CCNA Wireless 640-722 IUWNE Flashcards
What are the different wireless Modes available?
- Ad Hoc Mode
2. Infrastructure Mode
What is Ad Hoc Mode and what are two alternate names for it?
It is when independent devices connect to one another wirelessly without an access point.
Also referred to as IBSS (Independent Basic Service Set) or Peer to Peer.
What is BSS and what does it stand for?
Basic Service Set - Area around where the wireless device can extend to.
Like how far the radio on my laptop can reach 360 degrees around me.
What is IBSS and what does it stand for?
Independent Basic Service Set. Another name for Ad Hoc Mode. It is when a wireless network is set up without the use of a wireless access point. Also called Peer to peer.
What is Infrastructure Mode?
When a wireless network is set up using access points for clients to connect to. They don’t connect to each other directly, they connect to each other and other network resources via an access point.
What is an AP and what does it stand for?
Access Point. Used in Infrastructure Mode. Provides access to wireless clients.
What is BSA and what does it stand for? What are two alternate names for it?
Basic Service Area also referred to as a Cell. You may even see the term BSS related to this.
Range for an individual access point as far as the area that it covers. A client must be within this area in order to join this access point.
What is an SSID and what does it stand for?
Service Set Identifier.
Name for a wireless network. Clients will choose to join this name to attach to the wireless network.
It is recommended that you do not name your SSIDs obviously to avoid inviting hackers. For example, don’t name your home SSID with your last name or address.
What is DS and what does it stand for?
Distributed System
Connectivity that leads to everything else that the wireless client might want to get to (File System, Internet, etc.).
The path from the Wireless Access Point to everything else is considered the DS.
What is a controller and what is another name for it?
WLC or Wireless LAN Controller
Manages wireless access points and assists with AP channel management. Configurations can be made from the WLC and pushed down to the Wireless APs.
What is ESS and what does it stand for?
Extended Service Set
When you have two or more access points on different radio frequencies working in conjunction with a WLC and they are all advertising a common network.
For example AP1 is sending on Channel 6 and AP2 is sending on Channel 11 but both are advertising the SSID for CBTNuggets. Multiple clients could join the CBTNuggets network but be connected to different APs running on different radio signals.
What AP will a client join to if it is within range of multiple APs (it is within the BSA of multiple APs)?
It will join the one that it happens to be closest to signal strength wise (not necessarily distance wise).
What is Roaming?
When a client moves out of range from one AP’s Basic Service Area (BSA) into another AP’s BSA. If set up correctly, the client should associate with the second AP seamlessly on the same SSID.
Who makes the standards for wireless (and other technologies)?
IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
What is the purpose of a Working Group in the IEEE and how is a Working Group formed?
A Working Group’s purpose is to write a standard for something. These were formed usually when there was a project that identified a need so a working group was formed to create the standards by which multiple vendors could build equipment that could inter-operate with each other.
What is the IEEE Working Group for Wireless?
802.11 - Wireless LAN
What are the 4 main IEEE Sub-groups for Wireless?
- 802.11b
- 802.11g
- 802.11a
- 802.11n
What layers is the IEEE 802.11 Group responsible for?
Layers 1 & 2
What is the name of the 3rd party entity that allows vendors to get their product certified with the IEEE standard for Wireless and what does that 3rd party do?
Wi-Fi Alliance
Verifies vendors followed the IEEE specifications for interoperability.
What is a Regulation Organization and what is their purpose?
FCC - Federal Communications Commission is an example of a regulatory body in the USA.
It defines things such as how much power can be used to generate radio frequency and what frequency we can send on.
What are the 3 main channels that wireless signals can be broadcast on in the USA in the 2.4 GHz range?
1, 6 & 11
What range and speed does 802.11ac operate at?
5 GHz range
1 Gbps speed
What is a wave form and why is it called a Wave?
When a radio emits a signal which is an electromagnetic field being sent away from the transmitter.
Called a Wave because it goes up and down and up and down, etc. It repeats itself.
What is Attenuation?
When the signal gets further and further away from the transmitter and gets weaker and weaker and has less energy as a result.
What are some things that an Electromagnetic Wave Forms consist of?
Frequency
Wavelength
Amplitude
What is Frequency?
How fast or how often a pattern or cycle repeats itself.
Examples: 1Hz 1KHz 1MHz 1GHz 1THz
What are the main Frequencies we typically deal with (names and numbers)?
UHF - Ultra High Frequency
SHF - Super High Frequency
2.4 GHz (Channels spaced 5 MHz apart) 5 GHz (Channels spaced 22 MHz apart)
What is a Wavelength?
How wide one cycle is.
Lower Frequencies have Longer Wavelengths? T/F
True
Lower Frequency = Long Wavelength
High Frequency = Short Wavelength
What travels further, low frequency signals or high frequency signals?
Low Frequency
Generally speaking a low frequency signal will have the ability to travel further and cover more distance than a higher frequency signal.
What is Amplitude?
How tall the Wavelength is for a particular frequency.
What is stronger, a signal with a taller wavelength or a short wavelength?
Taller.
Smaller is less powerful.
Taller is more powerful.
More Energy = More Amplitude
What is RSSI and what does it stand for?
Received Signal Strength Indicator
A wireless receiver can identify and compare and contrast the actual signal strength received from a transmitter.
When more than one access point is available to a wireless receiver, how will the receiver determine which one to use?
The client or wireless receiver will connect to the AP that has the strongest signal (RSSI).
Which RSSI is stronger, -87 or -62?
-62 is stronger. The closer the RSSI is to 0 dBm, the better or stronger the signal is.
What are some things that can hurt wireless signals? Name 6.
Path Loss Scattering Obstacles Mirror/Reflections Long Range Atmosphere Refraction Noise
What is Path Loss (aka Free Path Loss) and what is the primary cause of it?
When there aren’t any obstacles within the path of the wireless transmitter or receiver but the signal gets weaker and weaker (attenuates) the further it travels from the receiver.
Spreading is the primary cause.
Energy traveling in an electromagnetic wave spreads in three dimensions , weakening the signal strength over a distance.
Think of the waves generated by through a rock into a body of water (even though that is two dimensions). The waves around the rock are big but get smaller and smaller as they travel away from where the rock entered the water, even though there isn’t anything in those wave’s way.
What is Scattering?
Similar to Path Loss it doesn’t require anything big to be in the way.
An example is the water molecules in the air on a humid day. These water molecules could cause the signal to go in many directions (scatter) and that would degrade the signal.
How do obstacles hurt wireless signals and what is an example?
They absorb some of the signal. Different obstacles absorb differently.
A lead wall is an example.
What is Reflection?
When the wireless signal hits an object and is then bounce off in some strange direction.
What is a condition that is caused by Reflection?
Multipath
What is Multipath?
Happens when a signal is reflected and splits in different directions and both paths make it to the receiver. This is a bad thing.
What is a Phase?
When the multiple signals look the same they are considered to be “In Phase”. They are in exact harmony with one another. If you were to draw them on paper and put them right on top of one another then they would match up exactly.
What is Noise Cancellation?
When two phase shifts caused by a reflection are 180 degrees (exact opposite of each other).
What is downfade?
When the reflected signals reach the receiver out of phase with each other but are not exactly 180 degrees (opposite) out of phase.
What is upfade?
When reflected signals reach the receiver and are in Phase (exact same).
What are 3 scenarios relating to Fade?
- Two reflected signals 180 degrees out of phase - Won’t work. They cancel each other. This is rare.
- Two reflected signals are in Phase = Upfade. This works and actually makes the signal stronger but it is rare.
- Two reflected signals Out of Phase by a small amount (20 to 100 degrees) = Downfade. Degradation of the signal at the client. This is most common.
What is Noise?
Anything interfering with or harming RF (Radio Frequency) signal. For example:
- Multipath out of phase signal
- Other devices using the same frequency and in range.
How much noise can we tolerate and still survive with our Radio Frequency being used?
It depends on many factors but there is a guideline called SNR or Signal to Noise Ratio that can be used to determine it.
What is SNR and what does it stand for?
Signal to Noise Ratio
Used to determine how much noise we can tolerate and still survive/transmit data.
What is the formula used to determine SNR?
RSSI minus Noise
What is the best way to fix Noise in your wireless environment?
Remove the noise or move to a different frequency.
What is a Watt?
A measurement of energy.
Name after James Watt.
How is 1 Watt represented?
1W
How is 1000 Watts represented and what is it called?
1 kW - Kilowatt
How is One Thousandth of a Watt (1/1000) represented and what is it called?
1 mW - Milliwatt
What measurement of energy is most common when dealing with Wireless.
1 mW - Milliwatt
What is a Decibel?
Gives us the ability to compare and contrast one signal compared to a baseline.
What is dBm?
Decibels (dB) in relation to Milliwatts (mW)
What is 10 dBm in mW?
10 mW
What is 0 dBm in mW?
1 mW
What is -10 dBm in mW?
1/10 or .1 mW
What is the scale to figure out dBm to MilliWatt calculations?
10 = 10x 3 = 2x 0 = Same -3 = 1/2 or .5 -10 = 1/10 or .1
If something is 3 dBm then it is 2 times the reference. For example, if you are using 1 mW as the reference point then 3dBm would equal 2 mW.
What is the H-Plane and what is another name for it?
Horizontal Plane (aka Azimuth Plane)
Top view
Where the signal radiates from horizontally as if you were looking down on the AP.
What is the E-Plane?
Side View
Where the signal radiates from as if you were looking at it from the side.
What is EIRP and what does it stand for?
Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP)
How much power we can actually emit from our access point with its associated antenna or antennas.
Who sets the EIRP value in the USA and what is that value?
FCC
The EIRP is always limited to + 36 dBm in the 2.4-GHz band, except in the case of point-to-point links.
What is the formula for figuring out the EIRP value.
Tx Power (dBm) + Antenna Gain (dBi) - Cable Loss = EIRP
What is dBi and what does it stand for?
Antenna Gain (dBi) - Decibels dB & Isotropic i
Takes the energy given to it from an access point and focuses it over a certain area. The amount of focus that the antenna is going to apply to that incoming signal as it sends it out.
What is Cable Loss?
Loss as the signal goes between the access point and the connected antenna, especially if it is an antenna connected with a very long cable.
What is dBd and what does it stand for?
Diplole Reference (dBd) - Decibels dB & Diplole
Refers to a decibel gain in relation to a dipole antenna
What is the gain of a dipole antenna?
2.14 dBi (Cisco Press) or 2.15 dBi (CBT Nuggets and general Google Search)
What is the formula for figuring out dBi?
dBd + 2.15 = dBi
If an antenna has a 4.85 dBd, what will the dBi be?
7.00
dBd + 2.15 = dBi 4.85 dBd 2.14 \+------- 7.00
What are the 2 main Antenna classifications?
- Uni directional
2. Omni directional
What is a Uni Directional Antenna?
Radiated power would go out in only a certain direction
What is an Omni Directional Antenna?
Radiated power would go out in all directions
The antenna on its own power is sending signals out in all directions.
What is one of the most important aspects of making sure we get the right coverage?
Doing a site survey on the premises
What is Diversity?
Allows the access point to choose which antenna it is going to use for sending and receiving.
Most of the connections between the Access Point and the Antenna are propriety? T or F and why?
True - Because FCC encourages it so you can’t connect the wrong type of antenna to the gear and put your EIRP out of spec.
When would an amplifier be used?
When the cable is too large or too long and you need to insert it between the AP and the Antenna to boost the signal.
When would a Lightning Arrestor be used?
Inserted between an outdoor antenna and the AP to protect the AP from also being damaged in case of a large transient spike of energy but cannot protect against direct lightning strikes on the antenna.
When would a splitter be used?
When you need to connect the AP to multiple antennas.
What does ISM stand for?
Idustrial, Scientific and Medical Bands or frequencies being used in our wireless local area networks
What does UNII stand for?
What is the U-NII-1 Band used for and which channel number does it begin at?
Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure bands or frequencies being used in our wireless local area networks
The U-NII-1 band is the first of four 5-GHz bands set aside for wireless LAN use and begins at channel 36.
What is Spread Spectrum?
Encoding the signal over a range of frequencies that are grouped together.
What are the 3 different types of Spread Spectrums?
- FHSS - Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum
- DSSS - Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
- OFDM - Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
What does DSSS stand for and what are some of its characteristics?
DSSS - Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
- 22 MHz range of frequencies (channel width is 22 MHz)
- More efficient than FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum)
- Used by 802.11, 802.11b, & 802.11g
What does OFDM stand for and what are some of its characteristics?
OFDM - Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
- 20 MHz range
- Chops up the Spread Spectrum into smaller chunks and more efficiently uses that bandwidth for those frequencies. The result is faster speeds.
- Used by 802.11g, 802.11a & 802.11n
What is ERP and what does it stand for?
ERP - Extended Rate Physical
Fancy way for saying the client can support 802.11g
What are the characteristics of the original 802.11 standard?
- Frequency - 2.4 GHz
- Coding/Modulation - FHSS or DSSS
- Max Throughput - 2 Mbps
What are the characteristics of the 802.11b standard?
- Frequency - 2.4 GHz
- Coding/Modulation - DSSS
- Max Throughput - 11 Mbps
What are the characteristics of the 802.11g standard?
- Frequency - 2.4 GHz
- Coding/Modulation - DSSS or OFDM
- Max Throughput - 54 Mbps
- Backward compatible with 802.11b
What are the characteristics of the 802.11n standard?
- Frequency - 2.4 or 5 GHz
- Coding/Modulation - OFDM
- Max Throughput - 300+ Mbps
- Uses 40 MHz wide range of frequencies (every channel will be 20 MHz wide and get bonded together to make 40 MHz)
What is MIMO?
Multiple In Multiple Out
When you have more than one antenna on your AP being used together to get more throughput by putting multiple streams across the network at the same time.
What is Spatial Multiplexing?
Taking data that needs to be sent and chopping it up it up into two or more streams and sending them simultaneously.
Abbreviated as SM or SMX
What is Beamforming?
Adjusting the phase as you’re sending a signal out multiple antennas at the same time, so that when the customer gets it, it looks like one nice, strong signal.
What is MRC and what does it stand for?
Maximal Ratio Combining
When an AP takes signals it receives from clients when the client’s signal finally reaches the AP after being bounced around off of different things in the environment and combining them to make it a better signal.
Is Wireless half duplex or full duplex?
Half
What are the 3 categories of Wireless Frame types?
- Management
- Control
- Data
What are 4 Management Frames?
- Beacons
- Probes
- Association
- Authentication
What are 3 Control Frames?
- RTS - Request to Send
- CTS - Clear to Send
- ACK - Acknowledgment
What is the sequence a PC uses to send wirelessly?
- Pick a number between 0 and 31 at random
- Count down from that number to 0 while listening for other traffic.
- If other traffic is seen, take the number it is currently at and add the NAV of the other traffic and continue to count down.
- Send a RTS it counts down to 0.
- Get a CTS.
- Send the Data with NAV telling other how long it needs.
- Receive Acknowledgment
What is DCF and what does it stand for?
Distributed Coordination Function
- Method used in Wireless networks to coordinate sending traffic so its not on top of each other.
- It is how we implement CSMA/CA by using the RTS, CTS and ACK
What is DIFS and what does it stand for?
DCF Inter-Frame Space
It is the normal delay you will have between packets or frames on a wireless network.
What is SIFS and what does it stand for?
Short Inter-Frame Space
Used for receiving acknowlegments and allows those ACKs to be sent immediately.
Can be thought of as prioritized frame sending.
What are the 10 frames you will most likely see when a device pings another device in infrastructure mode?
- Source sends RTS to AP
- AP sends CTS to Source
- Source sends ICMP echo-ping to Destination
- AP sends ACK to Source
- AP sends ICMP echo-ping to Destination
- Destination sends ACK to AP
- Destination send IPCM echo-reply to Source
- AP sends ACK to Destination
- AP send ICMP echo-reply to Source
- Source sends ACK to AP
Will you always see a source address for a frame in a Wireshark capture?
No, if you were to look at the packets in Wireshark you would not see a Source Address for Clear-to-Send or Acknowledgment messages.
This is because it is implied that it is the device that the Request-to-Send frame was sent to is the device that is replying so we save a little bit of space in the CTS and ACK frames by not having to include a Source Address.
What is the DS Status Flag?
Flag in the frame that tells you if the frame is coming from or going to a DS (Distribution System).
What is the first bit for in the DS Status Flag?
Indicates if it is coming from the Distribution System (DS)
What is the second bit for in the DS Status Flag?
Indicates if it is going to the Distribution System (DS)
What are the valid combinations of DS Status Flags and their meanings?
00 - Not coming from or going to a DS (non-data packets or ad-hoc mode)
01 - Going to a DS
10 - Coming from a DS
11 - Coming from a DS going to another DS (mesh or repeaters)