5
3.
Wireless Topologies
Wireless Router For ADSL looks and operates similar to Ethernet products. The
only difference is that a radio replaces the wire between communicating devices.
This means that all of your existing applications that operate over Ethernet will
work with the Wireless Router For ADSL without any special wireless
networking software.
A wireless LAN can be configured for two different modes of operation. While
each method has its advantages, one of them may be better suited for your needs.
Review the following configurations to determine which mode is best for you.
3.1
Peer-to-Peer Group
A Peer-to-Peer group—also known as an
Ad-Hoc
network-- is the simplest to
deploy and is ideal for small offices. Peer-to-Peer Group can be comprised of two
or more wireless client configured to communicate with one another. Peer-to-Peer
Group clients communicate directly with each other without using an access point
(AP). As a user on this type of network, you are able to quickly build up a
wireless network in order to share files with other employees, print to a shared
office printer, and access the Internet through a single shared connection.
Ad-hoc networking is cost effective, because no other devices components are
needed (such as access points, hubs or routers) in order to setup a network.
However, with Ad-Hoc networking, your computer is only able to communicate
with other nearby wireless clients.
By using the off-the-shelf peer-to-peer network operating systems, each
computer can dynamically connect and reconnect to the others with no additional
configuration, as illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1 Peer-to-Peer Group
The Wireless Router For ADSL can communicate with an 802.11b or 802.11g
Peer-to-Peer Group (but it can not dynamically switch between the two).
Therefore, you must manually configure the wireless adapter to use one specific
radio mode.
3.2
Access Point Infrastructure
Many companies have an existing Ethernet or wired LAN infrastructure and
want to be able to extend that capability to wireless nodes. This is accomplished
