3Com 11 Mbps I

The 3Com wireless product family lets you set up a local area network (LAN)

without the restraints of network cabling. If your ofﬁce already has an Ethernet

LAN, the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Access Point 8000 can extend the network

without additional cabling. The access point security features extend the security

of installed wired networks to include all wireless components.

The type of network you conﬁgure depends on the size of your ofﬁce and whether

you require a connection to a wired LAN. A simple conﬁguration consists of an

access point and several clients. The clients can associate with the wireless

network anywhere within the coverage area of the access point.

For more complex requirements, you can conﬁgure several access points as

separate networks at the same site. The access points use different network

identiﬁers called wireless LAN service areas (WLAN service areas) or Extended

Service Set Identities (ESSID). Client computers can roam within the coverage areas

of access points in the same segment with the same WLAN service areas.

An access point can be connected to a wired LAN by an Ethernet cable acting as a

bridge between the wired and wireless networks. In this conﬁguration, the access

point provides the link between the wired network and wireless clients. Clients

can move freely throughout the service area of the access point and remain

associated with the larger network, allowing client access to the full range of

network services.

For complete wireless coverage, several access points can be connected to an

existing LAN. Wireless clients can roam freely between different access points with

the same WLAN service areas and remain associated with the larger network.

Clear channel select When initializing, automatically scans the frequency spectrum and

selects the channel with the least interference.

Power over Ethernet Powered over the Ethernet cable to reduce the number of cables

and simplify installation.

Access point discovery Clients and network administrators can discover access points and

ESSIDs within the same network segment. The network

administrator can also discover, manage, and upgrade access

points across routers by means of the 3Com Network Supervisor

(3NS).

Rate control Rate Control options available in the access point to select

Optional, Required, or Not Used.

Transmit power control Adjustable power level from minimum to maximum to extend

transmission range.

Roaming within segments Allows client to roam between access points within the same

segment.