802.11ai MAC Functions
=========================


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        **What are MAC Functions in IEEE 802.11?**

        MAC Functions manage access to the wireless medium, frame delimiting, addressing, error detection, and coordination of transmissions.

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        **Which layer do MAC Functions belong to?**

        They operate at the Medium Access Control sublayer, part of the Data Link Layer in the OSI model.

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        **How do MAC Functions improve wireless efficiency?**

        By managing medium access, retransmissions, acknowledgments, and frame aggregation to maximize throughput and reduce collisions.

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        **What is frame aggregation in MAC Functions?**

        It combines multiple frames into one transmission to reduce overhead and increase efficiency.

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        **What role does MAC play in error detection?**

        MAC adds Frame Check Sequence (FCS) for error detection and handles retransmissions when errors occur.

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        **How does MAC handle multiple users?**

        MAC supports multi-user techniques like OFDMA and MU-MIMO for simultaneous transmissions.

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        **What is BSS Coloring in MAC Functions?**

        BSS Coloring marks frames from different Basic Service Sets to enable spatial reuse and reduce interference.

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        **How does Target Wake Time (TWT) work in MAC?**

        TWT schedules wake-up times for devices to save power by reducing unnecessary listening.

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        **What is the function of acknowledgments in MAC?**

        MAC sends acknowledgments to confirm successful frame reception and trigger retransmissions if needed.

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        **How does MAC handle retransmissions?**

        MAC uses acknowledgment feedback and retransmission counters to ensure reliable data delivery.

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        **What is spatial reuse in MAC Functions?**

        Spatial reuse allows overlapping BSSs to use the medium simultaneously by minimizing interference.

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        **How are MAC Functions related to QoS?**

        MAC prioritizes traffic classes to support Quality of Service for voice, video, and data.

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        **What is the role of MAC in security?**

        MAC enforces security policies by handling frame encryption and authentication management.

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        **How does MAC coordinate with the Physical Layer?**

        MAC controls timing, frame format, and resource allocation to optimize physical layer transmission.

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        **What is contention window in MAC?**

        It is the randomized wait period before transmitting to avoid collisions in a shared medium.

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        **How does MAC implement medium access control?**

        By using mechanisms like CSMA/CA, random backoff timers, and interframe spacing.

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        **What are MAC management frames?**

        Frames that handle network management tasks like association, authentication, and beaconing.

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        **How do MAC Functions enhance throughput?**

        Through frame aggregation, efficient scheduling, and minimizing retransmission delays.

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        **What is the role of MAC in power management?**

        MAC controls power-saving modes and coordinates wake/sleep cycles with Target Wake Time.

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        **Where can I learn more about 802.11 MAC Functions?**

        The IEEE 802.11 standard documentation and related technical resources provide detailed information.


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        Topics in this section,

                * :ref:`Reference links <mac_functions_ai_step17>`


.. _mac_functions_ai_step17:

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    .. tab-item:: Reference links

       * Reference links