Wireless Communication Security

2MAC Layer Protocol for Wireless Security

Sushmita Kumari* and Manisha Bharti

National Institute of Technology, Delhi, India

Abstract

Media access control (MAC) is one of the sub-layers of the data link layer (Layer 2) in OSI (open systems interconnection) model. The MAC layer provides a unique id and controls the access mechanism of channels in order to interface with other nodes over shared channel by using MAC protocol. MAC address is very helpful for delivering a data packet over an electronic network, which is not possible in the case of postal addresses. Data encapsulation, including frame assembly before transmission, and frame parsing/error detection during and after reception are the two main duties of the MAC.

Keywords: MAC layer, protocols, deterministic access, channelization, OSI model, deterministic access

2.1 Introduction

The Open Systems Interconnection Model (OSI Model) is a theoretical framework for describing the functions of a networking system. The connections between computing systems are classified into seven abstraction levels in the OSI reference model: Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, and Application. The data link layer is divided into two sub-layers: Media access control (MAC) and Logical link control (LLC). MAC provides flow control and multiplexing for device transmissions over a network. (LLC) provides flow and error control over the physical medium as well as identifies line protocols.

2.2 MAC Layer

Medium ...