Task

Answer the following questions:

Question 1

Compare and contrast the inner workings of physical layers for 802.11b and 802.11a standards. [4 marks]

Question 2

a. Explain how 802.11i allows for a client device to be authenticated against an authentication server. [2 marks]

b. Discuss the usage of a virtual private network in establishing an encrypted secure communications channel between two points on a public network. [2 marks]

Question 3

Suppose your company needs your help with WMAN project. ZeeTech is a multinational import-export company. Because ZeeTech has grown in popularity, it now has five offices in Melbourne. ZeeTech is considering implementing a WMAN technology that will link all its offices as well as provide mobile wireless access to the field workers that need to travel between different sites in a city.

ZeeTech would install a WMAN in each office and provide its office employees and field workers the tablet computers and mobile phones for better customer service and marketing.

For this reason you are asked to perform a comparative study on different WMAN technologies. Your report should briefly describe your chosen technology as well as justify why your chosen technology is most suitable in terms of cost of service, data capacity, service area, speed of installation, and security. Please note, this is a fictional case study and you should assume that all five offices are medium size with 40 employees in each office and around 400 daily customers/clients on average. [7 marks]

Question 4

Discuss the three different multiple access technologies used with 2G: time division multiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), and global system for mobile communications (GSM). [4 marks]

Rationale

This assessment task covers topics 6 to 9 and has been designed to ensure that you are engaging with the subject content on a regular basis. More specifically it seeks to assess your ability to:

• describe wireless networking concepts and their application to real life situations;

• illustrate wireless signalling techniques and describe radio frequency communications;

• investigate and evaluate various wireless networking techniques, protocols and standards;

• compare and contrast different wireless networks in terms of size, speed, limitations and applications;

• investigate and evaluate emerging wireless networking technologies;

• investigate theoretical and practical issues relating to wireless technology and communicate the results to specialist and non-specialist audiences;

• explain the challenges and security issues posed by wireless networks.