23 votes

Do Wi-Fi and IEEE 802.11 mean the same thing?

IEEE 802.11 is a standard that describes procedures, limits, values, algorithms to enstablish a WLAN connection. Wi-Fi is a brand name owned by the Wi-Fi Alliance that certifies with pre-defined ...
Andrea's user avatar
  • 331
19 votes
Accepted

Four layer-2 addresses in 802.11 frame header

The distinction to understand is that while an 802.11 device is transmitting to a receiving device, either one (or both) of these devices may not be the actual source or destination of the L2 traffic. ...
YLearn's user avatar
  • 27.2k
18 votes
Accepted

Do Wi-Fi and IEEE 802.11 mean the same thing?

Wi-Fi is IEEE 802.11, the same way that ethernet is IEEE 802.3, token ring is IEEE 802.5, FDDI is IEEE 802.8, etc. These are some of the IEEE LAN protocols, and the IEEE working groups associated ...
Ron Maupin's user avatar
  • 98.8k
15 votes

Do Wi-Fi and IEEE 802.11 mean the same thing?

In Short,Wi-Fi is more of a technology name and 802.11 is the IEEE standard. There are different variants of 802.11 based on your bandwidth ,Modulation schemes etc. I would always use the specific ...
Maverick's user avatar
  • 1,412
14 votes

Can I truly multicast over WIFI?

As I understand Wifi, it can never true multicast, as each device holds a '1:1" relationship with the AP, and then receives the same packet... then the next device connects and gets the same ...
YLearn's user avatar
  • 27.2k
12 votes
Accepted

Can I truly multicast over WIFI?

Lets test this out then. If we send multicast packets to multiple devices connected to a WiFi access point at a constant rate, then the access point should report the same amount of traffic. To run ...
Twiske's user avatar
  • 144
12 votes
Accepted

WiFi versus Wireless LANs

Wi-Fi refers to a specific wireless LAN type (IEEE 802.11), but there are other types of wireless LAN. All thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs. All Wi-Fi LANs are wireless LANs, but not ...
Ron Maupin's user avatar
  • 98.8k
11 votes
Accepted

How is the Groupwise Transient Key used in WiFi networks?

Why then does the client need to encrypt the broadcast using the GTK? It doesn't. Since the AP broadcasts, not the client, the client doesn't use the GTK to encrypt the frame. The AP does. Why can'...
YLearn's user avatar
  • 27.2k
10 votes
Accepted

How to find the client who downloads a big file?

The easy way to do it could be: On your WLC home page you should have something like: You can reset the stat through the gear icon on the top right corner, selecting "Clear Dashboard Data" Then ...
JFL's user avatar
  • 19.5k
9 votes
Accepted

Raw-Ethernet Frames

First, Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) is not ethernet (IEEE 802.3) any more than token ring (IEEE 802.5) or any of the other IEEE LAN standards other than 802.3 are ethernet. The frame headers are different for ...
Ron Maupin's user avatar
  • 98.8k
9 votes

What does "802.11" in "IEEE 802.11" mean?

802 is the number for the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee, and 802.11 is the Wireless LAN Working Group. The IEEE 802 committee maintains a web site, which lists the various current working groups ...
Ron Maupin's user avatar
  • 98.8k
9 votes

Do Wi-Fi and IEEE 802.11 mean the same thing?

802.11 are the IEEE specifications that implement wireless local area networks. In common parlance I think 802.11 is more or less synonomous with Wi-Fi. Note that Wi-Fi is actually a trademarked ...
Ted Quanstrom's user avatar
9 votes
Accepted

Stretching VLANS across a network infrastructure

That is actually overly broad. There is nothing technically wrong with VLANs being used over a large network area as long as the network is designed properly. In modern networks, you can use more ...
FrameHowitzer's user avatar
8 votes

using fiberoptic for long-distance ethernet connection

Part 1: Using fiber to run a 1000 foot ethernet link Using fiber to run a long ethernet link is not quite as simple as you make out but it's certainly not unreasonable to DIY. A few things you have ...
Peter Green's user avatar
  • 13.2k
8 votes
Accepted

Are "ad-hoc" networks always wireless?

Caveat: This question might raise primarily opinion-based answers, and might be put on hold or considered off-topic, for exactly that reason. Still, I dare to attempt an answer: Following https://...
Marc 'netztier' Luethi's user avatar
8 votes
Accepted

Why do we have authentication before association in 802.11

Why does client authenticate before associating with the AP This does seem a bit odd. Yes, in modern 802.11 there is an open authentication that takes place before the association request/response. ...
YLearn's user avatar
  • 27.2k
8 votes

Why is microwave faster than infrared as a transmission medium?

Faster in terms of propagation delay? @Zac67 answer is good. Faster in terms of data throughput? Here, infrared has a huge theoretical advantage. The whole microwave range consists of about 300GHz ...
fraxinus's user avatar
  • 269
7 votes

Raw-Ethernet Frames

Based on your questions and comments, I think you are missing the point of the two articles you are referencing. When they are talking about "Raw Ethernet," they are talking about data frames that do ...
YLearn's user avatar
  • 27.2k
7 votes
Accepted

Why would a WiFi extender use the same channel as the primary AP?

Simple, it only has one radio. One radio === one channel. If it has two (or more) radios, then it can use one for the mesh, and the others for clients. If your WLAN employs security, then every ...
Ricky's user avatar
  • 31.8k
7 votes
Accepted

How to put special characters on ssid

Looks like an Emoji, hex code 1F193: 🆓 If the interface of your router allows it, you can simply copy and paste the above character on the SSID text field. Note: the style of the character will ...
dr_'s user avatar
  • 1,299
7 votes

How are different phone/GSM operators connected with each other?

As simply as possible, telephone calls are routed across a network of switches which are interconnected using trunks. There are interconnect points for different operators/carriers' switches. Since ...
Krackout's user avatar
  • 206
7 votes
Accepted

Alternatives to 802.11* wireless bridge?

are there any reasonable alternatives to 802.11 protocol being used nowadays for such links? Yes. The first that comes to mind is optical bridges (See FSO). They require line of sight, obviously. ...
Ron Trunk's user avatar
  • 67.1k
7 votes

Why is microwave faster than infrared as a transmission medium?

I've read that microwave is a faster medium of transmission of data than infrared. It's not. Light moves at the speed of light (c0), (pretty much) regardless of its wavelength - in reference to the ...
Zac67's user avatar
  • 82.7k
7 votes

Why is microwave faster than infrared as a transmission medium?

Given the context which is severely outdated when not completely false, "infrared" seems to mostly refer to short-range low-bandwidth infrared communications as used: In many TV remote ...
jcaron's user avatar
  • 733
6 votes
Accepted

How fast data travel wirelessly than in metal?

Electrical signals basically move at the speed of light in that particular medium. In (copper) wires that is usually around 70% - 90% of the speed of ligth (in a vacuum) or around 200,000km/s - 250,...
Spacy's user avatar
  • 201
6 votes
Accepted

Is it possible to amplify a 5GHz wifi signal?

But I could literally not find a single 5GHz amplifier. Why is that? Am I just too stupid to find them or is it simply not possible to amplify 5Ghz in the same fashion for some reason? If so, why? On ...
YLearn's user avatar
  • 27.2k
6 votes
Accepted

Isn't 5Ghz band affected with channel overlapping?

For 2.5GHz band, 1,6 and 11 are the recommended channels and are safe to use. Isn't this applied to 5GHz also? No. In the 2.5 GHz band, the channel spacing is 5 MHz. That's why you can only use 1,...
Ron Trunk's user avatar
  • 67.1k
6 votes

Isn't 5Ghz band affected with channel overlapping?

As Ron already noted, the channel spacing is wider, and furthermore, there are many more 5-GHz band channels available in most countries (particularly for a DFS certified device.) Look here and scroll ...
Ecnerwal's user avatar
  • 2,746
6 votes
Accepted

In 802.11 Wi-Fi, Is it better to be on the same channel as other networks instead of being in an overlapping channel?

It is better to be in the same channel as your interfering signals (if you can't find a free channel) rather than in overlapping channels that are not the same channel - if you are in a nearby channel,...
Ecnerwal's user avatar
  • 2,746
6 votes

Can ISP know computer MAC address in local network?

A mac address doesn't make it past the first hop (most likely your home router). It stays local to the broadcast network. IMEI isn't transmitted over wifi, so your ISP will also not see your IMEI. ...
esafresa's user avatar
  • 246

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