| Legal Information |
|
IEEE 802.11b wireless networking consists of the following components:
A station (STA) is a network node that is equipped with a wireless network device. A personal computer with a wireless network adapter is known as a wireless client. Wireless clients can communicate directly with each other or through a wireless access point (AP). Wireless clients are mobile.
Having a wireless access point isn't enough. You need to be able to connect to the wireless network. Every machine needs to have a wireless card. Wireless cards are devices that fit into a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) slot for desktop PCs, or PCMCIA (usually called PC Card) slots for notebook or laptop computers.
Most wireless cards transmit on a particular frequency determined by the standard it supports, such as 802.11b.
Wireless cards for desktop machines are designed to fit into one of the empty PCI slots found inside the computer.
Although manufacturers are starting to include wired Ethernet cards as standard, wireless networking cards aren't as common.
Wireless PC Cards for notebooks and laptops fit into a PCMCIA slot, usually found on the left or right side of the machine. Unlike desktop PCs, many new laptops and notebooks are shipping with wireless cards already built in.
When you purchase wireless cards for your computers, make sure that the cards support the same standard and broadcast frequency as the wireless access point. The 802.11g standard supports the older 802.11b cards but 802.11b cards will be slower than an 802.11g card.
Standard and frequency should always match. There's no need to buy the same brand wireless card and access point. The following table lets you which cards to buy with which access points.
| Access Point | Card |
| 802.11a access point | 802.11a cards only |
| 802.11b access point | 802.11b cards only |
| 802.11g access point | 802.11g card preferred and 802.11b |
An access point (or gateway) does exactly what its name implies: It provides a point through which your machine can access a wireless network. Generally speaking, an access point both transmits and receives data on a wireless network, so technically it's a transceiver.
An access point can connect wireless users, and forms the interconnection or bridge between wired and wireless networks. For very small WLANs, such as those used in small offices or homes, one access point is usually all that's needed. As your network grows in physical size (such as distance in feet or meters) and number of users, you'll need to think about multiple access points. If you run into this situation, you need to make sure that your coverage
Ensure Network design is carried out in a methodical way.
Wireless access points range in price and usually have a maximum range of 300 feet indoors, and 1,500 feet outdoors.
A wireless AP is a wireless network node that acts as a bridge between STAs and a wired network. A wireless AP contains:
The wireless AP is similar to a cellular phone network's base station. Wireless clients communicate with both the wired network and other wireless clients through the wireless AP. Wireless APs are not mobile and act as peripheral bridge devices that extend a wired network.
A single wireless AP that supports one or multiple wireless clients is known as a Basic Service Set (BSS).
A set of two or more wireless APs that are connected to the same wired network is known as an Extended Service Set (ESS). An ESS is a single logical network segment (also known as a subnet), and is identified by its Service Set Identifier (SSID).
If the available physical areas of the wireless APs in an ESS overlap, then a wireless client can roam, or move from one location (with a wireless AP) to another (with a different wireless AP) while maintaining Network layer connectivity.
A wireless AP does not need to be connected to a PC or server but can be connected directly to a hub or router to act as a direct link into the LAN.
A port is a channel of a device that can support a single point-to-point connection. For IEEE 802.11b, a port is an association, a logical entity over which a single wireless connection is made. A typical wireless client with a single wireless network adapter has one port and can support only one wireless connection. A typical wireless AP has multiple ports and can simultaneously support multiple wireless connections. The logical connection between a port on the wireless client and the port on a wireless AP is a point-to-point bridged LAN segment, similar to an Ethernet-based network client that is connected to an Ethernet switch.
If you want to connect to the Internet, you need a router to do so because wireless networking is known as local area networking -- local as in connecting devices local to you. The router sends Internet traffic to the Internet site while keeping local traffic between your own computers on your home network. If you have cable modem, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), satellite, or other broadband service in your home, you likely have a router or modem set up already.
In most cases, you can connect your router to an access point, walk through a simple configuration process, and presto, have connectivity to the Internet via wireless and wired networks.
A hub is similar to a router, except that it doesn't have as much brainpower. Your typical hub for home use has four or eight Ethernet ports that allow you to connect multiple machines. Hubs can connect your home network but they do not route to the Internet. You might need a hub if you hook your router to more than one wireless access point; however, in many cases the better wireless access points have a hub built into them.
| Search Knowledge Base | Feedback |