WIRELESS MAN: THE STANDARD WIMAX By: Zack Kahley

What is WiMax?  WiMax = Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access  IEEE standard  Designated as a wireless MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)  Has 2 standard Operation Modes  Delivers up to 70 Mbps at distances up to 30 miles  Wide frequency range: 2-66 GHz

WiMax Vs. WiFi  WiMax  Long range system that covers many Km  Typically uses licensed spectrum to deliver point-to-point connection to the internet from an ISP to an end user  Comparable to a cell phone signal  WiFi  Shorter range system  Typically only hundreds of meters  Uses an unlicensed spectrum to provide access to a network  Usually only covering the network operator’s own property  Comparable to a cordless phone signal

Fixed WiMax  Can deliver wireless Internet to entire metropolitan area  Can blanket an area up to a mile in radius  Los Angeles has begun implementing fixed WiMax and ecompasses a 10 mile radius

Mobile WiMax: e  Promises to bring broadband Internet roaming to the public  Users are allowed to roam from area to area without losing the connection  Standard is not finalized yet, however it should be soon.

How WiMax Works

Spectrum Allocation Issues  There is no uniform licensed spectrum for WiMax  WiMax forum has published 3 licensed spectrum profiles  2.3GHz  2.5GHz  3.3GHz  In the USA the biggest segment available is somewhere around 2.5GHz  Is already primarily assigned to Sprint Nextel and Clearwire

WiMax Security  Why do we need Security?  To protect users from eavesdropping and to protect their identity  Defend networks from denial-of-service attacks  Security needs to ensure that the solution does not prevent the operator from providing open networks and rich services to their customers  Password protection  Security Encryption  WAP 128bit – 512bit encryption strength

Terrestrial Microwave CharacteristicValue Frequency ranges4-6 GHz or GHz Maximum distanceTypically 1-50 miles Bandwidth1-10 Mbps Installation and maintenanceDifficult InterferenceVaries depending on power and distance; longer distances are more prone to weather disturbances CostExpensive SecurityHighly susceptible, but signals are usually encrypted

Satellite Microwave CharacteristicValue Frequency ranges11-14 GHz Maximum distanceGlobal reach Bandwidth1-10 Mbps Installation and maintenanceProhibitively difficult InterferenceProne to EM interference, jamming, atmospheric disturbances CostProhibitive SecurityNot very susceptible to eavesdropping

Future Development  Goal for long term evolution is to achieve  100 Mbit/s mobile bandwidth  1 Gbit/s fixed-nomadic bandwidth  The evolution of wireless has embarked on pursuit of 3X to 10X+ greater bandwidth  The advances in the spatial and smart wireless broadband networking technologies will lead to greater network efficiency

Works Cited  Tomsho, Greg, Ed Tittel, and David Johnson. Guide to Networking Essentials. Boston: Course Technology,  "WiMAX." Wikipedia. 1 Oct