Wireless Communication Between Two

Computers
Gafar Ajao
Department of telecommunication science
University of Ilorin
Ilorin, Nigeria
Gafarolamide.ajao@gmail.com

Abstract—Wireless communication is a concept that has A. Wi-Fi-802.11a

been in existence for a long time now. It involves using
While 802.11b was in development, IEEE created
wireless technologies to enable communication between
computers. a second extension to the initial 802.11 customary
In this research work, the Wi-Fi technology will be used referred to as 802.11a. as a result of 802.11b’s faster
as a case study. The Wi-Fi technology will be explored in popularity growth compared to 802.11a, some people
order to explain how it can be utilized for effective believe that 802.11b was created before 802.11a.
wireless communication. Actually, both of them were created at the same time.
Keywords—wireless communication, Wi-Fi, computers, As a result of being more expensive, 802.11a is
technology typically found on business networks, meanwhile,
802.11b is mostly used by end users.
I. INTRODUCTION 802.11a allows up to 54 Mbps and also supports
Wireless communication is the communication of signals within the band of a regulated frequency
information between two or more parties over a spectrum around 5 GHz. 802.11a networks are
distance without the use of a physical medium i.e. there shortened in range as a result of its higher frequency
is no form of physical connections like cables, but when compared to the 802.11b networks. This
rather electromagnetic waves which serves as the feature of higher frequency also makes it difficult to
wireless medium. penetrate walls and obstructions.
Electromagnetic energy of electromagnetic fields is Because 802.11a and 802.11b utilize different
propagated by electromagnetic waves through space, frequencies, the 2 technologies are incompatible with
and the electromagnetic waves is used to transmit the one another. Some vendors manufacture hybrid
signals [1]. 802.11a/b network devices, however, these products
Wi-Fi is a widely used technology for wireless simply implement the 2 standards side by side (each
communication, which Wi-Fi means "Wireless device connected have to use only one of the two
Fidelity". In 1991, NCR Company / AT&T invented technologies). Wi-Fi 2 is another term for 802.11a
Wi-Fi in the Netherlands. We can exchange data [3].
between two or more devices using this technology,
and was developed for mobile computers, such as
B. Wi-Fi-802.11b:
laptops, but is now widely used for mobile applications
and consumer electronics such as TVs, DVD players, This Wi-Fi standard is developed basically for
and digital cameras. Communication with a Wi-Fi sending and receiving data through a wireless
connection can be achieved in two ways; via the access medium. It utilizes the 2.4 GHz frequency band and
point - client connection or the client - client. It is allows up to 11 Mbps wireless data transfers. Few
generally referred to as wireless LAN [2]. years later, 802.11g which is a faster standard, it
supports up to 54 Mbps data transfer rates. This
II. TYPES OF WI-FI TECHNOLOGIES: speed improvement can make a difference in the
speed of at which data is transferred within a local
Currently they are five major types of WIFI network, but since the limit of broadband Inter- net
access is around 5 Mbps, using the 802.11b wireless
technologies. connection will not be a drawback for accessing the
internet. Most wireless networks are either 802.11b
or 802.11g based [4].
Wi-Fi-802.11a
Wi-Fi-802.11b C. Wi-Fi-802.11g
Wi-Fi-802.11g 802.11g was the successor to 802.11b which was
Wi-Fi-802.11n approved in June 2003, it allows about 54Mbps data
Wi-Fi-802.11ac rate in the 2.4GHz band, although it has the same speed
with 802.11a but fails in the lower frequency range [5].
D. Wi-Fi-802.11n III. OVERVIEW OF THE PROTOCOL ARCHITECTURE
OF THE 802.11 STANDARD
802.11n standard uses a technology known as
multiple input / multiple output (MIMO), and a
wider radio frequency channel. It uses a mechanism
known as "frame aggregation" to decrease time
between transmissions. Currently, Wi-Fi
technologies require that the sending station request
for a channel, send a packet, release the channel, then
request again in order to send the next packet. With
the use of frame aggregation, when a station requests
for the channel and the channel is granted, it can
transmit multiple frames while not having to release Fig. 1. The 802.11 standards OSI layer [2].
the channel and re-request for the channel. With the
use the 802.11n standard, up to 600 Mbps and eight
spatial streams. Say everything else remained the Unlike the wired communication that uses all the
same, which isn’t, this means that 802.11ac has seven layers of the OSI model (Physical, Data link,
8x160MHz of spectral bandwidth to utilize Network, Transport, Session, Presentation,
compared to 4x40MHz of 802.11n— an immense Application), the 802.11(wireless) standards use only
difference that enables 802.11ac to squeeze large two layers of the OSI model which are the Physical and
amounts of data across the airwaves. In order to the Data link layers for backward compatibility at the
boost throughput further, 802.11ac introduces 256- data link layer such that only the physical layer will
QAM modulation (up to 64- QAM in 802.11n), differ for the various 802.11 standards.
which allows 256 different signals over the same
frequency by manipulating each signal into a slightly The Data Link Layer of the OSI model is made of two
different phase. Theoretically, that gives 802.11ac 4x sub-layers, and one of them is the Media Access
the spectral efficiency of 802.11n. Spectral Control Layer. The MAC layer is responsible for
efficiency defines how effectively a given wireless moving data packets across a common channel to and
protocol or multiplexing technique utilizes its from a network interface card( NIC) [8]. It gives access
available bandwidth. Spectral efficiency isn’t so to contention- based and contention- free traffic on
important in the 5GHz band where channels are different physical layers. Responsibilities are divided
fairly wide (20MHz+). In cellular bands, spectral into the MAC and the MAC management sub-layers in
efficiency is very important because channels are the MAC layer. The MAC sub-layer defines packet
often only 5MHz wide [6]. formats and access mechanisms. The sub-layer of MAC
management defines security, roaming services, and
E. IEEE 802.11ac power management.
Before the advent of the 802.11ac standard, the 802.11n The physical layer handles the binary transmission
standard brought about exciting technologies that between various devices and supports mechanical or
brought immense boosts in speed over the 802.11b and electrical interfaces connecting to the physical medium
802.11g standards. [7]. for synchronized communication [9].
The major functions of the physical layer includes:
 Establishment and tear down of a connection
TABLE I. IEEE 802.11 PHY STANDARDS [2] . to a communication medium.
IEEE 802.11 PHY Standards
Featur
802.11b 802.11a 802.11n 802.11a  Participates in the process where the
es 802.11g
c communication resources are efficiently
Freque distributed among multiple users. For
ncy 2.4GHz,
Band(
2.4GHz 2.4GHz 2.4GHz
5GHz
5GHz instance, flow control and contention
GHz) resolution.
40MHz
,  Conversion or modulation between the
Bandwi
dth(M 20MHz 20MHz 20MHz
20MHz, 80MHz digital data representation in user
40MHz , equipment and the corresponding signals
Hz)
160MH
z transmitted over a communication link.
These are signals transmitted over the
physical medium (such as copper and
optical fiber) or over electromagnetic
waves.
The Physical layer is sub-divided into three
sublayers.
 1. Management issues like channel tuning is https://www.elprocus.com/how-does-wifi-work/.
[Accessed: 19- Jan- 2019].
handled by the PHY management layer.
2. The Physical Layer Convergence Procedure [3] B. Mitchell, "802.11 WiFi Standards Explained",
Lifewire, 2018. [Online]. Available:
(PLCP) performs the responsibilities of an https://www.lifewire.com/wireless-standards-802-11a-
adaption layer, it is responsible for the Clear 802-11b-g-n-and-802-11ac-816553. [Accessed: 23- Jan-
Channel Assessment (CCA) mode and 2019].
constructing packets for different physical [4] "802.11b Definition", Techterms.com, 2019. [Online].
layer technologies. Available: https://techterms.com/definition/80211b.
[Accessed: 23- Jan- 2019].
3. The Physical Medium Dependent (PMD)
layer specifies coding techniques and [5] K. Shaw, "802.11: Wi-Fi standards and speeds explained",
modulation. Network World, 2019. [Online]. Available:
https://www.networkworld.com/article/3238664/wi-
fi/80211-wi-fi-standards-and-speeds-explained.html.
[Accessed: 23- Jan- 2019].
IV. PHYSICAL LAYER MODULATION
FORMATS [6] M. Rouse, "What is 802.11n? - Definition from
WhatIs.com", SearchMobileComputing, 2019. [Online].
The physical layer modulation formats and coding Available:
rates determine how the 802.11 data is trans- mitted https://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/definition/
80211n. [Accessed: 23- Jan- 2019].
through the air at which data rate they are sent. For
instance, in the early 802.11 standards, Direct- [7] J. Lendino, "What is 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and how much
Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) was used, while faster than 802.11n is it? - ExtremeTech", ExtremeTech,
2019. [Online]. Available:
Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
https://www.extremetech.com/computing/160837-what-
(OFDM) is being used by many of the later is-802-11ac-and-how-much-faster-than-802-11n-is-it.
standards. Generally, the newer modulation methods [Accessed: 23- Jan- 2019].
and rates of coding are more efficient and maintain
[8] V. Beal, "What is MAC Layer? Webopedia Definition",
higher data rates, but for backward compatibility, Webopedia.com, 2019. [Online]. Available:
older methods and rates are still supported [2]. https://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/MAC_layer.html.
[Accessed: 23- Jan- 2019].
[9] "What is the Physical Layer? - Definition from
LITERATURE REVIEW Techopedia", Techopedia.com, 2019. [Online]. Available:
According to UVEH PAHLAVAN and colleague [10], https://www.techopedia.com/definition/8866/physical-
layer. [Accessed: 23- Jan- 2019].
Wireless data services and systems represent a rapidly
[10] K. Pahlavan and A. Levesque, "Wireless data
growing and increasingly important segment of the
communications", Proceedings of the IEEE,
communications industry. After a brief overview of the
vol. 82, no. 9, pp. 1398-1430, 1994. Available:
wireless data market, and the user perspective of
10.1109/5.317085 [Accessed 23 January
wireless data services, we briefly described the major
2019].
mobile data networks and standards.
CONCLUSION

Wi-Fi is a wireless LAN technology based on the

802.11 IEEE standard. It is very useful in this present
information-oriented world due to its mobility and
backward compatibility as a result of its usage of only
the physical and the data link layer of the OSI model.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I thank Dr. AbdulKareem Oloyede who has given me

the opportunity to work on this paper, I also want thank
my review peer, Inioluwa Ayodeji Olarinoye for
helping to achieve the success of this project.

REFERENCES
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Applications", Electronics Hub, 2019. [Online].
Available: https://www.electronicshub.org/wireless-
communication-introduction-types-applications/.
[Accessed: 09- Feb- 2019].

[2] "Wi-Fi (Wireless Technology) Working Principles, Types

and Applications", ElProCus - Electronic Projects for
Engineering Students, 2019. [Online]. Available: