802.11ai MAC Functions
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.
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.
How do MAC Functions improve wireless efficiency?
By managing medium access, retransmissions, acknowledgments, and frame aggregation to maximize throughput and reduce collisions.
What is frame aggregation in MAC Functions?
It combines multiple frames into one transmission to reduce overhead and increase efficiency.
What role does MAC play in error detection?
MAC adds Frame Check Sequence (FCS) for error detection and handles retransmissions when errors occur.
How does MAC handle multiple users?
MAC supports multi-user techniques like OFDMA and MU-MIMO for simultaneous transmissions.
What is BSS Coloring in MAC Functions?
BSS Coloring marks frames from different Basic Service Sets to enable spatial reuse and reduce interference.
How does Target Wake Time (TWT) work in MAC?
TWT schedules wake-up times for devices to save power by reducing unnecessary listening.
What is the function of acknowledgments in MAC?
MAC sends acknowledgments to confirm successful frame reception and trigger retransmissions if needed.
How does MAC handle retransmissions?
MAC uses acknowledgment feedback and retransmission counters to ensure reliable data delivery.
What is spatial reuse in MAC Functions?
Spatial reuse allows overlapping BSSs to use the medium simultaneously by minimizing interference.
How are MAC Functions related to QoS?
MAC prioritizes traffic classes to support Quality of Service for voice, video, and data.
What is the role of MAC in security?
MAC enforces security policies by handling frame encryption and authentication management.
How does MAC coordinate with the Physical Layer?
MAC controls timing, frame format, and resource allocation to optimize physical layer transmission.
What is contention window in MAC?
It is the randomized wait period before transmitting to avoid collisions in a shared medium.
How does MAC implement medium access control?
By using mechanisms like CSMA/CA, random backoff timers, and interframe spacing.
What are MAC management frames?
Frames that handle network management tasks like association, authentication, and beaconing.
How do MAC Functions enhance throughput?
Through frame aggregation, efficient scheduling, and minimizing retransmission delays.
What is the role of MAC in power management?
MAC controls power-saving modes and coordinates wake/sleep cycles with Target Wake Time.
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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