Chapter 7
802.11 Medium Contention
In this chapter, you will learn about the following:
- 802.11 Channel Access
- Describe the operation of CSMA/CA
- Describe the essential components of the DCF
- Describe the steps taken before a frame transmission
That 802.11 devices are resilient is no secret. Anyone who has ever managed a WLAN in a crowded space such as a trade show or office complex can attest to that. The secret is how it all works. The IEEE 802.11 standard was blessed with an elegant mosaic of medium contention protocols that allow a large number of devices to effectively share a wireless channel. Medium contention means that all 802.11 devices—access points (APs) and base stations—with frames ready to be transmitted onto a given channel ...
