September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.

11-14/1014r0

Multiple BSSID element

Date: 2015-08-01
Authors:
Name Affiliations Address Phone email
Guido R. Hiertz Ericsson Ericsson Allee 1 +49-2407- [email protected]
52314 Herzogenrath 575-5575
Germany
Filip Mestanov Ericsson Färögatan 6 +46-725-298- filip.mestanov@eri
Stockholm 161 csson.com
Sweden

Submission Slide 1 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson

September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.11-14/1014r0

Abstract

Submission [1] proposes the use of the Multiple BSSID

element with 802.11ax. The submission was presented
during the July 2015 meeting but attendees asked for
more time to review the principles of the Multiple
BSSID element. The present submission intends to
provide further explanations about the Multiple BSSID
element.

Submission Slide 2 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson

September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.11-14/1014r0

Multiple SSIDs/BSSIDs

• Traditionally, 802.11 assumes a concept of “one AP,

one BSS”
• This concept evolved with the need for separate
WLANs for different sets of users
• Many vendors offer Virtual AP (VAP) capabilities
where a single, physical AP pretends to be multiple APs
• Some products support up to 32 VAPs
• With n VAPs n beacon frames are needed, causing
huge airtime consumption

Submission Slide 3 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson

September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.11-14/1014r0

Typical VLAN use

SSID: Lounge
MAC: 00:01:ec:40:50:b2
• Today’s Ethernet
deployments
heavily rely on SSID: Management
Virtual LANs MAC: 00:01:ec:40:50:b0
(VLANs)
• Even the most SSID: Airport
MAC: 00:01:ec:40:50:b1
simple deployment
will use two or more
VLANs
• Virtual APs reflect
this network design 802.3 bridge (Switch)
• One hardware AP
imitates to be
multiple APs
(VAPs) Airport
Management
VLAN
Lounge
VLAN VLAN

Submission Slide 4 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson

September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.11-14/1014r0

Functionally equivalent
SSID: Lounge
MAC: 00:01:ec:40:50:b2
• Pretending to be
multiple APs
means that all SSID: Management
management MAC: 00:01:ec:40:50:b0
functionality is
multiplied SSID: Airport
• Each virtual AP MAC: 00:01:ec:40:50:b1

sends its own

beacon frame Collocated
• This is
functionally 802.3 bridge (Switch)
equivalent to
having multiple
hardware APs
collocated Management
VLAN
Airport Lounge
VLAN VLAN

Submission Slide 5 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson

September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.11-14/1014r0

Example

• In 2.4 GHz, we observe a typical beacon size of 250 B

• [4] reports about typical beacon size in the order or 1000 B (!)
• Many deployments provide DSSS access assuming 1 Mb/s data
rate for management frames
• Beacon frame duration is 2 ms then
• With 3 APs collocated and each AP implementing 4 VAPs, every
beacon interval (102.4 ms) consists of 3 × 4 × 2 ms = 24 ms
beacon airtime
• Without considering medium access overhead 23.4% of
airtime can be easily consumed by beacon frames in
this example

Submission Slide 6 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson

September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.11-14/1014r0

Multiple BSSID element

• The Multiple BSSID

element collapses
information for
multiple BSSIDs
(= SSIDs) into one
single beacon frame
• If not otherwise needed,
this avoids sending the • The Multiple BSSID
same information element is defined in
elements (e.g. EDCA
parameter set etc.) 802.11v-2011
several times

Submission Slide 7 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson

September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.11-14/1014r0

802.11v-2011 – Source of the Multiple

BSSID element
• 802.11v-2011 provides means for Wireless Network
Management
• The project had seven letter (LBs) and nine sponsor ballots (SBs)
• The PAR was approved 2004-12-08
• The final amendment was approved 2011-02-09
• The final draft had 98% approval rate
• During the final LB [2] no commenter [3] addressed the Multiple
BSSID element

Submission Slide 8 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson

September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.11-14/1014r0

What about legacy clients?

• A chicken and egg problem

• Most legacy clients cannot
interpret the Multiple BSSID
element, thus, most APs do
not support it
• Most clients do not implement
the Multiple BSSID element
because few APs support it
• Most APs do not support the
Multiple BSSID element as few
clients support it

Submission Slide 9 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson

September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.11-14/1014r0

Why implement it in 802.11ax?

• Mixed operation of 802.11ax 1. We observe professional

and non-802.11ax clients deployments to turn off
relies on VAPs support for certain legacy
• Legacy client see only “main” implementations/features
SSID • A similar transitioning will
• W/o legacy clients, 802.11ax occur with 802.11ax
APs can solely rely on the • Then, the market will benefit
Multiple BSSID element from the Multiple BSSID
element
• Save multiple beacon frame
transmissions 2. It seems likely that
• AP sharing becomes easier mandatory support for the
Multiple BSSID element in
802.11ax will stipulate
implementation with legacy
products too

Submission Slide 10 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson

September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.11-14/1014r0

Chicken and eggs …

• Once we overcome the chicken and egg problem, the

implementation of the Multiple BSSID element will
make sense
• 802.11ax has the necessary momentum to push the market to the
right direction
• Vendors backport 802.11ac (performance relevant) solutions from
5 GHz to 2.4 GHz (802.11n)
• If 802.11ax implements the Multiple BSSSID element as mandatory
feature, new 802.11n and 802.11ac products will use it too
• Let’s do not leave this chance unused

Submission Slide 11 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson

September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.11-14/1014r0

STRAW POLL

Submission Slide 12 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson

September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.11-14/1014r0

Straw Poll

• Do you agree to add the following to the IEEE 802.11

TGax Specification Framework?
• Add to the end of Clause 6 (MAC): “HE STAs shall support the
Multiple BSSID Set.”

Submission Slide 13 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson

September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.11-14/1014r0

Transform successful straw poll into a motion

MOTION

Submission Slide 14 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson

September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.11-14/1014r0

Motion

• Moved to add to the end of Clause 6 (MAC) of the

IEEE 802.11 TGax Specification Framework:
• “HE STAs shall support the Multiple BSSID Set.”
• Moved by:
• Seconded:

Submission Slide 15 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson

September 2015 doc.: IEEE 802.11-14/1014r0

References

1. G. R. Hiertz et al., “Efficiency enhancement for 802.11ax,”

Jul. 2015. [Online]. Available:
https://mentor.ieee.org/802.11/dcn/15/11-15-0871
2. D. Stanley and E. Qi, “TGv Letter Ballot Comment
Resolutions,” Sep. 2009. [Online]. Available:
https://mentor.ieee.org/802.11/dcn/09/11-09-0929
3. “Voters List for Recirculation Letter Ballot 155 (TGv Draft
7.0) And previous Ballots: 140, 146 and 150,” [Online].
Available:
http://www.ieee802.org/11/LetterBallots/LB155v/LB155_vo
ters_list.xls
4. M. Fischer, “A Possible Solution to the Beacon Length
Problem,” May 2015. [Online]. Available:
https://mentor.ieee.org/802.11/dcn/15/11-15-0531

Submission Slide 16 Guido R. Hiertz et al., Ericsson