technology, and new applications for them are ... works, Tranzeo Wireless Technologies. USA, Tropos Networks ... upcoming amendments are also described, in ...
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BOOK REVIEWS EDITED BY ANDRZEJ JAJSZCZYK EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN WIRELESS LANS: THEORY, DESIGN, AND DEPLOYMENT EDITED BY: BENNY BING; CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2008, ISBN 978-0521-89584-2, HARDCOVER, 853 PAGES REVIEWERS: SZYMON SZOTT, AND MAREK NATKANIEC Wireless local area networks (WLANs) have become a mainstream technology, and new applications for them are constantly being invented. At the same time, the IEEE 802.11 standard is evolving to incorporate the latest technologies and meet growing user demands. Therefore, it is important for scientists and engineers to keep abreast of current developments in WLANs. The book Emerging Technologies in Wireless LANs: Theory, Design, and Deployment, edited by B. Bing, provides a comprehensive look at the theory and practice of the latest WLAN technologies and applications. It consists of 14 parts, which contain a total of 38 chapters. Each chapter was written by top researchers or industry leaders. Authors from the following institutions took part in writing the book: Cisco Systems, Wildpackets, Avaya Labs, Universita di Roma Tor Vergata, Seoul National University, University of Palermo, Queen Mary University of London, University of California at Los Angeles, Motorola, Aruba Networks, Qualcomm, BelAir Networks, PacketHop, Juniper Networks, Tranzeo Wireless Technologies USA, Tropos Networks, Meshdynamics, Nokia Corporation, The University of British Columbia, Intel Corporation, Boeing, Bandspeed, Xirrus, Atheros Communications, Stanford University, Skycross, Rayspan Corporation, Pronto Networks, Wayport, Boingo Wireless, Ekahau, Appear, University of Colorado at Boulder, Philips Research North America, British Telecom, Yankee Group, and Institute of Local Self-Reliance. Furthermore, one chapter was written by individual consultants (K. Siwiak and Y. Bahreini). Part I serves as an introduction to the IEEE 802.11 standard. It provides a detailed overview of the current version of the standard and gives guidelines for the administration of WLANs. The upcoming amendments are also described, in particular 802.11n. Other amendments (e.g., 802.11k and 802.11s)
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are briefly discussed. Some of them receive more attention in further chapters. The quality of service (QoS) aspects of WLANs are discussed in Part II. The 802.11e amendment, which adds QoS support to 802.11, is described. One chapter provides a theoretical discussion on the modeling of 802.11 and 802.11e networks. A proposal of a novel framework for video streaming in multihop networks is also given. The focus of Part III is on security. The risks of wireless insecurity are presented, and the existing solutions are discussed (especially WPA and WPA2). The topics of exploiting wireless drivers and intrusion detection techniques are also highlighted. In order for WLANs to achieve higher throughput, multiple-input multipleoutput (MIMO) systems need to be utilized. Part IV provides detailed information on 802.11n, its features and performance. Wireless mesh networks are the future of networking for enterprise and public networks. Part V comprises seven chapters that discuss the concept, applications, capacity, design challenges, service provisioning, mobility issues, and possible topologies of mesh networks. Two chapters are devoted to municipal deployments of mesh networks. The final chapter of this part serves as an introduction to the 802.11s standard. Part VI is devoted to the interworking of 802.11 WLANs and cellular networks. The underlying issues are discussed and an analytical framework for performance evaluation is provided. WLANs operate in highly utilized frequency bands; therefore, it is important that more radio spectrum be opened up for unlicensed use. Part VII deals with the coexistence of WLANs operating in TV bands, as well as the coexistence of 802.11n and Bluetooth. The emerging 802.11k amendment will provide network and radio resource management to WLANs. Part VIII provides an overview of this amendment and introduces the concept of cognitive WLANs. Part IX addresses the problem of range in WLANs. The trade-offs between range and data rates, coverage, and capacity are compared. It also provides the answer to how MIMO can be used to increase WLAN range. Part X focuses on the hardware design of 802.11 chips and antennas. In
one chapter the authors present a novel integrated chip that has all the 802.11g functions implemented. The next chapter serves as a brief introduction to the topic of designing antennas for WLAN devices. The chapters in Part XI describe WiFi hotspots. Practical information on the control and management of hotspots is given. Emerging trends for hotspots are also provided. The last chapter in this part describes the economical foundations of operating a public access WLAN. Unique and inspiring applications of WLANs can be found in Part XII. These include sensor networks, tracking systems, context-aware service management, and systems utilizing unmanned aircraft. Ultra wideband (UWB) wireless technology, which provides very high speeds (gigabits per second), is the subject of Part XIII. It serves as an introduction to UWB and discusses the application of UWB in wireless personal area networks. Finally, the last part is devoted to delivering wireless broadband to the public. It comprises interesting essays about municipal WLAN deployment, the role of 802.11 in future fourth-generation (4G) networks, and the problem of ownership in municipal broadband networks in the United States. This book touches on a wide variety of aspects related to wireless LANs. It does a good job at presenting emerging standards and interesting applications. All chapters have extensive and current references. However, several issues need to be pointed out. Since almost every chapter is written by different authors, there is some overlapping. Furthermore, with the rapid evolution of WLANs, it is sometimes difficult to include the latest information. For example, the book does not reference the latest version of the WLAN standard, 802.11-2007. Since the book deals with emerging technologies in WLANs, some knowledge of 802.11 is required from the reader. We can wholeheartedly recommend this useful book for postgraduate students, university researchers, and engineers working in the industry. Emerging Technologies in Wireless LANs not only gives insight into the latest developments in the field, but also inspires readers with a fascinating view of the future of WLANs.
IEEE Communications Magazine • April 2009
