802.11b MAC Timings
=======================


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        **What are MAC timings in IEEE 802.11b?**

        MAC timings define the timing intervals used for coordinating wireless transmissions and medium access.

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        **What is SIFS in 802.11b MAC timings?**

        Short Interframe Space (SIFS) is the shortest waiting time between frames, used for ACKs and control frames.

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        **What does DIFS stand for and what is its role?**

        Distributed Interframe Space (DIFS) is the waiting period before a station attempts to access the medium after it is idle.

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        **What is PIFS and when is it used?**

        Point Coordination Function Interframe Space (PIFS) is used by the PCF for priority medium access.

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        **How does the backoff timer work in 802.11b?**

        Stations select a random backoff time within a contention window to reduce collisions when accessing the medium.

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        **What is the slot time in 802.11b MAC?**

        Slot time is a fixed duration used in backoff timing, representing the basic unit for medium sensing.

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        **Why are interframe spaces important?**

        They provide necessary gaps between transmissions to allow devices to detect the medium status and coordinate access.

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        **How is the Network Allocation Vector (NAV) related to MAC timings?**

        NAV is a timer that indicates how long the medium will be busy, preventing other stations from transmitting during that time.

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        **What is the relationship between SIFS and ACK frames?**

        ACK frames are transmitted after a SIFS interval to confirm successful reception.

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        **How does the contention window affect timing?**

        The contention window defines the range for the random backoff timer used before transmission attempts.

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        **What happens if the medium is busy during backoff?**

        The backoff timer pauses and resumes when the medium becomes idle again.

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        **How are retransmission timings controlled?**

        Retransmissions occur after waiting for a backoff interval if no ACK is received.

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        **What is EIFS in 802.11b?**

        Extended Interframe Space (EIFS) is used after detecting corrupted frames to give priority to ongoing transmissions.

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        **Why is timing coordination critical in 802.11b?**

        It prevents collisions, ensures fair access, and improves overall network efficiency.

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        **How are timing parameters standardized?**

        IEEE 802.11b defines fixed values for SIFS, DIFS, slot time, and contention windows to ensure interoperability.

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        **How does timing affect QoS in 802.11b?**

        While basic 802.11b lacks advanced QoS, timing intervals influence prioritization of ACK and control frames.

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        **How do timing mechanisms aid hidden node problem mitigation?**

        Proper timing and RTS/CTS handshakes help reduce collisions from hidden nodes.

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        **Can timing parameters be adjusted dynamically?**

        Some implementations adjust contention windows based on network congestion to optimize performance.

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        **What timing differences exist between 802.11b and other 802.11 standards?**

        802.11b uses longer slot times (20 µs) compared to 802.11a/g (9 µs), reflecting differences in physical layer properties.


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        Topics in this section,

                * :ref:`Learnings in this section <mac_timings_step1>`

                * :ref:`Terminology <mac_timings_step2>`

                * :ref:`Version Info <mac_timings_step3>`

                * :ref:`mac_timings Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 <mac_timings_step18>`

                * :ref:`Reference links <mac_timings_step17>`

.. _mac_timings_step1:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: Learnings in this section

        * In this section, you are going to learn

.. _mac_timings_step2:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: Terminology
        
       * Terminology


.. _mac_timings_step3:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: Version Info
    
         * Version Info


.. _mac_timings_step18:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: mac_timings Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4

       * setup


.. _mac_timings_step17:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: Reference links
     
       * Reference links