standards

I'm not sure what book two other [Amazon.com] reviewers were reading, but Matthew Gast's does not suffer from the flaws they state: it's a comprehensive book with a laser-beam focus, and they're criticizing a book this isn't. Why no Ethernet primer? Because it's a focused 802.11 book. Why no reporting of security flaws discovered in mid-2001? Because the book was being printed then -- but the book delves deeply into the security model underlying 802.11, which is what it's about.

I recommend this book highly for anyone who needs a protocol level on up view of 802.11 for planning, deploying, or understanding 802.11 networks. It's a constant reference guide for me, and it's never steered me wrong.

If you read the critical reviews carefully, the first (Kevin) complains about when it was published, and the second (anonymous) complains about the book but then admits he or she hasn't read other 802.11 books and doesn't explain whether he or she has relevant knowledge.

Because most systems deployed are 802.11b based, this book retains its utility. At some point, probably within the next six months, another edition will be needed to deal with the current draft 802.11g standard, the new WPA security protocol, and the coming 802.11i, h, e, and f protocols. But as long as you're dealing with 802.11b, this is the ultimate guide for network administrators and software developers.

802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide lives up to its title and provides virtually everything you could need to know about 802.11 networks.

802.11 is a family of specifications for wireless networks developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). There are currently four specifications in the family: 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g, all of which use the basic Ethernet protocols.

Within the last few years, wireless networks have become extremely popular. No longer must a physical cable be run (at both a time and monetary expense) to each network host. With wireless technology, impromptu meetings can be set up just about anywhere, from conference rooms to airplanes, hotel rooms, and more.

Anyone who has looked at network standards can attest to how boring they are to read. However, Gast does a wonderful job writing about wireless Ethernet in a way that is not only "not boring," but actually interesting. This is due to his expertise with the subject matter and the many real-world scenarios that he shares.

Gast acknowledges that most readers who simply want a methodical, but not all-inclusive, overview of 802.11 can skip chapters 3 through 11, as they deal with the low level details of 802.11. He clearly states that just as it is quite possible to build a wired network without a thorough and detailed understanding of the protocols, the same is true for wireless networks. Nonetheless, there are a number of situations where one may need a deeper knowledge of the underpinnings of 802.11, and those underpinning are exhaustively detailed in chapters 3 through 11.

Chapters 3 and 4 address the MAC layer and 802.11 framing. Chapter 5 deals with the greatest weakness of 802.11 -- namely its lack of security. Chapter 5 clearly states the problems and inadequacies associated with 802.11 security and use of the WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) authentication protocol. However, despite all of the security weaknesses in 802.11, Gast never directly advises security conscious organizations to stay clear of 802.11. He does provide information on a possible successor to WEP, the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP).

WEP has numerous public security flaws. The first critical weakness was detailed in the now seminal paper, "Weaknesses in the Key Scheduling Algorithm of RC4." One of the paper's authors is Adi Shamir (Shamir is the S in RSA). Shamir's findings were considered somewhat of a death blow to WEP.

Chapter 8 deals with an unimplemented aspect of 802.11 -- the PCF (Point Coordination Function). Like PCF itself, much of chapters 3 through 11 are quite dry. The book includes relevant diversions into such topics as RF physics and issues such as the nonexistent microwave absorption peak of water.

Chapter 11 concludes the theory portion of the book, and chapters 12 and 13 deal with the very real issue of using 802.11 on Windows and Linux. Although most 802.11 installations are fairly straightforward, there are a number of specific configuration parameters that must be set correctly if the wireless network is to operate at peak efficiency.

Perhaps the most important chapter of the book is Chapter 15, "802.11 Network Deployment." As a security professional, I have seen many companies hastily deploy wireless technology, oblivious to the many wireless security weaknesses. The ease with which 802.11 can be deployed has allowed many organizations to overlook such critical issues as eavesdropping, scaling, radio interference, stability, and topology. Gast points out that proper deployment of a wireless LAN is a considerable undertaking, and that significant planning is required before one should even start thinking about the hardware.

Chapters 16 and 17 deal with network analysis and performance tuning. Gast describes what to look for when using a protocol analyzer on an 802.11 network and how to ensure its effective use. Chapter 16 includes three case studies using actual output from a sniffer. This chapter is quite valuable and also covers the use of AirSnort. AirSnort (http://airsnort.shmoo.com) is a wireless network tool used to recover WEP encryption keys. It works by passively monitoring network transmissions and then computing the WEP encryption key. AirSnort was one of the first publicly available tools to implement the attack described in the "Weaknesses in the Key Scheduling Algorithm of RC4" paper.

Overall, 802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide is an excellent guide for any network administrator or architect who needs to understand the ins and outs of 802.11 networking. It has all the necessary information for design and deployment of wireless networks in an easy to read and enjoyable style.

I really liked this book. It helped me write my research paper for UMUC MSIT 640 - Data Communications and Networks. The book has a lot of useful information. It has a good section on the different types of antennas. The book has a lot of Acronymns that are clearly explained. Generally, I think all oreilly books are very good. The book talks a lot about the wireless LAN. It includes many disadantages and advantages. The book also has a lot of useful diagrams. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the wireless LAN.