802.11ay Packet Formats ========================== .. 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 is the structure of a packet in IEEE 802.11ay?** A packet in 802.11ay consists of a PHY layer PPDU and a MAC layer frame, which includes headers, addresses, payload, and a trailer. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How are 802.11ay packet formats different from earlier standards?** 802.11ay builds on 802.11ad, adding enhancements like channel bonding, higher MCS support, and more fields for beamforming and MU-MIMO. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **What types of frames are used in 802.11ay?** It uses three major frame types: management, control, and data frames—each with a unique format and purpose. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Are there special headers for beamforming in 802.11ay packets?** Yes, additional control information is included to support beamforming training and alignment between transmitter and receiver. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **What role does the Frame Control field play in 802.11ay packets?** The Frame Control field defines the type of frame, QoS, direction, and fragmentation status among other flags. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How does 802.11ay support multi-link operation in packets?** It can include identifiers or link-specific headers to distinguish traffic across different links in multi-link devices. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **What is included in the MAC header of an 802.11ay packet?** The MAC header contains source/destination MAC addresses, sequence control, QoS control, and other management fields. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How is security handled in the packet format?** Security fields (like MIC and encryption headers) are embedded in the payload portion, depending on the encryption method (e.g., WPA3). .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Does 802.11ay support aggregation of packets?** Yes, packet aggregation (A-MPDU and A-MSDU) is supported to improve throughput by reducing overhead. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **What modulation-related fields are included in the packet?** The PHY header includes fields to indicate the modulation and coding scheme (MCS), number of spatial streams, and data rate. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Can packet formats in 802.11ay handle very high throughput data?** Yes, with wider channels, higher MCS indices, and support for MU-MIMO, the format supports multi-Gbps data transmissions. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How are control frames formatted in 802.11ay?** Control frames have minimal payload and are optimized for short, time-critical exchanges like RTS/CTS, ACK, and Beamforming requests. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How does the Sequence Control field work in 802.11ay?** It helps in ordering, reassembling fragmented packets, and detecting duplicates. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Does 802.11ay include fields for Quality of Service?** Yes, the QoS Control field in the MAC header allows priority tagging and traffic differentiation. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How is CRC used in 802.11ay packets?** CRC fields are included at the end of frames to detect transmission errors at both MAC and PHY layers. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Are there vendor-specific extensions in packet formats?** Yes, vendor-specific Information Elements (IEs) may be added in management frames for proprietary features. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **What is the length of an 802.11ay frame?** Frame length varies based on payload, headers, aggregation, and control information, potentially reaching several kilobytes. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How are multicast and broadcast handled in packet formats?** Specific address fields and TIM/DTIM mechanisms in beacon frames help manage group transmissions efficiently. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Do 802.11ay packets support mobility and handoffs?** Yes, management frame formats enable reassociation, reauthentication, and seamless roaming between APs. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Are legacy devices able to interpret 802.11ay packets?** Only partially—802.11ay maintains some backward-compatible structures, but many new features require ay-compliant devices. .. 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:`packet_formats Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 ` * :ref:`Reference links ` .. _packet_formats_step1: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Learnings in this section * In this section, you are going to learn .. _packet_formats_step2: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Terminology * Terminology .. _packet_formats_step3: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Version Info * Version Info .. _packet_formats_step18: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: packet_formats Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 * setup .. _packet_formats_step17: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Reference links * Reference links