Appendix B
Wireless Networking Basics
This chapter provides an overview of wireless networking and security.
Wireless Networking Overview
The RangeMax™ WPN111 Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter conforms to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b standard for wireless LANs (WLANs) and a product update will bring the WPN111 into conformance to the 802.11g standard when it is ratified. On an 802.11b or g wireless link, data is encoded using
The 802.11 standard is also called Wireless Ethernet or
Infrastructure Mode
With a wireless access point, you can operate the wireless LAN in the infrastructure mode. This mode provides wireless connectivity to multiple wireless network devices within a fixed range or area of coverage, interacting with wireless nodes 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 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.
W ire le ss N e tworkin g B a sics | B |