wi - fi 6 e是重塑射频安全需求| Electronic Design

This article appeared inMicrowaves & RFand has been published here with permission.

您将学到什么：

获得Wi-Fi 6e的概述，其收益和潜在应用。
How Wi-Fi 6E impacts RF security issues.
Why an SDR-based approach to spectrum analysis is beneficial.

Fixed and mobile internet usage is growing rapidly as our world depends more on the wireless spectrum, thanks in large part to the great migration to working from home. A May 2020 report found that overall internet traffic grew by more than 40% between February and April, with video streaming accounting for 58% of all traffic.¹这些流量的大部分都从移动返还到固定的Wi-Fi访问点驱逐出境。

The arrival of Wi-Fi 6E will help to alleviate the congestion on existing Wi-Fi networks. In response to the need for greater reliability, access, and performance, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted in April 2020 to open up the 6-GHz band (5.925 to 7.125 GHz) for unlicensed use.²Adding more than 1.2 GHz of high-frequency spectrum, the announcement represents the largest addition to Wi-Fi since the original 802.11b standard of the late 1990s and paves the way for the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), and other high-bandwidth, low-latency applications.

However, the move to the 6- to 7-GHz band and beyond presents a new challenge to RF security and technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM) professionals. With most previous devices using signals in the 2.4- or 5-GHz bands, spectrum-analysis equipment also was designed to cover up to a maximum of 6 GHz. As a result, many users will need to increase the frequency range of their RF measurement equipment to get a complete view of the spectrum environment in their facility.

本文将介绍Wi-Fi 6E标准，并概述新规格，对先前标准的改进以及潜在的应用和用途。然后，它将探索这些新信号将如何影响RF安全专业人员，然后再展示软件定义的频谱分析方法如何以比传统硬件更低的成本进行更高的性能。

RF安全将始终在公司办公室，政府设施，敏感的隔间信息设施（SCIF）和其他必须保护敏感信息的环境中发挥重要作用。通过了解新标准，安全专业人员可以确保他们拥有维护无线频谱控制所需的设备和性能。

Understanding Wi-Fi 6E

Cisco最近的一份报告估计，到2023年，有56亿人将使用Internet。预计连接的设备的数量将从2018年的184亿增加到到2023年的290亿以上。³In addition to this rapid rise in the number of connected devices, high-definition video streams and other high-bandwidth applications have dramatically increased the amount of data flowing at a given time.

Low-latency applications such as gaming, VR/AR, and autonomous vehicles also require high levels of performance and reliability, whereas IoT applications often have wide networks of low-powered sensors all sharing data in real-time.

In response to these changing requirements, the FCC has authorized a new band of spectrum for unlicensed use. This section will explore the differences and benefits of the new Wi-Fi 6E standard and the 6- to 7-GHz band.

How Wi-Fi 6E Differs from Previous Standards

Early Wi-Fi standards, such as 802.11b, were first deployed in the late 1990s. They operated in a tiny sliver of the unlicensed 2.4-GHz ISM band from 2.400 to 2.495 GHz. With a narrow range and overlapping channels, the ISM band eventually became too crowded to cope with the increasing density of devices and growing bandwidth requirements.⁴

Though the first 5-GHz standards go back to the same period, widespread use became more common with the introduction of 802.11n, known today as Wi-Fi 4.⁵Operating from 5.170 to 5.835 GHz, this higher-frequency standard reduced the strain on the overcrowded 2.4-GHz band and improved speed, reliability, capacity, and bandwidth. Further performance improvements were realized as technology advanced and new standards were launched, specifically 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) in 2013 and the more recent 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) in 2018.

With its approval from the FCC, Wi-Fi 6E represents one of the largest and most significant additions to Wi-Fi in its history. It has the potential to dramatically boost speed, bandwidth, capacity, and reliability while reducing congestion, latency, and power requirements. Put simply, it will increase the amount of spectrum available for routers and other devices by nearly a factor of five, resulting in more bandwidth and less interference.⁶

The biggest and more important change for RF security professionals is that Wi-Fi 6E will use the 6- to 7-GHz band ranging from 5.925 to 7.125 GHz. Previously used to support utilities, public safety, and wireless backhaul, unlicensed devices will now be allowed to share this spectrum through a regulatory framework that protects existing users while allowing for more efficient use of the wireless spectrum.

Wi-Fi 6E will support 14 additional non-overlapping 80-MHz channels and 7 non-overlapping 160-MHz channels, a dramatic improvement from the 20-MHz non-overlapping channels currently available in Wi-Fi 5（图。1）. Combined with advanced channel-allocation technology, this will greatly reduce congestion and interference for users in high-density environments such as office buildings, apartment complexes, or large public venues.

此外，Wi-Fi 6e将显着提高速度和延迟。一份行业报告表明，到2022年，平均固定宽带下载速度将增加到280 MB/s，是当前137 MB/s的两倍以上。⁷测试表明潜伏水平低至2至5 ms。⁸

当然,当处理higher-f的权衡requency signals is a decrease in propagation and range. Compared to 2.4- and 5-GHz signals, 6-GHz signals will travel shorter distances and be more susceptible to physical barriers such as buildings, walls, trees, and other obstacles. In larger spaces, multiple access points will be required to ensure coverage and maintain reliability.

Finally, Wi-Fi 6E will only be accessible to new devices that support the standard and will have no backward compatibility. Early entrants should encounter a nearly clear playing field, away from the congestion and interference of the 2.4- and 5-GHz bands.

With so many advantages and the potential for substantial performance improvements, it’s no surprise that Wi-Fi 6E devices are expected to become prevalent in 2021. One IDC research director estimates there will be more than 338 million devices entering the market by the end of the year, and nearly 20% of all Wi-Fi 6 device shipments will support the 6-GHz band by 2022.⁹

The resulting increase in broadband speeds, combined with the accelerated deployment of IoT and other advanced technologies, is expected to generate more than US$180 billion in revenue over the next five years.¹⁰So how does this affect RF security, and how will equipment requirements shift as new Wi-Fi 6E-enabled devices enter the market?

RF安全性的不断变化

RF security has evolved over the years as devices, hackers, and covert surveillance products became more sophisticated. For as long as there has been sensitive information, surveillance, and countersurveillance, operators have found new ways to evade and outsmart the other.

The widespread proliferation of low-cost, easy-to-use, and powerful wireless communications technology has made it relatively simple for governments, rival corporations, or even individuals to deploy surveillance devices, transmit sensitive information, and disrupt the wireless signal environment.

The following section shows how the new Wi-Fi 6E standard will change performance requirements for spectrum-analysis equipment used for TSCM and RF security applications.

新标准对频谱 - 分析硬件意味着什么

如前所述，新标准在5.925至7.125 GHz范围内运行，高于以前的标准。到目前为止，大多数用户仅关注低于6 GHz的信号。频谱 - 分析设备反过来也仅限于这些范围。结果是，今天在现场部署和使用的大多数现有的TSCM和频谱 - 分析硬件将无法检测和分析这些新的6到7 GHz信号。

This is an obvious issue for RF security professionals because they will basically be blind to these new devices, which presents a serious security vulnerability. It not only limits how users can detect and remove unauthorized devices, but it also prevents them from getting a complete view of the signal environment in their facility.

A second challenge is the width of the new band and channels. With 1.2 GHz of spectrum divided into 80/160-MHz channels, equipment with low instantaneous bandwidth (IBW) and sweep rates may miss out on sporadic and short-duration signals of interest.

最后,正如TSCM和射频安全内核的要求ity rise in complexity and operators become more sophisticated, traditional sweeping techniques must be augmented with continuous, 24/7 coverage. Modern surveillance devices can store information and transmit it in short bursts outside of regular office hours to avoid detection by sweeps. Many also use frequency hopping or low-powered signals to further reduce the likelihood of detection.

Another consideration is that threats to RF security aren’t necessarily malicious. For example, an employee may be unsatisfied with the connectivity in their office and decide to bring in a router from home to boost their connection. Similarly, an employee may forget to check their device before entering a SCIF or other restricted facility.

在这种情况下，对RF安全的威胁是诚实错误或事故而不是故意事件的结果。对设施的连续监视将使安全专业人员能够检测发射器，然后采取措施卸下或保护设备。

A Continuous, Software-Defined Approach to RF Security Applications

由于目前在现场部署的许多现有设备无法检测和分析6至7 GHz频段中的信号，RF Security和TSCM专业人员将需要升级其功能。然后，问题变成：获得最佳覆盖范围并确保对无线频谱进行有效监视需要什么？

传统的，基于硬件的光谱 - 分析设备确实提供了Wi-Fi 6E设备所需的频率范围和带宽，但否则它们适合TSCM和安全应用。这些解决方案大型，复杂且昂贵，是为需要极高性能的实验室或制造环境而设计的。另一方面，现有的手持和低成本分析仪通常不涵盖所需的频率范围和带宽。相反，用户应考虑软件定义方法的频谱监视的好处。

实时频谱分析仪和监视系统

In a software-defined spectrum analyzer, the software runs over a hardware layer. The hardware components tend to perform only the RF-to-digital conversion, allowing a standard PC or laptop to provide the necessary computing power.

An example of such an instrument is thinkRF’s R5550-408 real-time spectrum analyzer, which provides a frequency range of 9 kHz to 8 GHz, 100 MHz of IBW, and a 28-GHz/s sweep rate. It enables users to monitor, detect, and analyze W-Fi 6E signals. It can be used either as an RF analyzer or as an RF downconverter for existing equipment.

This type of instrument can be integrated with specialized TSCM software such as Kestrel TSCM Professional Software from the Professional Development TSCM Group (PDTG). When combined with directional antennas and other equipment, users gain a complete surveillance system that allows them to conduct full-spectrum scans up to 8 GHz without additional upgrades（图2）. Users can distinguish between friendly and unauthorized signals, demodulate the signal if required, and locate the source for removal.

Networked for remote deployment, multiple units can be deployed throughout a facility for continuous, 24/7 coverage. Information from static and roaming units is able to be sent to a centralized location for analysis, while real-time alerts and triggers can be configured to notify security professionals of an unauthorized or unknown signal. Users also can create a signal library, record data for post analysis, and generate reports.

This approach offers numerous benefits when used in addition to regular sweeps by TSCM professionals. Not only does it provide greater coverage, but it also ensures that users maintain a full view of the spectrum environment and can identify unknown signals from new Wi-Fi 6E-enabled devices operating above 6 GHz.

Nikhil Adnani博士在无线领域拥有超过25年的经验。他曾在加拿大诺特尔和通信研究中心担任工程职位。Nikhil拥有B.Sc.和硕士来自曼尼托巴大学和博士学位来自卡尔顿大学，全都是电气工程。