About RTS/CTS

[fjulianom]

Hi guys,

I have been reading about the RTS/CTS feature and how is used in a mixed 802.11b/g environment and also for solving hidden node issues. I understand the RTS/CTS feature is configured in the client station, what's the default configuration for this? I understand it should be disabled by default, but if I check in my laptop's wireless card, I see it is enabled:

Is this normal behaviour? Is it also enabled on phones? Does this mean everytime my laptop sends a frame, RTS/CTS frames are sent before?

Regards,
Julián

[cjoseph]

Please take a look at http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/1445641

[fjulianom]

Hi Colin,

Thanks, the link gives a well explanation. But if we took the example my laptop which is a common laptop, it has RTS/CTS enabled by default. Then it introduces an unnecessary overhead in the WLAN, because there is not a hidden node problem and maybe a 802.11b/g mixed environment either. And other weird thing is there are only two options, RTS/CTS or CTS-to-self (less overhead but overhead anyway), but there is no option to set this to disabled. In my office all the employees use the same type of laptop, then we are introducing a large amount of overhead thus harming the WLAN and each other unnecessarily.

Regards,

Julián

[cjoseph]

Honestly, if your laptop is not an 802.11b/g device, it would have very few opportunities to use RTS/CTS.

http://chimera.labs.oreilly.com/books/1234000001739/ch03.html#section-mac-dynbw

Please also feel free to google RTS/CTS for more info because I will just end up sending you the same links....

[fjulianom]

Ok, I thought with RTS/CTS enabled the laptop would always transmit RTS/CTS frames, but it seems it would only transmit them if using 802.11b mode, which will be rarely used for my understanding.

Thanks anyway,

Julián