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Date:      Thu, 15 Nov 2001 20:11:27 -0000 (GMT)
From:      Duncan Barclay <dmlb@dmlb.org>
To:        Marco Molteni <molter@tin.it>
Cc:        mobile@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: an and wi ad-hoc talking
Message-ID:  <XFMail.011115201127.dmlb@computer.my.domain>
In-Reply-To: <20011112164812.A444@cobweb.example.org>

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Hi Marco 

Great a standards debate!

On 12-Nov-01 Marco Molteni wrote:
> On 2001-11-11, Duncan Barclay wrote:
>> BTW,
>> 
>> I think "association" is not defined for ad-hoc mode.
>> 
>> >From 802.11-1999a
>> 
>>         3.4 association: The service used to establish access point/station
>>         (AP/STA) mapping and enable STA invo-cation
>>         of the distribution system services (DSSs).
>> 
>> There is no AP in an ad-hoc network.
> 
> In my opinion the 802.11 standards are often unclear in details, for
> example in the definition of many terms.
> 
> Anyway, from my reading and understanding, there is always "association",
> no matter in which mode.
> 
> In IBSS (ad hoc or, if you prefer, peer to peer), each STA has an
> association with each other STA in the IBSS.

I disagree - there is not an association between STAs. There is maybe an
association for each STA with a network entity called the IBSS, or
the STA that happens to be generating the beacon.

> In BSS (infrastructure), each STA has only one association, with the AP,
> while the AP has one association per STA.

I don't belive that the AP associates with the STA.

> I think I can dig out this alternative description from the standard :-)

My understanding is based on what the devices need to do when associating.
I like to think of association as the act of a STA finding a beacon and
starting to follow it. The beacon does not need to know about the STA - for
example in an ad-hoc network no information is exchanged between and peers
when a STA associates with the IBSS. There is for an BSS/ESS.

I will ask the guys at work who write 802.11 stacks what they think. I just
design the radio chips and stay away from the complexities of the protocol
stack.
 
> /marco
> 
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> 

Duncan

---
________________________________________________________________________
Duncan Barclay  | God smiles upon the little children,
dmlb@dmlb.org   | the alcoholics, and the permanently stoned.
dmlb@freebsd.org| Steven King

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