802.11r strengthens wireless voice

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: NETWORKING TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
08/22/05

Dear networking.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* The 802.11r working group of the IEEE is drafting a protocol
  that will facilitate the deployment of IP-based telephony over
  802.11-enabled phones
* Links related to Networking Technology Update
* Featured reader resource
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Today's focus:

802.11r strengthens wireless voice

By Pat Calhoun and Bob O'Hara

For wireless telephony, clients such as mobile phones must be
able to rapidly disassociate from one access point and connect
to another. The delay that occurs during handoff cannot exceed
about 50 msec, the interval that is detectable by the human ear.
However, current roaming delays in 802.11 networks average in
the hundreds of milliseconds. This can lead to transmission
"hiccups," loss of connectivity and degradation of voice
quality. Faster handoffs are essential for 802.11-based voice to
become widely deployed.

The 802.11r working group of the IEEE is drafting a protocol
that will facilitate the deployment of IP-based telephony over
802.11-enabled phones. The 802.11r standard is designed to speed
handoffs between access points or cells in a wireless LAN. The
working group is drafting the final protocol, which should be
approved toward the end of 2006.

Another problem with current 802.11 wireless gear is that a
mobile device cannot know if necessary QoS resources are
available at a new access point until after a transition. Thus,
it is not possible to know whether a transition will lead to
satisfactory application performance.

* Mobile refinement

802.11r refines the transition process of a mobile client as it
moves between access points. The protocol allows a wireless
client to establish a security and QoS state at a new access
point before making a transition, which leads to minimal
connectivity loss and application disruption. The overall
changes to the protocol do not introduce any new security
vulnerabilities. This preserves the behavior of current stations
and access points.

When approved, 802.11r will govern the way roaming mobile
clients communicate with candidate access points, establish
security associations and reserve QoS resources. Under 802.11r,
clients can use the current access point as a conduit to other
access points, allowing clients to minimize disruptions caused
by changing channels.

For more on 802.11r, please see:
<http://www.networkworld.com/nltechupdate5501>

The top 5: Today's most-read stories

1. Google goes berserk
<http://www.networkworld.com/nltechupdate5317>

2. Cisco to juice 6500 switch
<http://www.networkworld.com/nltechupdate5316>

3. Windows worm beginning to spread
<http://www.networkworld.com/nltechupdate5502>

4. IT staff shortage looming
<http://www.networkworld.com/nltechupdate5319>

5. Test: CipherTrust tops encryption field
<http://www.networkworld.com/nltechupdate5318>

Today's most-forwarded story:

Cisco to juice 6500 switch
<http://www.networkworld.com/nltechupdate5320>
_______________________________________________________________
To contact:

Calhoun is CTO and O'Hara is technical leader for Cisco Systems'
Wireless Business Unit. They can be reached at
pacalhou@cisco.com and boohara@cisco.com, respectively.
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Nokia
Empower Your Mobile Enterprise

Nokia believes that business mobility will fundamentally change
the way work gets done-and for the better. To allow the entire
organization to get the most from this paradigm shift in
productivity, Nokia Enterprise Solutions focuses on delivering
increased efficiency through enhanced mobility. Learn more by
downloading this white paper today!
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=110835
_______________________________________________________________
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FEATURED READER RESOURCE
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We've compiled the largest buyer's guide ever on wireless LAN
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