HIPERLAN (High Performance Radio LAN) is a set of wireless communication standards developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to provide high-speed wireless networking, similar to Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11).
Key Features:
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Designed for high-speed data transfer in wireless local area networks (WLANs).
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Operates in the 5 GHz frequency band (less crowded than 2.4 GHz).
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Offers data rates up to 54 Mbps (in HIPERLAN/2).
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Supports multimedia traffic like voice and video due to QoS (Quality of Service) features.
Versions:
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HIPERLAN/1 (1996):
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Offered up to 20 Mbps.
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Focused on ad-hoc networking (device-to-device).
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Included advanced MAC features like power saving.
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HIPERLAN/2 (2000):
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Offered up to 54 Mbps.
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Designed for infrastructure-based networking (like Wi-Fi).
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Supported integration with IP, ATM, and UMTS networks.
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Limitations:
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Complex protocol stack compared to Wi-Fi.
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Failed to gain widespread adoption, as IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) became the global standard.
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Limited hardware support and industry backing.
Summary:
HIPERLAN was an early European attempt to standardize high-speed wireless LANs, offering advanced features but ultimately overshadowed by the global success of Wi-Fi.