3. Submission
doc.: IEEE 802.11-10/0564r0
Slide 3
IEEE 802.11 Publication Status
• IEEE 802.11-2007 published and for free download
with Get802
• Publications completed for 802.11k, 802.11r and
802.11y, 802.11n and 802.11w
– 11k now available with Get802
– 11r now available with Get802
– 11y now available with Get802
– 11w now available with Get802
– 11n very soon available with Get802
– http://standards.ieee.org/getieee802/802.11.html
Peter Ecclesine (Cisco Systems)
4. Submission
doc.: IEEE 802.11-10/0564r0
Slide 4
Operating Classes and Channel numbers
• 11n allows 40 MHz and 20 MHz operation in the same BSS at the same
time
– Country information does not show current 40 MHz and current 20 MHz
channel numbers in Probe Response, so must be changed
– Extended Channel Switch does not specify new channels for 40 MHz and 20
MHz after the switch, so must be extended
• Is possible to have three channel bandwidths in same band at same
time (5-, 10-, 20-MHz), so operation with three bandwidths should be
specified
• 11-10/210 created Global Operating Class table
– First index is frequency band, numbers below 81 are reserved
– First subindex is channel bandwidth, largest to smallest
– Values of 192+ are Vendor Specific, based on OUI
Peter Ecclesine (Cisco Systems)
5. Submission
doc.: IEEE 802.11-10/0564r0
Global Operating Classes
• Operating Class / Channel Number tuples in every
command and report
– See 11-10/210r8 Table I-2 and J-4
• Context includes Country information, regulatory
requirements, transmit power, exchange of OUIs and
non-standard behaviors
• Vendor Specific operating classes are used to carry information
not defined in this standard within a single defined format, so that
reserved operating classes are not usurped for nonstandard
purposes and so that interoperability is more easily achieved in the
presence of nonstandard information.
May 2010
Peter Ecclesine (Cisco Systems)
Slide 5
6. Submission
doc.: IEEE 802.11-10/0564r0
Sub-GHz Operating Classes
• One mandatory class per subband/channel bandwidth,
knowing the regulatory domain of operation
– 6 Mandatory/optional classes: 450-510 MHz, 779-787 MHz, 863-
870 MHz, 896-960 MHz, 1427-1518 MHz, 2400-2497 MHz for
200 kHz Generic PHY
– Other Mandatory/optional classes for 802.11 PHYs?
– Many TVWS classes are being defined in 802.11af
– Everything else to be Vendor-Specific – operating classes 192-253
May 2010
Peter Ecclesine (Cisco Systems)
Slide 6
7. Submission
doc.: IEEE 802.11-10/0564r0
Operating Classes Issues
• AP/BSS is considered to be operating under a list of
current operating classes. This affects two things:
– On doing an extended channel switch, you potentially change
from one list of class/channel tuples to a different list.
– A STA prior to association needs the intersection of the set of
operating classes it supports and those in operation at the AP to be
non-empty
• Negotiating context information
– Country information, regulatory requirements, transmit power,
exchange of OUIs and non-standard behaviors, receiver
configuration per class
– TBD receiver configuration following Extended Channel Switch
May 2010
Peter Ecclesine (Cisco Systems)
Slide 7
