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An Investigation of the Impact of Signal Strength on Wi-Fi Link ...

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The IEEE 802.11a and 802.11b amendments were approved by IEEE 802.11 committee<br />

in October 1999. The IEEE 802.11a standard is also known as “high-speed physical<br />

layer in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 5 GHz band” [14]. The IEEE 802.11a operates at 5 GHz unlicensed band<br />

and supports up to 54 Mbps by using orthog<strong>on</strong>al frequency divisi<strong>on</strong> multiplexing<br />

(OFDM). Due to heavy loading <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> ISM band, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEEE 802.11a standard has an<br />

advantage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> less interference. However, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> high carrier frequency (5 GHz) results in<br />

limited transmitted range than 2.4 GHz [15].<br />

In c<strong>on</strong>trast, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEEE 802.11b (Higher-Speed physical layer extensi<strong>on</strong> in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2.4 GHz)<br />

was published later than <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEEE 802.11a. However, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEEE 802.11b product was<br />

launched earlier than <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEEE 802.11a product and has much larger radio coverage than<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEEE 802.11a product. The IEEE 802.11b adopts high rate direct sequence spread<br />

spectrum (HR/DSSS) technique and complementary code keying (CCK) modulati<strong>on</strong><br />

scheme to provide higher data rates (5.5 and 11 Mbps). Since <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEEE 802.11b<br />

operates in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2.4 GHz ISM band, it also adopts DSSS technique to support low data<br />

rates (1 and 2 Mbps).<br />

<strong>Wi</strong>th comprehensive applicati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> WLAN, higher data rate and throughput is required<br />

by multimedia applicati<strong>on</strong>. The IEEE 802.11g standard, as known as “fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r higher<br />

data rate extensi<strong>on</strong> in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2.4 GHz”, was published in June 2003. By comparis<strong>on</strong> with<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEEE 802.11b, data rate and throughput <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEEE 802.11g has significant<br />

improvement (up to 54Mbps) and radio coverage is larger than <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEEE 802.11b.<br />

Moreover, <strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> advantages <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEEE 802.11g is that it is backward compatible<br />

with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEEE 802.11b. Therefore, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEEE 802.11g and 802.11b have become<br />

mainstream standards <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> WLAN products nowadays.<br />

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