Question

in an 802.11 wireless lan using csma/ca, station s sends a data packet to station r (which is within range). even if we assume that connectivity is symmetric (a can hear b if and only if b can hear a), and collisions are the only cause of errors, and rts/cts packets never collide with each other, it is still possible that r will fail to receive the data packet. describe one way this might happen.

Answer 1

Data packets in an 802.11 wireless LAN using CSMA/CA can fail to reach their destination station if they get corrupted or weakened during transmission due to interference, attenuation, or physical obstacles.

Step-by-step explanation:

In an 802.11 wireless LAN using CSMA/CA, it is possible that station R will fail to receive the data packet even if connectivity is symmetric and collisions are the only cause of errors. One way this might happen is if the data packet gets corrupted during transmission and becomes unreadable by station R. This can occur if the signal strength of the packet weakens significantly due to interference or attenuation.

For example, if there are other devices or wireless networks operating in the same frequency range, they can cause interference and reduce the signal strength of the packet. Similarly, if the distance between station S and station R is large, the signal may weaken over the distance traveled.

Additionally, if there are physical obstacles or environmental conditions, such as walls or interference from other electromagnetic sources, these can also weaken the signal and cause the data packet to be lost or corrupted.