IEEE 802.11

802 LAN Access Method for Wireless Physical Medium

DATE:	March 3, 1994

AUTHOR:	Chandos A. Rypinski,

Chief Technical Officer

LACE, Inc.	Tel: +01 415 389 6659

655 Redwood Highway #340	Fax: +01 415 389 6746

Mill Valley, CA 94954 USA	E-m: rypinski@netcom.com

TITLE:	RECOMMENDATION: 802.11 Terminology Replaces Use of "Time-Bounded" Services with "Connection-Type" Services

PURPOSE OF RECOMMENDATION

Users of a prospective 802.11 Standard need connection-type services with widely understood meaning and definition. The meaning of "time-bounded" is a private definition and a vague generality outside of 802.11, and will not be useful unless the meaning is quantitatively defined and aligned with general telecom practice.

Existing definitions of connection-type services appear in 802.6 and better in 802.9. Moreover, interconnectibility of B-channels provided by 802.11 depends on use of or compatibility with setup protocols defined principally in CCITT documents including the Q.92X higher layers. 802.6 competently deals with a common plan for 802 and E.164 address format coexistence.

ISO 8802.2 Part 2: Logical Link Control Type 2 covers a data-oriented connection-type service which may need to be considered. This protocol has been carefully considered in both 802.6 and 802.9 and found less than totally compatible with telecom practice--particularly in addressing functions.

Time-bounded services as defined in the DFWMAC when compared with the needs for connection-type services contains some functional assumptions which are irrelevant and other necessary functions are omitted. The quantitative definitions necessary are absent or deficient.

The main purpose of this recommendation is to motivate alignment of the 802.11 Standard with widely accepted standards for connection-type services. If this is not done, all that 802.11 will provide is a patchable but not interconnectable voice intercom service, and it will not meet any need at all for multi-media applications. There will be a further perception that the current 802.11 foundation MAC is not capable of meeting generally accepted requirements for connection-type services, and chooses to hide this deficiency behind a private definition.

This recommendation should be adopted by the MAC and Plenary groups.

IEEE 802.11

Meeting of March 7-11, 1994

Vancouver, B.C., Canada

March 2, 1994

TO:	Mr. Vic Hayes,	Chair IEEE 802.11

Chair Joint MAC/PHY group

Mr. Dave Bagby,	Chair MAC group

Members of 802.11 and its MAC group

FROM:	Chandos A. Rypinski, voting member

RE:	P802.11-94/46

Recommendation: 802.11 Terminology Replaces Use of "Time-bounded" services with "Connection-type" services

P802.11-94/47

Recommendation: The DFWMAC Shall be Modified to Designate the "Point Control Function" as the Primary Mode, and the "Distributed Control Function" as secondary or default.

Dear colleagues:

I am unable to attend this meeting of 802.11 even though I have prepared a number of contributions for it.

Had I been able to attend this meeting, I would have introduced the title of the above contributions as motions for vote in the MAC and Plenary groups. It is impractical for me to attempt this by proxy or otherwise.

I now ask the MAC group Chairman to announce the titles of these contributions at the first MAC group meeting, and to ask for a show of interest in discussing the matters raised (after the group has had the chance to look at them -- one page). From that point, further steps would depend on the sense of the meeting.

My belief is that if these fundamental steps are not taken, it will not be possible to evolve a MAC that will competently handle radio problems and integration of packet and userful connection-type services. If it has not already been done, it is likely that I will introduce motions to this effect at a subsequent meeting.

Attention you may give these contributions is much appreciated.

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