Distributed Coordination Function
Relies on the ability of computers to physically listen before they transmit
- When a node wants to send a message:
- First listens to make sure that the transmitting node has finished, then
- Waits a period of time longer
Each frame is sent using stop-and-wait ARQ
- By waiting, the listening node can detect that the sending node has finished and
- Can then begin sending its transmission
- ACK/NAK sent a short time after a frame is received,
- Message frames are sent a somewhat longer time after (ensuring that no collision will occur)