Chapter 2

Wireless Networks

Larry L. Peterson

Bruce S. Davie

Wireless technologies differ in a variety of dimensions, most notably in how much bandwidth they provide and how far apart communicating nodes can be. Other important differences include which part of the electromagnetic spectrum they use (including whether it requires a license) and how much power they consume (important for mobile nodes). In this section we discuss four prominent wireless technologies: Bluetooth (802.15.1), Wi-Fi (more formally known as 802.11), WiMAX (802.16), and third-generation or 3G cellular wireless. In the following sections we present them in order from shortest range to longest range. Table 2.1 gives an overview of these technologies and how they relate to each ...

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