HiperLAN

1 DEFENITIONS

LAN:
A local area network (LAN) is a computer network covering a small physical
area, like a home, office, or small group of buildings, such as a school, or an airport.
The defining characteristics of LANs, in contrast to wide-area networks (WANs),
include their usually higher data-transfer rates, smaller geographic range, and lack of
a need for leased telecommunication lines.

ETSI:
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) is an
independent, non-profit, standardization organization of the telecommunications
industry (equipment makers and network operators) in Europe, with worldwide
projection.

MAC:
The Media Access Control (MAC) data communication protocol sub-layer, also
known as the Medium Access Control, is a sub layer of the Data Link Layer specified
in the seven-layer OSI model.

ISM:
The industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio bands were originally
reserved internationally for the use of RF electromagnetic fields for industrial,
scientific and medical purposes other than communications. In general,
communications equipment must accept any interference generated by ISM
equipment.

LMCST 1
 HiperLAN

2. INTRODUCTION

HIPERLAN was developed within the European Telecommunications Standards

Institute (ETSI) during the period 1991 to 1996. ETSI is one of the world’s recognised
Standards bodies, and is best known for the GSM standards for digital cellular telephony,
although it publishes many other standards dealing with all aspects of telecommunications.
At the beginning of the 1990’s, there was a growing interest in wireless communications for
data applications. Cellular telephony had shown how useful freeing the user from the specific
constraint of a fixed communications infrastructure could be. The computing community
wanted to also benefit from the freedom offered by wireless communications.

The 802.11 project was already under way, and several proprietary solutions for
wireless data were being marketed. However, all of the solutions envisioned at that time were
targeted at shared spectrum – most notably the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (IS&M)
band at either 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz. These proprietary products, as well as the 802.11
specifications, were at quite limited data rates 1 to 2 Mbps. Achieving higher data rates at
low cost was considered impossible in the shared spectrum available.

The organizations behind the HIPERLAN standard believed that a new allocation of
spectrum, specifically for high performance radio LANs, was necessary if high data rates
were to be achieved – and high data rates were seen as essential for supporting emerging
multimedia applications. The HIPERLAN standard was born to define a new, wireless, high
data rate specification for multimedia communications among portable computers and other
device.

LMCST 2
 HiperLAN

3. HIPERLAN/1

HIPERLAN Type 1 (HIPERLAN/1) defines a specification based on the computer

communications LAN model. It is aligned with the IEEE 802 family of standards (e.g., 802.3
- Ethernet), and is very much like a modern wireless Ethernet. Just as there are other wired
architectures for both LAN and Wide Area Networks (WANs), so there is a need for other
wireless specifications. One view is that communications should be controlled by a central
resource allocator in order to guarantee an agreed quality of service between the mobile
(terminal) device and the network. Upon completion of the HIPERLAN/1 standard, a new
project was started to define a wireless version of ATM, which is such a centrally controlled
system. The wireless ATM project is designated HIPERLAN Type 2(HIPERLAN/2). Other
applications that were identified included wireless fixed access (or Wireless Local Loop),
which was initially called HIPERLAN Type 3 and is now referred to as HIPER Access, and
high speed point to- point links, which was designated HIPERLAN Type 4 and is now called
HIPER Link.

Other work along these lines was also taking place in ETSI at that time. Several different
work efforts with common requirements were united within the ETSI organization to form a
new project, which become known as BRAN – the Broad band Radio Access Network
project. HIPERLAN/2 (now described as Broadband Radio Access), HIPER Access
(Wireless Local Loop) and HIPER Link (Point-to-Point) all come under BRAN's
responsibility. Other standards bodies were also working on similar topics at the same time.

The ATM Forum had already identified needs for additional specifications to cover mobile
ATM devices, and a liaison was established with ETSI to share responsibilities. Work in
Japan on multimedia communications was under way through the Multimedia Mobile Access
Communication (MMAC) project within the Japan Association of Radio Industries and
Businesses (ARIB), and there was work within 802.11. The BRAN project has formed links
with all of these organizations. However, recently the ubiquitous ATM network, which was
the vision behind wireless ATM (and hence BRAN), seems less likely to be created than the
ubiquitous IP network.

LMCST 3
 HiperLAN

3.1 HiperLAN Family OF Standards

3.2 5 GHz Spectrum

Unlike the USA, where requests for spectrum can come from any source (commercial
or not), Europe has a more well defined process for allocating spectral resources to
applications. The spectrum engineers working within the European Conference of Postal and
Telecommunications Administration (CEPT, a committee of PTT and other administration
representatives) maintain dialogue with official standards organizations to provide spectrum
within which standards being developed will operate. The HIPERLAN committee in ETSI,
referred to as Radio and Equipment Systems (RES) 10, worked with CEPT to identify its
target spectrum. The CEPT identified the 5.15-5.25 GHz band, with an optional expansion
band to 5.30 GHz. The size of the allocation – 100 MHz – was specified by the HIPERLAN
designers as what was necessary to achieve the data rate for the population density of
HIPERLAN devices foreseen. The work of ETSI in Europe, and the allocation of the low
5GHz band for its HIPERLAN standard, was directly responsible for the US Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) allocating an equivalent, and in fact larger, amount of
spectrum for similar applications in the USA. The unlicensed National Information

LMCST 4
 HiperLAN

Infrastructure band (U-NII) covers approximately 300 MHz in three different bands between
5.1 GHz and 5.8 GHz.
There are different power levels defined in Europe (up to 1W) and in the US
(different in each U-NII band) for HIPERLAN systems, and there are specific indoor/outdoor
rules (currently in the US only). ETSI BRAN’s liaison with Japan’s MMAC project is likely
to result in alignment of a 5GHz band in that region too the spectrum access rules for
HIPERLAN in Europe are quite simple. The CEPT has identified the following bands for the
use of HIPERLAN-compliant systems at maximum EIRPEP of 1 Watt.

5.15 – 5.25 GHz

5.25 – 5.30 GHz

Any country in the CEPT area (which covers all of Europe, as well as other
countries that implement CEPT recommendations) may decide to implement this particular
recommendation (TR-22-06 and the Decision 96-04). Most of the CEPT countries permit
HIPERLAN systems to use this band. In addition, a second band at 17 GHz was identified by
CEPT but so far no systems have been defined to use this band. It is likely that the high-
speed point-point systems will operate at this frequency using highly directional antennas.
The 5GHz band has become a key, strategic band in the last few years. Consequently, more
applications are being designed for operation within this band. One such application that is
likely to impact the use of HIPERLAN systems is the next generation of mobile satellite
phones. In order to limit the potential interference with the satellite systems, it is likely that
the maximum transmitted power of a HIPERLAN will be reduced from its current 1W (in
Europe) to 200mW in the area of the band used also by the satellite systems. On the other
hand, given the large increase in HIPERLAN standards (for additional applications beyond
wireless LANs), more of the 5GHz spectrum may well be allocated for HIPERLAN use as
well. It is quite possible that, for the first time, a uniform spectral resource may be available
worldwide for high performance radio LANs.

LMCST 5
 HiperLAN

3.3 Approved 5 GHz Spectrum for USA and Europe

3.4 HiperLAN\1 Technology

3.4.1 HiperLAN/1 Communications Model

HIPERLAN defines the operation of the lower portion of the Data Link Layer of
the familiar OSI Reference Model and its 7-layer description of communication systems.
The Data Link Layer is usually subdivided into two parts when describing Local Area
Networks (LANs) – the Logical Link Control (LLC) and Medium Access & Control
(MAC) sub-layers. HIPERLAN only deals with the MAC sub-layer and its underlying
Physical Layer (PHY)

The Physical Layer describes how data is encoded and transmitted as radio signals
from one HIPERLAN device to another. All HIPERLAN devices must implement the

LMCST 6
 HiperLAN

Physical Layer according to the specification in order to be compliant. There are a small
number of options, such as the maximum transmitter power level, but most of the PHY is
common to all implementations. HIPERLAN divides the functions of the MAC into two
further parts, which it refers to as Channel Access and Control (CAC) and MAC layers. The
CAC layer defines how a given channel access attempt will be made depending on whether
the channel is busy or idle, and at what priority level the attempt will be made, if contention
is necessary. It is the CAC layer which implements the hierarchically independent, non-pre-
emptive, priority access mechanism on which most of the HIPERLAN advanced features are
built. The HIPERLAN MAC layer defines the various protocols which provide the
HIPERLAN features of power conservation, security, and multi-hop routing, as well as the
data transfer service to the upper layers of protocols.

3.4.2 Modulation

HIPERLAN uses a very well known and established RF transmission scheme. Rather
than develop a new modulation scheme, the designers of HIPERLAN decided to base their
radio architecture on a well established, proven modulation, transmission and detection
scheme. HIPERLAN uses the same scheme as GSM, the most successful digital radio
transmission scheme in the world. Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK) is a Constant
Envelope modulation scheme, which means that the amplitude of the transmitted signal is
constant. This is important, because less stringent linearity can be demanded of the RF
amplifier, which in turn means the cost of the radio is lower and, more importantly, the
efficiency of the power amplifier (the ratio of actual RF energy transmitted compared to the
electrical energy consumed) is quite good. HIPERLAN encodes a single digit of information
for each pulse transmitted (1 bit/Hz) and hence, in order to reach the very high data rate of
greater then 20 Mbps, the pulses are very short, approximately 42 nanoseconds. Such short
pulses suffer from what is known as Inter-Symbol Interference, which means the receiver has
to extract the transmitted signal from the received signal, where different pulses have been
spread out and overlap each other.

LMCST 7
 HiperLAN

GMSK receivers are acceptably complex for low power implementations of this
decoding. The digital signal processing algorithms
Used are of the same level of complexity as those of the GSM system, and hence are well
understood and reliable - there are many millions of digital cellular phones in use everyday.
GMSK allows very high data rates to be achieved, while being less costly to implement than
alternative techniques such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM).

3.5 Data Rate and User Throughput

HIPERLAN signals its PHY data at 23.5294 Mbps. There are a number of different
encodings, headers and checksums which subtract from this signalling rate to yield a net user
data rate. The HIPERLAN user data rate can be measured at various points – at the top of the
MAC is probably the most meaningful, although many comparisons are made with other
systems at lower points, such as the MAC/PHY boundary. HIPERLAN is unlike many other
systems in that its overhead is statistical, i.e., many of the parameter values that are
calculated during the operation of the HIPERLAN MAC are based on probability
distributions. HIPERLAN also permits variable length payload to be transmitted. If the most
efficient packet structures are used (long packets), HIPERLAN can yield up to 18 Mbps user
throughput per channel. If short packets are used, the user data throughput will be less.
HIPERLAN offers the highest data rate of any existing wireless LAN specification. At more
than 20 Mbps for each channel, and with several channels possible at each location, very
high data throughput applications, or very high densities of users, can be supported.
HIPERLAN also performs better than any other standard for typical LAN traffic under
conditions of very high load. HIPERLAN is very stable, which means that it continues to
deliver most of its capacity for traffic even when more traffic is offered for transmission than
it can handle. Some systems collapse under such conditions of overload, and are said to be
unstable. This combination of high data rate and high stability make HIPERLAN the best
high performance system available.

LMCST 8
 HiperLAN

3.6 Supports for Isochronous and Asynchronous Services

There are two main techniques that can be used to provide communications control
over the delay, and delay variance, of packet transmission systems – bandwidth reservation
and priorities. The best example of a bandwidth reservation system is the telephone network.

HIPERLAN’s support for isochronous services in multimedia applications is based on

a simple but sophisticated priority access mechanism. There are some very important
underlying rules for the design of a priority based access system:

 Traffic at lower priorities should not affect the performance of traffic at higher
priorities – this is called Hierarchical Independence

Allocation of access to the medium should be fair for all traffic types – this means
that high priority traffic cannot completely dominate the transmission medium – low priority
traffic must get its share too.

The overhead incurred in implementing the priority system must not be excessive –
otherwise the cost of supporting priorities would outweigh their value there are other specific
problems in implementing priority systems using radio transceivers, the most important of
which is that, usually, a transceiver cannot listen at the same time as it is transmitting.

This means that a transceiver must be switched from transmit to receive state, which
is technically difficult to do quickly with battery operate systems. HIPERLAN implements
its sophisticated channel access and control mechanism using a simple listen-before-talk
protocol and a single, variable length, radio pulse, which serves as both priority class selector
and contention resolution mechanism.

LMCST 9
 HiperLAN

3.7 HiperLAN/1 Channel Access Control (CAC)

The way the CAC works is as follows:

The MAC selects the most important queued packet for transmission based on the
rules of Residual Lifetime and User Priority. These values, which are updated constantly,
allow a packet to raise its priority as it approaches the end of its lifetime, and hence ensures
fairness in the HIPERLAN protocol. The CAC determines which priority level it is to use for
this channel access attempt. (There is one exception, which is if the channel is deemed to be
idle, in which case the packet is transmitted immediately.) The CAC ‘listens’ to the channel
(as reported by the PHY) during the priority slots higher than its selected priority. If another
device has a higher priority packet to send than this one, then the other transmission will start
while the CAC is still listening, and the CAC defers until the next channel access cycle. This
mechanism implements Hierarchical Independence, but it is non-preemptive in that this
activity is not allowed to interrupt a transmission once it has begun. If no higher priority
packet exists, then the CAC instructs the PHY to start transmitting its signal. The CAC has
thus reserved this channel access for packets of this priority – now it must compete with any
other HIPERLAN CACs transmitting at the same priority.

The CAC has calculated how long the PHY should transmit based on a geometric
probability distribution specified in the standard. At the end of the calculated time, the CAC
tells the PHY to stop transmitting its signal and to listen to the channel. If another device is
still transmitting, the CAC defers to it until the next access cycle. Otherwise the CAC listens
for a short time – again calculated using an algorithm specified in the standard. If no other
CAC has started sending its data, then the contest has been won and the packet can be sent –
otherwise it is lost and the CAC must try again at the next access cycle. This simple set of
rules satisfies all the requirements of hierarchical independence, fairness and overhead, as
stated earlier. (Incidentally, a cycle starts at the end of the previous transmission and is
therefore variable in duration – there is no master telling when cycles start and finish.)

LMCST 10
 HiperLAN

3.8 Quality of Service (QoS) in HiperLAN/1

Quality of Service can best be described as parameters which can be used to measure,
as well as to specify, the way in which data is transmitted through a network from source to
destination. Some examples of such parameter are:

Bit Error Rate, i.e. how reliable the physical transmission is

Transit Delay, i.e. how long the data takes to reach its destination
Delay Jitter, i.e. the variation in Transit Delay from one packet of data to another

HIPERLAN provides a MAC Service which is compatible with the ISO MAC
Service, as specified in ISO/IEC 15 802.1. This MAC Service defines a connectionless data
transfer service with optional parameters governing the transfer.

The specific parameters that are used in the HIPERLAN specification are:

Packet Lifetime
User Priority

The Packet Lifetime says how long the packet may remain in the HIPERLAN MAC
layer before being discarded as no longer valid for delivery. A packet may be delivered
immediately or at any time up to its lifetime limit, and may cover a single or an unspecified
number of hops.

HIPERLAN defines two levels of User Priority – Normal and High. The two levels of
priority follow different rules for the calculation of channel access priority.

Channel Access priority is calculated, at each transmission attempt, using the residual
packet lifetime (normalised by the number of hops to its destination) and the User Priority, to
determine which priority class the packet will use to compete for the channel. This
implementation of channel access is unique to HIPERLAN. The 802.11 specification, for

LMCST 11
 HiperLAN

example, has a different concept of priority as embedded in the Inter-Frame Space. In 802.11,
there are several different levels of priority (PIFS, SIFS, DIFS and EIFS) which are used to
control the operation of the MAC. These intervals, and the corresponding priorities, are fixed
in 802.11. PCF poll/response exchanges always have priority over contention data.
HIPERLAN, on the other hand, automatically raises the priority of data when it is getting
near to expiration.

This provides both support for time critical data (usually submitted for transmission
with a short packet lifetime), and fairness for all data. HIPERLAN’s hierarchically
independent priority driven channel access mechanism is a unifying concept for both time-
bounded data transmission and fairness in a shared channel. It is elegant and simple, and very
stable under all possible conditions of offered load, i.e. HIPERLAN does not collapse under
very heavy traffic loads.

Fairness is extremely important in multimedia applications. Multimedia is not voice;

it is a mixture of different data types, all of which needs to be delivered fairly if the overall
system is to perform satisfactorily. The mix of time-bounded and other data at any given
moment varies widely. Fixed priority assignment is not suited to such widely varying
content.

Other wireless LAN standards, such as 802.11, also allow both cell based
(infrastructure) networks and ad-hoc networks to be constructed. However, in 802.11
implementations, for example, ad-hoc networks are strictly limited to small areas where all
devices are in range of each other, since there is no multi-hop routing support, and power
conservation can only be used if one of the devices implements the traffic information
message and storage. The main network architecture benefit offered by HIPERLAN is the
simplicity with which a particular network structure may be deployed.

LMCST 12
 HiperLAN

3.8.1 QoS Parameter Values

As with any new protocol which provides a compatible interface for existing products
(intermediate layer protocols and their applications), HIPERLAN's QoS support may or may
not be invoked, depending on whether the upper layer protocols and the applications they
support have been programmed to use Packet Lifetime and User Priority parameters at the
MAC layer boundary. (User Priority is often misunderstood to mean something that must be
set by the human user; it is important to understand that the “user” of a MAC Service is
always an upper layer protocol - usually a LLC or Network Layer protocol - and not a human
user.) Legacy applications (such as file transfer programs or email) do not usually exploit
QoS parameters in their requests to the lower layer protocols. Hence, HIPERLAN
implements DEFAULT values for its QoS parameters - 500ms for the Packet Lifetime, and
Normal for the User Priority – for these types of applications. If the upper layer protocols do
not set any value at the MAC Service Interface, these default values will be used.

New, QoS aware applications, such as realtime audio and video programs, may well
have been programmed to use these values. In fact, the choice of User Priority as a QoS
parameter was in part based on the Expedited Data class of the ISO Network Layer protocol.
Packet Lifetime is a parameter that is frequently supported in network layer protocol
implementations and is used by HIPERLAN, even if the precise behavior of HIPERLAN's
MAC is somewhat more sophisticated than a simple packet discard, congestion control
algorithm. The QoS parameters in HIPERLAN are not only used to manage the different
requirements of timebounded (e.g. audio, video, and signal/alarm) data, but are also essential
in the provision of fairness to all of the systems competing for use of the transmission
channel. When HIPERLAN is used as a wireless extension of a wired network which does
not use QoS parameters of any sort (e.g. Ethernet), the insertion of the DEFAULT values for
HIPERLAN QoS parameters still ensures that the wireless part operates correctly and fairly

LMCST 13
 HiperLAN

3.9 HiperLAN/1 Topologies

HIPERLAN has a very simple architecture – it is basically a fully distributed

communications system. However, with a few simple implementation decisions any arbitrary
architecture can be constructed.

Infrastructure

The simplest topology for a wireless system is the Infrastructure model (a cellular
model). In this model, all traffic flows through a ‘controller,’ which may or may not be
connected to a larger infrastructure.

Each HIPERLAN device is implemented to select one, and only one, neighboring
Forwarder and transmit ALL traffic to that neighbor. No changes need to be made to the rest
of the HIPERLAN implementation – all power conservation operations will continue
normally, all receive traffic may come from any source – but if all devices implement the
same restriction then all traffic will come from the controller. The controller, of course, must
implement the role of a Forwarder.

For device A to communicate with device B – even if they are in radio range – A will
transmit its packet to C (the Controller) with destination B. C will re transmit the packet to B.
If the destination was outside the cell controlled by C, then C would use the HIPERLAN
Forwarding function to select the next hop on the path to B, or a bridging function to transfer
the packet to a wired backbone network (for example).

LMCST 14
 HiperLAN

Ad-hoc

Ad-hoc communication – sometimes called peer-peer – requires no such controller or

master device. Instead, each device ‘knows’ the location of each of its destination devices
and transmits its data directly to the relevant target. If all of the devices are within radio
range, then this is a simple point to point transmission for each non-broadcast packet, or a
simple broadcast. When some of the destinations are not in direct radio range, then ad-hoc
networks must implement some sort of packet forwarding protocol to reach the distant
device.

Neighborhood Discovery

In order to support dynamic systems of any sort, a terminal device (e.g. a laptop or a
PDA) must make itself known to its neighbours, or to the cell controller in the case of a fixed
infrastructure. The two main ways of doing this are polling – equivalent to asking ‘who’s
there?’ – And announcing –
Equivalent to saying ‘I’m here’. HIPERLAN implements the second such form of
neighborhood discovery, which is known as the ‘Hello’ function.

Each device must periodically (approximately once every 30 seconds) declare its existence
by sending a Hello packet to its neighbors, via a broadcast. The Hello packet contains
essential information that allows other HIPERLAN devices to build a map of the members of
the HIPERLAN.

LMCST 15
 HiperLAN

Multi-Hop Routing

One of the items the Hello packet carries is a list of the neighbors of the sender, and
the role each one plays: Forwarder or Non-Forwarder, as well as certain other special roles.
Forwarders use this information to construct a fully connected map of the extended
HIPERLAN, i.e. the neighbors of each Forwarder and the next hop on the path to any given
device. Multi-hop routing will re-transmit a packet from Forwarder to Forwarder as long as
the packet has not exceeded its lifetime, or until it is successfully delivered.

HIPERLAN systems are self-organizing by virtue of the Hello function, the

Forwarder role, and the protocols the Forwarders use to build their map of the HIPERLAN.
Since systems can be constructed to be both cell based and distributed (ad–hoc) then any
means of deployment may be used with no special consideration. HIPERLAN is a very
flexible system that can fit into any existing network (via bridges) or can be used to create
completely new networks.

LMCST 16
 HiperLAN

4 HIPER LAN/2

HiperLAN/2 system provides wireless access to wired networks for users

by a mobile Terminal(MT) inside buildings , outside in free terrain, or in the
proximity of buildings. The system is cellular.An AP (Access Point) is typically
connected to a core network or a distributed system consists of an APC (Access
Point Controller) and one or more APTs (Access Point Transceiver). An APT
operates one frequency carrier and covers a certain area, called the radio cell. The
APC(AP Controller) is responsible for the management of its APTs .

Unlike the HIPERLAN type 1, the HIPERLAN type 2 has been specifically
developed to mainly have a wired infrastructure providing a short range wireless
access to IP, ATM and UMTS networks.

The HIPERLAN type 2 operates in the 5,2 Ghz frequency band with 100 Mhz
spectrum. A typical topology of a HIPERLAN/2 network is depicted in figure 1. The
Mobile Terminals (MTs) communicate with one Access Point (AP) at a time over an air
interface; while on the move, HIPERLAN/2 automatically performs handover to the
nearest AP. Ad hoc networks, where the MTs communicate directly, can also be created,
but their development is still in early phase

LMCST 17
 HiperLAN

4.1 HiperLAN/2 Features

The HIPERLAN/2 white paper summarizes the general features of the HIPERLAN/2
technology as follows

• High speed transmission

• Connection-oriented
• Quality-of-Service (QoS) support
• Automatic frequency allocation
• Security support
• Mobility support
• Network & application independent
• Power save

HIPERLAN/2 has a very high transmission rate up to 54 Mbit/s. This is achieved by

making use of a modularization method called Orthogonal Frequency Digital
Multiplexing (OFDM). OFDM is particularly efficient in time-dispersive environments,
i.e. where the radio signals are reflected from many points, e.g. in offices.

HIPERLAN/2 connections are time-division multiplexed and connection-oriented,

either bidirectional point-to-point or unidirectional point-to-multipoint connections.
There is also a dedicated broadcast channel through which the traffic from an AP reaches
all terminals.

Unlike other radio-based systems, the traffic on a LAN is inherently random and
bursty. This may cause serious problems with respect to throughput, because the
performance is one of the most important factors of wireless LANs. In HIPERLAN/2,
each connection can be assigned either a simple relative priority level or a specific QoS
in terms of bandwidth, delay, jitter, bit error rate, etc.

LMCST 18
 HiperLAN

The HIPERLAN/2 Access Points have a built-in support for automatic

transmission frequency allocation within the AP's coverage area. This is performed by the
Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) function. An appropriate radio channel is selected
based on both what radio channels are already in use by other AP's and to minimize
interference with the environment. Thus, there is no need for manual frequency planning
as in cellular networks like GSM.

The HIPERLAN/2 network supports authentication and encryption. Both the AP

and the MT can authenticate each other to ensure authorized access to the network or to a
valid network operator. The encryption can be used on established connections to protect
against eaves-dropping and man-in-the-middle attacks. In HIPERLAN, each
communicating node is given a HIPERLAN ID (HID) and a Node ID (NID). The
combination of these two IDs uniquely identifies any station, and restricts the way it can
connect to other HIPERLAN nodes. All nodes with the Sama HID can communicate with
each other using a dynamic routing mechanism denoted Intra-HIPERLAN Forwarding.

The support for handover enables mobility of MTs. The handover scheme is MT
initiated, i.e. the MT uses the AP with the best signal as measured for instance by S/N-
ratio, and as the user moves around, all established connections move to the AP with the
best radio transmission performance, while the MT stays associated to the HIPERLAN/2
network.

The HIPERLAN/2 architecture is easily adapted and integrated with a variety of

fixed networks. All applications running over a fixed infrastructure can also run over a
HIPERLAN/2 network.

The power save mechanism in HIPERLAN/2 is based on MT-initiated negotiation

of sleep periods. The MT requests the AP for a low power state and a specific sleep
period. At the expiration of the sleep period, the MT searches for a wake up indication
from the AP and in the absence of that sleeps the next period, and so forth. The MT
receives any pending data as the sleep period expires. Different sleep periods are
supported depending on the requirements.

LMCST 19
 HiperLAN

4.2 HiperLAN Layers

There are three basic layers in the HIPERLAN/2: Physical layer (PHY), Data
Link Control layer (DLC), and the Convergence layer (CL).

Figure: HIPERLAN/2 protocol reference model.

LMCST 20
 HiperLAN

4. 3 Convergence Layer

The Convergence Layer (CL) adapts service request from higher layers to
the service offered by the DLC and converts the higher layer packets
(SDUs) into a fixed size used within the DLC. This function makes it
possible to implement DLC and PHY that are independent of the fixed
network to which the HIPERLAN/2 network is connected.

There are currently two types of CLs defined:

Cell based and packet based. The former is intended for interconnection to ATM
networks , the latter is used in a variety of configurations depending on fixed
network type.

Figure: the general structure of the Convergence Layer

LMCST 21
 HiperLAN

The packet based convergence layer (CL) is defined to integrate H/2 into existing packet-
based networks and support IP, IEEE 802.3 and point-to-point protocol. It provides
among others a SAR (Segmentation and Reassembly) function to fit IP packets into the
fixed length payload of the H/2 Long transport channel PDUs (Protocol Data Unit). The
cell based convergence layer (CL) provides the mapping between ATM connection setup
procedures and the corresponding H/2 functions.
A SAR is not necessary as the ATM cell payload and all the necessary fields of ATM
cell header fit into the 54-byte H/2 packet. Nevertheless a compression of the ATM cell
header is necessary.

LMCST 22
 HiperLAN

4.4 MAC ( Medium Access Control)

MAC protocol functions are used for organising access to and transmission of data on the
radio link. The control is centralised to the AP (Access Point) that informs the MTs (Mobile
Terminal) at what point in time in the MAC Frame they are allowed to transmit their
So- called PDU (Protocol Data Units) trains.

The length of the PDU trains varies depending on the Resource Requests (RRs) received
at the AP from the MTs. The air interface is based on time-division duplex (TDD) and
dynamic time-division multiple access (TDMA), which allows for simultaneous
communication in both downlink and uplink within the same time frame, i.e. the MAC
frame.

The MAC frame format consists of four elements: Broadcast Channel (BCH), Down Link
(DL), Up Link (UL), and Random Access (RA). Except for the broadcast control, the
duration of the fields is dynamically adapted to the current traffic situation. The whole DLC
is based on scheduling efficiently MAC frame.

The MAC frame and the transport channels form the interface between the DLC and the
physical layer. The broadcast phase carries the BCCH (Broadcast Control Channel), the
FCCH (Frame Control Channel) and the RFCH (Random Access Feedback Channel).
The BCCH (downlink only) transmits control information in each MAC frame and to all
MTs. It provides information about transmission power levels, starting point and length
of the Frame channel & Random channel. It also transmits the AP identifier and the
wakeup indicator.

LMCST 23
 HiperLAN

4.5 Linking Process

The Mobile Terminal (MT) has to scan for the Beacon signal sent in the Broadcast
Control channel of every MAC Frame containing among others the AP-ID and the
NET-ID of the APT (Access Point Transceiver). The MT waits for the NETWORK-
OPERATOR -ID broadcast periodically in theRLC broadcast channel to check whether
access to this particular network is feasible or not and then continues the association
procedure by transmitting a request for a MAC-ID. A MAC-ID is assigned by the AP
used for addressing the MT during the whole session at this AP and is valid only in the
radio cell of one APT.

During the link capability procedure, the MT sends its own parameters to the AP
containing:
A) The Data Link Control version running in the MT.
b) A flag set, if the MT supports the direct mode.
c) The Convergence Layer services supported.
D) Authentication and encryption procedures supported.

The AP will respond with its own set of parameters and select the (CL) Convergence
layer services and Encryption&Authentication procedures for the session.

LMCST 24
 HiperLAN

5 COLLISION RESOLUTION

The number of concurrently receivable signals is restricted by the antenna system and is
interfernce limited. With the number of simultaneously transmitting MTs
(Mobile Terminals) increasing, the carrier to interference ratio decreases and a correct
reception of a burst becomes less likely. The present interference situation depends on the
number of simultaneous transmissions taking place, MTs’ positions and the channel
characteristics.

Since no further restrictions can be imposed on the initial access to RCH (Random
Channel) that is the interference situation could not be taken into account, some MTs
might not succeed in transmitting via the RCH. To control the retransmission attempts of
these collides MTs, a collision resolution algorithm has to be applied that can make use
of the enhanced reception capabilities.

In Hiperlan/2, the MTs may use the Random Channel (RCH) to transmit their Resource
request to the Access Point (AP).Especially for delay sensitive devices, this access should
be carried out as fast as possible.

LMCST 25
 HiperLAN

6 APPLICATIONS

The most important applications of HiperLAN are

Wireless USB

Wireless USB is used in game controllers, printers, scanners, digital cameras,

MP3 players, hard disks and flash drives. It is also suitable for transferring parallel video
streams. Kensington released a Wireless USB universal docking station in August, 2008.

Wibree

Wibree is a digital radio technology designed for ultra low power consumption
(button cell batteries) within a short range (10 meters / 30 ft) based around low-cost
transceiver microchips in each device

WirelessHD

The WirelessHD (WiHD) standard will allow for uncompressed, digital

transmission of HD video and audio and data signals, essentially making it equivalent, in
theory, to wireless HDMI. The specification has been designed and optimized for
wireless display connectivity, achieving in its first generation implementation high-speed
rates from 4 Gbit/s for the CE, PC, and portable device segments. Its core technology
promotes theoretical data rates as high as 25 Gbit/s (compared to 10.2-Gbit/s for HDMI
1.3), permitting it to scale to higher resolutions, color depth, and range.

LMCST 26
 HiperLAN

7 ADVANTAGES

Flexibility:

Within radio coverage, nodes can communicate without further restriction. Radio
waves can penetrate walls.

Planning:

Wireless and hoc networks allow for communication without planning. Wired
networks need wiring plans.

Robustness:

Wireless networks can survive disasters; if the Wireless devices survive people
can still communicate.

Mobility support:

The MT uses the AP with the best radio signal performance as measured by the
SNR .Thus, as the MT moves it may detect an alternative AP with better radio performance
than current AP. The MT will then initiate a handover to this AP and all its connections will
be moved to the new AP.

LMCST 27
 HiperLAN

8 DISADVANTAGES

Cost:

Ethernet adapter vs Wireless LAN adapter

Proprietary solutions:

Slow standardization procedures lead to many proprietary solutions only working

in a homogeneous environment.

Safety and security:

Using radio waves for data transmission might interfere with other high-tech
equipment.

LMCST 28
 HiperLAN

FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS

HIPERACCESS (High Performance Radio Access) and HIPERMAN (High

Performance Radio MAN) are designed for broadband speeds and greater ranges than
HIPERLAN/2. HIPERACCESS provides up to 100 Mbps in the 40.5-43.5 GHz range,
and HIPERMAN is designed for wireless metropolitan area networks (MANs) in the 2
GHz and 11 GHz bands. See wireless LAN and ISM band

LMCST 29
 HiperLAN

10 CONCLUSION

Some people believe that the IEEE 802.11 standards have already occupied the niche that
HIPERLAN was designed for, albeit with lower performance but higher market
penetration, and that the network effect of existing deployment will prevent the adoption
of HIPERLAN. They also state that, since the primary use of WLANs is to provide
Internet access, the lack of QoS support in the commercial Internet will make the support
for QoS in access networks irrelevant.

Others believe that the superior technical performance of HIPERLAN/2 can offer new
services that 802.11 variants are incapable of delivering. As of 2006 HIPERLAN has
largely failed in the marketplace compared to 802.11.

The development of 802.11n standard for Spectrum and Transmit Power Management
Extensions, which will define the next level of performance in WLANs, is not paralleled
by any further attempt at HIPERLAN activity. Some of the principles of HIPERLAN/2,
for example Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS), and Transmit Power Control, will be
reused in IEEE 802.11n.

Some principles in HIPERLAN/2, for example concept of Dynamic TDMA, are used in
the broadband wireless access standards such as IEEE 802.16 (WiMax).

Most important Hiperlan equipment manufacturers are Alvarion (Israel), Motorola (USA)
and SICE Communications (Italy).HiperLAN is an adjunct to the wired world.

LMCST 30
 HiperLAN

11 ABBREVATIONS

ETSI - European Telecommunications Standards Institute

IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
BRAN - Broadband Radio Access Networks
LAN - Local Area Network
IP - Internet Protocol
Qos - Quality of Service
MAC - Media Access Control
CAC - Channel Access Control
CSMA- Carrier Sense Multiple Access
VPN - Virtual Private Networking
RES - Radio Equipment and Services
MPLS - MultiProtocol Label Switching
ATM - Asynchronous Transfer Mode
Gibe - Gigabit Ethernet
ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network

LMCST 31
 HiperLAN

12 REFERENCES

WWW

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIPERLAN accessed on 2/10/2008

 http://www.palowireless.com/hiperlan2/about.asp accessed on
2/10/2008
 http://www.wifiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/2109571 accessed

on 3/10/08
 http://www.answers.com/topic/hiperlan accessed on 4/10/2008

Books

 D.Raychaudhari, ”Wireless ATM networks:Technology status and

future directions”, Published in the 89th volume, Procceedings of the
IEEE,2005
 B.Walke, D.Petras and D.Plassmann,”wireless ATM:Air interface
and network protocols of the mobile broadband system”IEEE
Communication,Published on 2002

LMCST 32