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CHAPTER 2:
WIRELESS NETWORK FUNDAMENTALS
Wireless Network Configuration
Ad-hoc Mode (Peer-to-Peer Workgroup)
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard for wireless LANs (WLANs), 802.11
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offers two
methods for configuring a wireless network — ad-hoc and infrastructure. In an ad-hoc network, computers are
brought together as needed; thus, there is no structure or fixed points to the network — each node can generally
communicate with any other node. There is no access point involved in this configuration. It enables you to quickly
set up a small wireless workgroup and allows workgroup members to exchange data or share printers as supported
by Microsoft Networking in the various Windows operating systems. Some vendors also refer to ad-hoc networking
as peer-to-peer workgroup networking.
In this configuration, network packets are directly sent and received by the intended transmitting and receiving
stations. As long as the stations are within range of one another, this is the easiest and least expensive way to set
up a wireless network.
To set up an ad-hoc workgroup operating with standard protocols, do the following:
Set all stations to connect in Ad-hoc mode (or Peer-to-Peer workgroup mode).
Set all stations to use the same network name (or SSID).
Set all stations to use no WEP encryption key or an identical WEP encryption key.
Set all stations to use the same wireless channel for communication.
Infrastructure Mode
With a wireless access point, you can put the wireless LAN into the infrastructure mode. It provides wireless
connectivity to multiple wireless network devices within a fixed range or area of coverage, interacting with a wireless
node via an antenna.
In the infrastructure mode, the wireless access point converts airwave data into wired Ethernet data, acting as a
bridge between the wired LAN and wireless clients. Connecting multiple HA501 Access Points via a wired Ethernet
backbone can further extend the wireless network coverage. As a mobile computing device moves out of the range
of one access point, it moves into the range of another. As a result, wireless clients can freely roam from one
Access Point domain to another and still maintain seamless network connection.
To set up an infrastructure network operating with standard protocols, do the following:
Set all wireless stations to connect in infrastructure mode
Set all stations to use the same network name (or SSID).
Set all wireless access points to use the same network name (or ESSID).
Set all stations to use no WEP encryption key or an identical WEP encryption key as the one used in Access
points.
Set up wireless channels used by individual access points. (It is not necessary to set channels on the stations
as the stations will automatically scan through all channels for the nearest access point.)
Содержание HA501 - 802.11a Wireless 32-Bit Card Bus Adapter
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