Peer Review

802.11b Physical Layer

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Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: This tutorial addresses the physical layer of the 802.11b standard used in wireless LANs. It goes into detail about the frame structure and frequencies, in the course of the overview.
Type of Material:: This is a tutorial with hyperlinks to other tutorials and definitions.
Recommended Uses:: Useful for self study or as reference for developing a lecture.As additional material in a general networking class or in a LAN class.
Technical Requirements:: Computer with a browser that supports HTML 4.0 Transitional.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: To introduce students to this standard and give them technical information about
it.

Understand the function of the physical of the Medium Access Control layer of the 802.11b standard.

Learn the details of the protocol fields of the PLCP protocol unit.
Understand how the standard uses DSSS modulation.

Learn the details of transmission frequency.
Target Student Population:: Under graduate or graduate level introduction to telecommunications or a specialty course on wireless networks.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Understand the modularity of protocol development.
Be familiar with the OSI model.
Have an introcuctory knowledge of wirewless LANs.
Understand the difference between a protocol and a standard.
Ability to use a computer with a browser and Internet access.

Rating:
Strengths:: Very good material, written so that anyone with some network background can
understand it.

The content is clear and concise and is a core concept of a disipline. It is relevant and provides accurate information. It has hyper links to explain terms and concepts.
Concerns:: The tutorial does not support the student that learns visually, through pictures.Some form of self-test would be a nice addition.

Rating:
Strengths:: Has good technical information, with plenty of links to additional definitions.
Due to the amount of strategically placed hyperlinks to short concept tutorials and to definitions, the student could use this a supplemental information. The content is written to the level of a student approaching this material for the first time. The material fits into a core course.
Concerns:: The lack of visual representations detracts from the useability. The student could be distracted by the site itself, due to the wealth of information revealed by digging into the hyperlinks on concepts as well as those offered on the site.

The modual does not offer any support learning with exercises or simulations.

Rating:
Strengths:: The modual should be a relatively fast load whether on dial up or highspeed, due to its simplicity and structure.Fairly easy to read.
Concerns:: Two links went to the same information and one link brought up a blank template page for a tutorial.

Other Issues and Comments:: The modual links to other tutorials written by the author. When searching the site by author, other useful tutorials are displayed which may be used as additional supplementry information.
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