Hacking Wireless Networks - Wireless Concepts

What is an unbounded data communication system that uses radio-frequency technology to communicate with devices and obtain data using electromagnetic (EM) waves?

A wireless network

What is a universal system used for mobile data transmission in wireless networks worldwide?

Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)

What describes the amount of information that may be broadcast over a connection? This refers to the data transfer rate and is measured in bits (amount of data) per second (bps).

Bandwidth

What is used to connect wireless devices to a wireless/wired network? It allows wireless communication devices to connect to a wireless network through wireless standards such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It serves as a switch or hub between a wired LAN and wireless network.

Access point (AP)

What is the media access control (MAC) address of an access point (AP) or base station that has set up a basic service set (BSS)?

Basic service set identifier (BSSID)

What is a set of frequencies used by the international industrial, scientific, and medical communities?

Industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band

What are places where wireless networks are available for public use? This refers to areas with Wi-Fi availability, where users can enable Wi-Fi on their devices and connect to the Internet.

Hotspot

What refers to the process of connecting a wireless device to an AP?

Association

What is a 32-alphanumeric-character unique identifier given to a wireless local area network (WLAN) that acts as a wireless identifier of the network?

Service set identifier (SSID)

What is a method of digital modulation of data in which a signal, at a chosen frequency, is split into multiple carrier frequencies that are orthogonal (occurring at right angles) to each other? This concept maps information on the changes in the carrier phase, frequency, amplitude, or a combination of these and shares bandwidth with other independent channels. It produces a transmission scheme that supports higher bit rates than parallel channel operation. It is also a method of encoding digital data on multiple carrier frequencies.

Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)

What influences the spectral efficiency of 4G and 5G wireless communication services. Adopting the MIMO-OFDM technique reduces interference and increases the channel robustness?

Multiple input, multiple output-orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM)

What is a spread spectrum technique that multiplies the original data signal with a pseudo-random noise-spreading code? This concept is also referred to as a data transmission scheme or modulation scheme, the technique protects signals against interference or jamming.

Direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS)

What is also known as frequency-hopping code-division multiple access (FH-CDMA), is a method of transmitting radio signals by rapidly switching a carrier among many frequency channels? It also decreases the efficiency of unauthorized interception or jamming of telecommunications and a transmitter hops between available frequencies using a specified algorithm in a pseudorandom sequence known to both the sender and receiver.

Frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS)

What refers to WLANs (Wireless Local Area Networks) based on IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 standard, which allows a device to access the network from anywhere within an AP range?

Wi-Fi

What utilizes numerous techniques such as DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum), FHSS (Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum), infrared (IR), and OFDM (Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing) to establish a connection between a transmitter and receiver?

Wi-Fi

What are the advantages of wireless networks?

Installation is fast and easy without the need for wiring through walls and ceilings, Easily provides connectivity in areas where it is difficult to lay cables, The network can be accessed from anywhere within the range of an AP, Public spaces such as airports, libraries, schools, and even coffee shops offer constant Internet connections through WLANs.

What are the disadvantages of wireless networks?

Security may not meet expectations, The bandwidth suffers as the number of devices in the network increases, Wi-Fi upgrades may require new wireless cards and/or APs, Some electronic equipment can interfere with Wi-Fi networks.

What wireless access point can be connected to a wired network, and they run on a computer equipped with a wireless network interface card (NIC)?

Software APs (SAPs)

What wireless access point support most wireless features?

Hardware APs (HAPs):

What is a type of wireless network that provides Wi-Fi access to Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including MP3 players, notebooks, tablets, cameras, PDAs, netbooks, and more?

3G/4G/5G Hotspot

What wireless standard applies to WLANs and uses FHSS or DSSS as the frequency-hopping spectrum? It allows an electronic device to establish a wireless connection in any network.

802.11 (Wi-Fi)

What wireless standard is the first amendment to the original 802.11 standard and operates in the 5 GHz frequency band and supports bandwidths up to 54 Mbps using orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)? It has a high maximum speed but is relatively more sensitive to walls and other obstacles.

802.11a

What wireless standard is the latest generation of Wi-Fi and enhances the foundation of 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5)? It supports speeds of up to 9.6 Gbps, uses orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) to efficiently manage multiple connections, and improves performance in crowded areas through features such as BSS Coloring and target wake time (TWT). It is also ideal for dense environments, such as stadiums, airports, and smart homes with many connected devices.

802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)

What wireless standard operates in the 2.4 GHz ISM band and supports bandwidths up to 11 Mbps using direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) modulation?

802.11b

What wireless standard is an emerging standard that aims to significantly improve Wi-Fi 6/6E and supports speeds of up to 30 Gbps, uses a multilink operation (MLO) to aggregate multiple channels across different bands, and reduces the latency for real-time applications? It was designed for future-proof, ultrahigh-speed Internet, virtual reality, augmented reality, and advanced IoT applications.

802.11be (Wi-Fi 7)

What wireless standard is an enhanced version of 802.11a and 802.11b that supports regulatory domains? The specifications of this standard can be set in the media access control (MAC) layer.

802.11d

What wireless standard is used for real-time applications such as voice, VoIP, and video? It defines mechanisms to ensure quality of service (QoS) to Layer 2 of the reference model, which is the MAC layer.

IEEE 802.11e

What wireless standard is an extension of 802.11 and supports a maximum bandwidth of 54 Mbps using OFDM technology? This standard defines high-speed extensions to 802.11b and is compatible with the 802.11b standard.

802.11g

What wireless standard improves WLAN security by implementing new encryption protocols such as the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)?

802.11i

What wireless standard is a revision that enhances the 802.11g standard with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas? It works in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Furthermore, it is an IEEE industry standard for Wi-Fi wireless local network transportation. Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) and WLAN use OFDM.

802.11n

What wireless standard is also called Wi-Fi HaLow that uses 900 MHz bands for extended-range Wi-Fi networks and supports Internet of Things (IoT) communication with higher data rates and wider coverage range than the previous standards?

802.11ah

What wireless standard provides a high-throughput network at a frequency of 5 GHz and is faster and more reliable than the 802.11n standard? Moreover, it involves Gigabit networking, which provides an instantaneous data-transfer experience.

802.11ac

What wireless standard includes a new physical layer for 802.11 networks and works on the 60 GHz spectrum? The data propagation speed in this standard is much higher from those of standards operating on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, such as 802.11n.

802.11ad

What wireless standard has media utilization dominated by this standard because it works on the demand priority protocol? The Ethernet speed with this standard is 100 Mbps. Furthermore, it is compatible with the 802.3 and 802.5 standards. Users currently on those standards can directly upgrade to the 802.12 standard.

802.12

What wireless standard defines the standards for a wireless personal area network (WPAN) and describes the specifications for wireless connectivity with fixed or portable devices?

802.15

What wireless standard is mainly used for exchanging data over short distances on fixed or mobile devices? This standard works on the 2.4 GHz band.

802.15.1 (Bluetooth)

What wireless standard has a low data rate and complexity that transmits long-distance data through a mesh network? The specification handles applications with a low data rate of 250 Kbps, but its use increases battery life.

802.15.4 (ZigBee)

What wireless standard deploys itself on a full-mesh or half-mesh topology. It includes network initialization, addressing, and unicasting?

802.15.5

What wireless standard is also known as WiMax that allows a wireless communications standard designed to provide multiple physical layer (PHY) and MAC options? This standard is a specification for fixed broadband wireless metropolitan access networks (MANs) that use a point-to-multipoint architecture.

802.16

What is a case-sensitive, human-readable unique identifier of a WLAN that is 32 alphanumeric characters in length and uses a token to identify and locate 802.11 (Wi-Fi) networks?

Service Set Identifier (SSID)

What is used to secure wireless networks in which a single shared password is used for authentication? This mode is particularly popular in homes and small office environments owing to its simplicity and ease of setup.

Pre-Shared Key (PSK) Mode also known as WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK

What is known as the remote authentication dial-in user service (RADIUS), sends authentication keys to both the AP and the client?

Centralized Authentication Mode

What can broadcast and receive radio waves from a single direction?

Directional Antenna

What can radiate electromagnetic (EM) energy in all directions and provides a 360° horizontal radiation pattern?

Omnidirectional Antenna

What uses the same principle as a satellite dish, but it does not have a solid dish and consists of a semi-dish in the form of a grid consisting of aluminum wires?

Parabolic Grid Antenna

What is a unidirectional antenna commonly used in communications at a frequency band of 10 MHz to VHF and UHF? This antenna has a high gain and low signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio for radio signals.

Yagi Antenna

What is a straight electrical conductor measuring half a wavelength from end to end, and it is connected at the center of the radio frequency (RF) feed line? Also called a doublet, the antenna is bilaterally symmetrical; therefore, it is inherently a balanced antenna. This kind of antenna feeds on a balanced parallel-wire RF transmission line.

Dipole Antenna

What are used to concentrate EM energy that is radiated or received at a focal point? These reflectors are generally parabolic. If the surface of the parabolic antenna is within a tolerance limit, it can be used as a primary mirror for all frequencies.

Reflector Antennas