WirelessMAN

Wireless Metropolitan Area Network ( WMAN ) refers to a larger regional radio network that is composed of several access nodes, and, for example, may extend over one or more parts of the city, an entire city or region. It is larger than a WLAN, because it does not consist of a single Wi-Fi hotspot, but whole -Fi hot zones with many access points forms in different locations, which operate in conjunction with each other to enable the connected Wi-Fi users with an optimal wireless network connection. WMANs are logistically very similar in structure to the mobile networks for telephony. The or operator of a WMAN is called " Wireless Internet Service Providers " ( WISP ), provided they also offer one or more Internet gateways. Many such WMANs have emerged worldwide in recent years to provide citizens with a high-speed Internet access. They are often the only alternative in northeastern Germany, where until today because many of the installed fiber optic cable not DSL services (for which a copper cable is necessary) are available.

Technology

Due to the drastic drop in prices of the required hardware in recent years, they are almost always implemented in the IEEE 802.11 standard. Another, specially developed for such applications is standard IEEE 802.16 known as WiMAX.

In WMANs frequently called wireless bridges with direct connection ( Point-to- Point, PtP ) or Point-to- Multipoint ( PtMP ) compounds are used to connect the different local area networks ( LAN) via Wi-Fi with one another - virtually a wireless leased line. Also, network technologies such as VPN and VLAN come in WMANs often used. In less time ( Wireless Distribution System ) can be used more access points with WDS technology, which at the same time as an access point and as a wireless bridge can then work. The use of different wireless network technologies WMANs can at times be highly complex properties and structures have.

Examples

An example of a WMAN is the Würmtal Wireless Network in the region Würmtal, on the southwestern outskirts of the Bavarian capital Munich. The Würmtal Wireless Network is one of the oldest radio network infrastructure in Germany and currently has over 80 network nodes, distributed in the three districts of Munich, Starnberg and Furstenfeldbruck, also one of the largest WMANs in Germany with a locally built, self-sufficient network infrastructure according to the principle of the Internet. Nevertheless, the Würmtal Wireless Network is not a mesh network.