF waves, but wireless LANs (WLANs) are certainly being planted in IT networks from east to west.

Understanding wireless LAN protocols and components
In this article, I will describe some recent standards affecting WLAN technologies and discuss the standard components of a typical WLAN solution. Additionally, I will address the issue of security on a WLAN.

Understanding the different flavours of 802.11
To know where we are with WLAN solutions, we need to take a quick look at how the technology has evolved. By now, most of us have heard of the 802.11 WLAN standards established by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE). Before 802.11, all radio-frequency wireless network communications was proprietary. 802.11 established the standards for WLANs that vendors and manufacturers follow to ensure interoperability. Entire books have been written in an attempt to clarify the various specifications and differencing between the 802.11 protocol families. Table A briefly outlines the differences among the four.

Less confused? I didn't think so. It takes a lot more reading and research to fully understand not only the differences but also the pros and cons of each standard. The main thing to know is that the current de facto standard being adopted by most vendors and organisations is 802.11b. The next few months will more than likely reveal the slow adoption of 802.11g products based on its higher transfer rate and compatibility with existing 802.11b specifications.