Chapter 2. Radio Frequency Fundamentals

IN THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT THE FOLLOWING:

  • Definition of radio frequency signal

  • Radio frequency characteristics

    • Wavelength

    • Frequency

    • Amplitude

    • Phase

  • Radio frequency behaviors

    • Wave propagation

    • Absorption

    • Reflection

    • Scattering

    • Refraction

    • Diffraction

    • Loss (attenuation)

    • Free space path loss

    • Multipath

    • Gain (amplification)

Radio Frequency Fundamentals

To fully understand the 802.11 technology, you need to have a clear concept of how wireless works at the first layer of the OSI model, and at the heart of the Physical layer is radio frequency (RF) communications.

In a wired LAN, the signal is confined neatly inside the wire, and the resulting behaviors ...

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