The IEEE Standards Association has started work on two amendments to the IEEE 802.11 standard for WLANs. One will aid interworking between IEEE 802.11 equipment and external networks, and the other will enhance how network stations are managed.
The first amendment, IEEE P802.11u, known as "Wireless LAN Medium Access Control and Physical Layer Specifications: IEEE 802.11 Interworking with External Networks," will help IEEE 802.11 equipment and external networks work together. The common wireless interworking framework it will provide will include protocol exchanges across the air interface and primitives to support the higher-layer interactions involved, the IEEE says.
The second amendment, IEEE P802.11v, or "Wireless LAN Medium Access Control and Physical Layer Specifications: IEEE 802.11 Wireless Network Management," will create an upper layer interface for managing IEEE 802.11 devices in wireless networks. The IEEE says it will allow stations to perform management functions, such as monitoring, configuring and updating, in either a centralized or distributed manner through a Layer 2 mechanism. It also will reconfigure the management information base to accommodate greater device complexity, according to the group.
IEEE 802.11 standards form specifications that define how WLAN equipment should be produced so equipment from different manufacturers can work together.
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