The network protocol architecture not only can be designed from the traditional view of layers, but also can be designed from the view of planes, i.e., the data, control and management planes. Media access control (MAC) is a function of the data link layer, and thus the MAC protocols involve of both the data and control planes. However, although the international wireless local area network (WLAN) standard, IEEE 802.11 or Wi-Fi, has developed over 20 years, the control plane of the MAC protocols is not explicitly described yet. Thus, does it need to separate the MAC protocols into data and control planes? If not, are there some problems in existing hybrid architecture? To answer above questions, we analyse the possible problems of the current MAC protocols in IEEE 802.11, particularly in std 802.11-2020. These problems can be seen as new starts for the next study of the WLAN for the next generation (WNG).
翻译:尽管国际无线局域网(WLAN)标准(IEEE 802.11或Wi-Fi)已经发展了20多年,但MAC协议的控制平面尚未明确描述,因此,是否有必要将MAC协议与数据和控制平面分开?如果没有,现有混合结构中是否存在一些问题?为了回答上述问题,我们分析了IEEE 802.11-2020中目前MAC协议可能存在的问题,特别是在Std 802.11-2020中,这些问题可视为下一代(WNG)下一次WLAN研究的新开端。