ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the performances of wireless local area networks (WLAN) and wireless personal area network (WPAN) technologies from a radio network perspective. It outlines basic differences between WLAN, WPAN, cellular ad hoc networks, and wireless sensor networks. The chapter examines the technologies Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, and IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee. It provides technical background on the technology as well as investigations on the performance of the systems and their suitability for industrial applications/factory floor environments. The chapter shows how the systems—all can be used in the same frequency band—coexist. Measurements performed in industrial environments thus show smaller path loss coefficients and noteworthy multipath propagations, which the systems need to be able to handle. In a PAN, data as well as voice communication can prevail. The expressions WLAN, WPAN, and cellular and ad hoc networks are commonly used, often though without consistency and/or precision.
