802.11ax MAC Functions ========================= .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **What are the primary responsibilities of the MAC layer in IEEE 802.11ax?** The MAC layer manages frame delimiting, addressing, medium access control, error detection, and retransmissions to ensure reliable wireless communication. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How does 802.11ax MAC handle multiple user access?** Through OFDMA and MU-MIMO, the MAC coordinates simultaneous transmissions from multiple users to increase efficiency. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **What is the role of the MAC in OFDMA scheduling?** The MAC scheduler allocates resource units (RUs) to different users for simultaneous uplink and downlink transmissions. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How does MAC layer improve throughput in 802.11ax?** By supporting parallel transmissions via MU-MIMO and OFDMA, reducing contention and improving channel utilization. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How does the MAC manage power efficiency?** It coordinates Target Wake Time (TWT) agreements, allowing devices to sleep and wake at scheduled intervals to save power. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **What improvements in error handling does 802.11ax MAC provide?** Enhanced retransmission protocols and more robust acknowledgment schemes reduce frame loss and improve reliability. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How does the MAC support spatial reuse?** MAC uses BSS Coloring and adaptive sensitivity to allow more concurrent transmissions in dense environments. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **What is the MAC’s role in managing QoS?** It prioritizes traffic using Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) to ensure latency-sensitive data is transmitted timely. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How are frame aggregation techniques managed by the MAC?** The MAC aggregates multiple frames into a single transmission unit to reduce overhead and improve throughput. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How does the MAC handle backward compatibility?** It supports legacy frame formats and modes, allowing coexistence and communication with older 802.11 devices. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **What mechanisms does the MAC use to avoid collisions?** Uses CSMA/CA with backoff timers, along with enhanced features like spatial reuse to minimize collisions. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How does the MAC layer coordinate uplink multi-user transmissions?** It uses trigger frames to schedule and coordinate simultaneous uplink transmissions from multiple stations. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **What role does the MAC play in managing retransmissions?** It monitors acknowledgments and retransmits lost frames to maintain reliable communication. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How does MAC support security in 802.11ax?** It works with encryption protocols and secure key management to protect data confidentiality and integrity. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How does the MAC manage association and authentication?** Through standardized management frames and protocols to establish secure and authorized connections. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **What is the function of the MAC in frame fragmentation and reassembly?** It splits large frames into smaller fragments for transmission and reassembles them at the receiver. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How does MAC layer handle coexistence with other wireless technologies?** By detecting and avoiding interference and coordinating channel usage for efficient spectrum sharing. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How is channel access fairness maintained by the MAC?** Through contention windows and backoff algorithms that give fair chances to all devices. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **What enhancements does 802.11ax MAC introduce over previous standards?** Advanced scheduling, OFDMA support, enhanced power saving, spatial reuse, and better QoS controls. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow Topics in this section, * :ref:`Learnings in this section ` * :ref:`Terminology ` * :ref:`Version Info ` * :ref:`mac_functions Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 ` * :ref:`Reference links ` .. _mac_functions_step1: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Learnings in this section * In this section, you are going to learn .. _mac_functions_step2: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Terminology * Terminology .. _mac_functions_step3: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Version Info * Version Info .. _mac_functions_step18: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: mac_functions Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 * setup .. _mac_functions_step17: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Reference links * Reference links