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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good coverage in reasonable depth, January 16, 2004
This review is from: 802.11 Wireless LAN Fundamentals (Hardcover)
Great things sometimes really do come in small packages. I confess I had my doubts when I picked up this book: it seems very small to actually cover the fundamentals of a topic, any topic. But it surprised me. In only about 250 pages, it succeeds in covering how wireless data networking - aka 802.11, or WiFi - actually works. There is even a professional level of detail. When it comes down to it, what makes wireless different is the use of a radio instead of a physical wire. That means, for those familiar with the OSI Model, the differences are all in the bottom two layers, the Physical and the Data Link layers. As an effect of using a radio, of course, anyone with an appropriate antenna can listen in, and maybe join the conversation if they wish, which makes security both important and a little trickier to implement. Now you know the focus of this book. To make sure that the reader understands the data network wireless connects to, as well as to provide a good comparison, the authors start with a review of Ethernet and how the data is exchanged over it, and on out to the Internet. From there, they patiently take you through how WiFi does the same thing, only with a radio instead of a Cat 5 cable. The explanation of how the Physical layer works in this environment is not as long as its thoroughness makes it appear; though less that 25 pages, you will finish that chapter with a decent understanding of the differences in connection establishment and management among the various flavors of WiFi: 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. These standards use different means of manipulating the radio waves, with effects (I think) not unlike the differences in data passage among Ethernet and Token Ring. If you're going to use a technology in your network, you need to be aware of those differences, and you will get a deep enough level of understanding from this to either implement a reasonably simple network, or have the foundation - the fundamentals - with which to dig as deeply as you need. There are different means of protecting your wireless network form being used by just anyone, and (especially) from being used to access your wired network. That means you must consider both encryption and authentication, and the various means of achieving these goals is covered at the level of a knowledgeable user. You won't find mathematical representations of cryptographic algorithms here; this is a practical book for those who need to implement wireless, not those who need to design the protocol suite. A working-level knowledge is sufficient. Of course, one of the big attractions of wireless is that you can move while you surf, so mobility by a user is covered, as well. Roaming causes a problem unique to a wireless network: adapting connectivity during a session. If all wireless nodes belong to the same IP network, roaming can be handled entirely at layer two, but you will find times when you need to separate wireless LAN segments into separate routing domains; mobility at layer three is a little more challenging, but can be done. Facilitating both roaming and the many types of communications on a converged network, how to handle Quality of Service (QoS) is covered, too. Finally, designing and actually deploying a wireless network requires you to understand how the radio waves work, at least well enough to place the Access Points (APs) to provide the coverage you need with sufficient bandwidth for the users you will support. Conducting a good site survey matters, and so does planning for growth - both of which are addressed. In addition, the design section has some material to make you think about the impact of your wireless network on its surroundings. Remember, in a hospital, for instance, unwanted radio waves might have very bad side effects! All told, this book is an excellent introduction for someone who needs to implement a wireless data network using current technology. You will probably find aspects to your network for which you'll have to dig a little deeper. That's the only reason I'm giving this 4 stars - I'm lazy enough to want it all in one place, even if the book gets pretty heavy.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Meat and Potatoes with plenty of gravy, March 4, 2004
This review is from: 802.11 Wireless LAN Fundamentals (Hardcover)
I recently read the title "802.11 Wireless LAN Fundamentals" by Pejman Roshan and Jonathan Leary. ISBN: 1587050773. You've heard the saying that good things come in small packages. Well, this title reinforces that statement. The book is packed with information regarding 802.11 Wireless LAN's. Don't be thrown by the title into thinking that this book only covers the basics. In fact, this book covers the basics and much, much more. The book starts off with fundamental concepts of Ethernet Technologies. Not enough to be a great Ethernet reference, but enough to refresh your memory or to get the flavor of Ethernet once again. The book then explains the essential concepts of Wireless LAN's. After some needed high level concepts are covered the book dives into the bits and bytes of Wireless networking, leaving nothing for the imagination. The physical layer details are covered extremely well in this book. There are great depictions that show the different modulation types, frame formats and field definitions of 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g. An extremely important topic on Wireless security is cover better in this book than any other source that I've found. A chapter has been dedicated to the topic. The author's first breaks down the weaknesses in wireless networks then explain how to secure the Wireless network. This chapter is loaded with supporting diagrams and figures. The other challenging topic of Roaming is covered in this book. The chapter goes into the protocol codes that allow mobility to be successful and the author's show a few ways in which mobility can be accomplished from a technical perspective. QoS for 802.11, or 802.11e, is a great section pertaining to QoS in a shared media wireless environment. The chapter is a bit complex and allows some of the more advanced networking professionals to bite off as much as they can chew. The book covers all the radio essentials that one would need to firmly grasp this technology without delving into the complex math behind it all. The title wraps up with great examples of site survey and design considerations. The authors give sound advise on how to approach the deployment of a wireless network that will scale to meet the needs of future Wireless network growth. With the help of the support glossary in the back, I'm much more versed on the smorgasbord of new acronyms and the technology itself, that Wireless LAN's have introduced to Networking community. The glossary makes for a great quick reference. What book would be complete without a good index. This book has a pretty good index that has most any wireless related acronym at your finger tips. Great for a quick find. There are several figures, diagrams and tables in this book. Much more than what I've seen in most other books. The supporting figures, diagrams and tables help a great deal with sorting out the terms and concepts of this simple yet complex technology. The information in the book is mainly standards based and not much, if any, Cisco centric information. Which make this title valuable for anyone seeking to understand Wireless LAN's. This book is best suited for any network professional at any level. There is something for everyone in this title. Sales Engineers will find this book invaluable as they are faced with the many tough questions and challenges from the inquisitive customer. Data Network Salesmen will benefit from this title by understanding what value Wireless networks can bring to a company and how to fit the needs of a company into a viable solution for customers.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wireless LAN manual, March 19, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: 802.11 Wireless LAN Fundamentals (Hardcover)
At a total of 281 pages covering 10 chapters of material, this book is very compact, but every page is filled with relevant information. The first chapter of the book quickly delves into Ethernet technologies - 802.3 ethernet frame formats, addressing, CSMA/CD, 10Mb,100Mb and 1000Mb. The second and third chapters cover the physical and MAC layers of 802.11 technology extensively. Chapter 2 starts from service sets (IBSS,BSS and ESS),CSMA/CA and how it differs from CSMA/CD,and moves to 802.11 MAC layer operations. MAC layer operations include station connectivity - how 802.11 clients connect to the access point, power save operation and the different 802.11 frame formats. Chapter 3 covers the physical layer of the 802.11 protocol - the sublayers, PMD (Physical Medium Dependant)and PLCP (Physical Layer Convergence Procedure); FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum) and DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum) and the different modulation techniques used in 802.11,802.11a,802.11b and 802.11g. Wireless LAN security is covered to a reasonable depth. The authors give a brief overview of encryption and then cover encryption in the 802.11 standard which is basically WEP(Wired Equivalent Privacy). Authentication mechanisms - Open and Shared Key authentication and the security vulnerabilities in the 802.11 standard are discussed in detail. One of the most important tasks during the deployment of a wireless network is the site survey. The decisions made during this phase are critical to the optimal performance of the WLAN.Chapter 8 points to the questions that must be asked during a site survey and the necessary tools required to successfully conduct a survey. For a Ciscopress book this volume is not very Cisco-centric. There are few references to Cisco devices. The focus is vendor neutral, stressing the 802.11 standard above all.
From my point of view,this book is not targeted at helping the reader to pass any Cisco wireless certification exams. There are no cram sheets,questions, or hints. However, I believe the contents will go a long way in preparing readers for the new CWAP(Certified Wireless Analysis Professional) exam by Planet3 Wireless. This exam focuses on wireless LAN analysis - 802.11 physical layer technologies, MAC frames and the use of protocol analyzers. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a good understanding of what goes on behind the scenes on a WLAN.
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