2.5 Wireless Standards

Question 1

What is 802.11a?

Answer 1

One of the original Wireless Standards. (released 1999)

5GHz range @ 54 Mbit/s.

Less range (roughly 1/3 the range) than 802.11b, due to frequency absorbsion.

Seen in specific places that require large open spaces covering a large distance (like a warehouse)

Question 2

What is 802.11b?

Answer 2

Also an original Wireless Standard. (released 1999)

2.4 GHz range @ 11 Mbit/s

Better range than 802.11a, but more frequency conflict.
(more devices operate in the 2.4 GHz range)

Question 3

What is 802.11g?

Answer 3

Improved version of 802.11b, same frequency more speed. (released 2003)

2.4 GHz range @ 54 Mbit/s

Backwards compatible with 802.11b devices.

Question 4

What is 802.11n?

Answer 4

The update to all wireless standards before it (released 2009)

Operates both 2.4 GHz and/or 5 GHz range.
Speeds increased to 600 Mbit/s throughput (4 streams @ 150 Mbit/s)

Question 5

What is 802.11ac?

Answer 5

Major improvements over 802.11n (released 2014)

Operates exclusively at 5 GHz band @ nearly 7 Gbit/s throughput (8 channels at 866.7 Mbit/s each)

Increased channel bonding (# of channels that can be bonded together), Faster data transfers.

8 MIMO streams (2x that of 802.11n)

Question 6

What is WEP?

Answer 6

Wired Equivalent Privacy, first encryption standard.

Uses RC-4 stream cipher, with 64-bit or 128-bit Key size.

Retired in 2001 due to significant encryption vulnerabilites (first bytes were found to be “strongly non-random”)

Question 7

What is WPA

Answer 7

Wifi Protected Access, short-term replacement for WEP

RC-4 stream cipher with TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol).

Initialization Vector (IV) is larger and an Encrypted Hash.

Every packet gets a unique encryption key.

Question 8

What is WPA2

Answer 8

WPA2 is the final version of the encryption change.

Uses AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) which replaced older RC-4 encryption.

CCMP (Counter Mode w/ Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol) replaced TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol)

Question 9

What is WPA2-Enterprise?

Answer 9

Users have their own password and are Authenticating their connection to the Network.

Authentication Server authentication, commonly integrates w/ a Central Authentication Database.