Network Card User Manual

WLAN-IEEE802.11 Tutorial (Maximilian Riegel), 021018-wlan-tutorial.ppt Page 63 © Siemens, 2002
Summary: MAC Functionality
n Independent and Infrastructure configuration support
– Each BSS has a unique 48 bit address
– Each ESS has a variable length address
n CSMA with collision avoidance
– MAC-level acknowledgment
– allows for RTS/CTS exchanges (hidden node protection)
– MSDU fragmentation
– “Point Coordination” option (AP polling)
n Association and Reassociation
– station scans for APs, association handshakes
– Roaming support within an ESS
n Power management support
– stations may power themselves down
– AP buffering, distributed approach for IBSS
n Authentication and privacy
– Optional support of “Wired Equivalent Privacy” (WEP)
– Authentication handshakes defined