Learning Objectives Overview: Wired & Wireless LANs 🌐🔍
This covers the major components of wired and wireless Local Area Networks
(LANs), including standards, operations, and design best practices.
1️⃣ Wired LANs (Ethernet 802.3x)
🔹 Dominant Standard: Ethernet (802.3x)
Ethernet is the most widely used wired LAN technology.
🔸 Operations
✔ Topologies:
Star (most common)
Bus (legacy, rarely used)
✔ Media Access Control (MAC):
Uses Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD)
Manages how devices share network resources
🔸 Types of Ethernet
✔ Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps) – IEEE 802.3u
✔ Gigabit Ethernet (1 Gbps) – IEEE 802.3ab
✔ 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 Gbps) – IEEE 802.3ae
✔ Power over Ethernet (PoE) – IEEE 802.3af/at (Sends power + data over
cables)
2️⃣ Wireless LANs (Wi-Fi – 802.11x)
🔹 Dominant Standard: IEEE 802.11x (Wi-Fi)
NOT Ethernet-compliant, but Ethernet-compatible.
🔸 Operations
✔ Topologies:
Infrastructure mode (AP-based)
Ad-hoc mode (peer-to-peer, no AP)
✔ Media Access Control (MAC):
Uses Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA)
Avoids collisions since wireless devices can’t “hear” each other like
wired networks
🔸 Security Considerations
✔ WPA2/WPA3 encryption (improved security)
✔ SSID hiding & MAC filtering (optional but weak security)
✔ Enterprise authentication (802.1X, RADIUS servers)
🔸 Site Survey & Design Considerations
✔ Coverage & Interference (avoid dead zones)
✔ Signal strength & capacity planning
✔ Channel selection & frequency planning
3️⃣ Best Practices for Improving LAN Performance 🚀
✔ Use switches instead of hubs (reduces collisions)
✔ Implement VLANs for better traffic management
✔ Use proper cabling (Cat6 for Gigabit, fiber for high-speed backbone)
✔ Upgrade to newer Wi-Fi standards (Wi-Fi 6 for better speed & efficiency)
4️⃣ Warnings & Misconceptions
🚨 Common Textbook Errors: ✔ Wireless LANs are NOT Ethernet LANs
✔ 802.11n and 802.11ac features may be misrepresented
🚨 Standard vs Manufacturer Differences: ✔ Dual-band Access Points (APs) –
Ensure compatibility with both 2.4GHz & 5GHz bands
✔ Assumptions in diagrams (e.g., Fig.7-9 may oversimplify Wi-Fi behavior)
5️⃣ Topics Not Covered
🚫 LANs in Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) environments (Section 7.5.5 not
included)
🚫 Special-purpose LANs (covered in backup slides, if needed)
Wired & Wireless LAN Components Overview 🌐🔧
Both wired and wireless LANs share some fundamental components, but they
differ in how devices connect and communicate.
1️Clients & Servers (Covered in Topics 1 & 2)
✔ Clients: Devices that request services (e.g., computers, phones, printers)
✔ Servers: Devices that provide services (e.g., file servers, application
servers)
2️Network Interface Cards (NICs)
✔ Purpose: NICs (aka network adapters) provide MAC addresses for
communication
✔ Wired LANs: Use Ethernet NICs (RJ-45 port for cables)
✔ Wireless LANs: Use Wi-Fi NICs (integrated into devices or external USB
adapters)
3️Circuits: Carrying Signals 📡📶
Different LANs use different physical media for signal transmission:
✔ Wired LANs use:
UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair): Common for Ethernet networks
STP (Shielded Twisted Pair): Used in environments with high
interference
Optical Fiber: High-speed, long-distance transmission
✔ Wireless LANs use:
Radio Waves for communication (2.4GHz & 5GHz bands)
Key characteristics & applications are covered in Topic 3
4️Connectivity Devices (Access Layer) 🔌📶
Devices used to connect multiple clients in a network.
✔ For Wired LANs
Hub (Outdated): Broadcasts data to all devices, inefficient
Switch (Modern Standard): Directs traffic only to the intended recipient
Router: Forwards data between networks (e.g., LAN to Internet)
✔ For Wireless LANs
Access Point (AP): Connects wireless devices to a wired network
⚠️AP ≠ Wireless Router!
o AP: Only provides wireless access
o Wireless Router: Combines an AP, router, and switch
5️Server Operating Systems (SOS/NOS)
Manages server networking functions like traffic control, authentication, and
security.
✔ Common NOS Examples:
Windows Server (Popular for business environments)
Unix/Linux (Used in enterprises & web hosting)
Ethernet Topologies: Physical & Logical Layouts
1️Understanding Network Topologies
Topology refers to how devices are arranged and how data flows. There are
two types:
✔ Physical Topology → How the network physically looks
✔ Logical Topology → How data flows within the network
💡 Key Difference:
🔹 A hub and switch may look the same physically, but their data flow (logical
topology) is different.
2️Hub-Based Ethernet (Logical Bus Topology) 🚦
🛑 Hubs are outdated but still important for understanding network evolution.
🔹 How Hubs Work:
Half-duplex (only one device can send data at a time)
Broadcasts all incoming frames to every device
Only the intended recipient reads the frame
Creates a collision domain (where data collisions occur)
🔹 Hub Characteristics:
Layer 1 device (physical layer, no intelligence in forwarding)
Works like a shared bus, meaning all devices share the same
bandwidth
Inefficient: Too many collisions & congestion issues
3️Switch-Based Ethernet (Logical Star Topology) ⭐
🔹 How Switches Work:
Full-duplex (can send & receive data simultaneously)
Uses MAC address table to send frames directly to the intended
recipient
Eliminates collisions, improving efficiency
Each connection is a point-to-point circuit
🔹 Switch Characteristics:
Layer 2 device (works with MAC addresses)
Efficient, eliminates unnecessary traffic
Can operate in different switching modes
4️Switching Modes 🔄
Switches use different methods to process and forward data:
Switching
How It Works Pros ✅ Cons ❌
Mode
Reads only the destination
No error
Cut-through MAC address and forwards Low latency ⚡
checking ❌
immediately
Store-and- Receives entire frame, checks Higher latency
Error detection ✅
forward for errors, then forwards ⏳
Balance of speed Slightly slower
Fragment- Reads the first 64 bytes,
& error checking than cut-
free forwards if no errors
⚖️ through
💡 Most modern switches use Cut-through or Fragment-free switching for
efficiency.
