Wi-Fi Alliance
Wi-Fi Alliance is a global non-profit organization that performs the task of monitoring products from different manufacturers which are certified on the basis of IEEE 802.11 standard. There is always a concern whether products from different vendors will successfully interoperate. Early 802.11 products suffered from interoperability problems because the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) had no provision for testing equipment for compliance with its standards. Hence, Wi-Fi Alliance’s main objective is to establish a single global standard for high-speed wireless LANs and ensure interoperability among 802.11 devices.
Before 1999, Wi-Fi Alliance was known as Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA). It created a test-suite to certify interoperability for 802.11 products and launched the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED program in March of 2020. This program offers a renowned designation of quality and interoperability, ensuring that certified products provide the best quality and user experience.
IEEE 802.11 Architecture
The IEEE 802.11 standard, commonly known as Wi-Fi, outlines the architecture and defines the MAC and physical layer specifications for wireless LANs (WLANs). Wi-Fi uses high-frequency radio waves instead of cables for connecting the devices in LAN. Given the mobility of WLAN nodes, they can move unrestricted within the network coverage zone. The 802.11 structure is designed to accommodate mobile stations that participate actively in network decisions. Furthermore, it can seamlessly integrate with 2G, 3G, and 4G networks.
The Wi-Fi standard represents a set of wireless LAN standards developed by the Working Group of IEEE LAN/MAN standards committee (IEEE 802). The term 802.11x is also used to denote the set of standards. Various specifications and amendments include 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11e, 802.11g, 802.11n etc.
Table of Content
- Important Terminologies of IEEE 802.11 Architecture
- IEEE 802.11 Architecture and Services
- Services provided by the WLAN
- Frame Format of IEEE 802.11
- WiFi Alliance
- Advantages and Disadvantages of IEEE 802.11 Architecture
- Applications of IEEE 802.11 Architecture