Simple question

GNU Radio
1

Hi all

I’m completely new in this list and in this project.
Perhaps someone in this list knows and is willing to
explain me…
What’s the difference between a access point and a
wireless network card in a pc/laptop?
I mean, is there a difference in the waveform or somewhere
in the signal they are able to trans/recv?
Or is there only a difference in what their chips or their
firmware allow you to do with those signals?
Or is there only a difference in what the drivers provided
by the makers allow you to do?
Or nothing at all and they are only different in what they
are usually used for?

Thanks alot.

–Luca

2

On 9/13/07, Luca D. [email protected] wrote:

firmware allow you to do with those signals?
Or is there only a difference in what the drivers provided
by the makers allow you to do?
Or nothing at all and they are only different in what they
are usually used for?

This really isn’t the correct list to be asking such questions. If
you’re specifically talking about 802.11a/b/g/n style networks, the
IEEE specification is the authority to look for the specific
definitions.

On the other hand, if you just wanted an off the cuff answer, these
links might prove useful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_access_point
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-wap.html?ca=dnt-429

Brian

3

What’s the difference between a access point and a
wireless network card in a pc/laptop?

For what it’s worth, I think this is the most correct one:

Or is there only a difference in what the drivers provided
by the makers allow you to do?

But, as Brian pointed out, this is a bit off-topic as it doesn’t
deal specifically with gnuradio.

I’ve got copies of a few 802.11 specs here:

http://www.personaltelco.net/~caleb/docs/

Also, this book is very good (albeit a bit out-dated now):

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/802dot112/

–
Caleb P.

4

real point of it.
Isn’t it, among the others, that of reproducing in software
with a generic radio device the operations of more specific
devices, such as gps, tv, fm, gprs, wi-fi, remote controls,
and the like?

I suppose that’s one purpose. Why it was off topic is that you didn’t
ask about
how you might do this with the gnuradio platform, or in general how
it might be done with SDR, you simply asked a question about how 802.11
radios work, and that is better answered elsewhere (like wikipedia, or
the IEEE specs, or an O’Reilly publication).

I thought that someone could have reproduced in software
the functioning of an access point or a wifi card.

Some progress has been made to this end. You’ll find plenty of
discussion
in the list archives about it. I’d suggest you start there:

http://swcurl.com/BBDYW
http://swcurl.com/LdWLl

Or, if you like big links:

http://lists.gnu.org/archive/cgi-bin/namazu.cgi?query=802.11&submit=Search!&idxname=discuss-gnuradio&max=20&result=normal&sort=score
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/cgi-bin/namazu.cgi?query=WiFi&submit=Search!&idxname=discuss-gnuradio&max=10&result=normal&sort=score

–
Caleb P.

5

On 9/13/07, Caleb P. [email protected] wrote:

What’s the difference between a access point and a
wireless network card in a pc/laptop?

For what it’s worth, I think this is the most correct one:

Or is there only a difference in what the drivers provided
by the makers allow you to do?

But, as Brian pointed out, this is a bit off-topic as it doesn’t
deal specifically with gnuradio.

I saw this project only recently, perhaps I’m mistaking the
real point of it.
Isn’t it, among the others, that of reproducing in software
with a generic radio device the operations of more specific
devices, such as gps, tv, fm, gprs, wi-fi, remote controls,
and the like?
I thought that someone could have reproduced in software
the functioning of an access point or a wifi card.

I guess this is not the main point of the project, but a side
effect capability maybe.