Allied Telesis AT-WA7500, AT-WA7501 manual Access Point Architecture

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Management and Configuration

				MIB
DHCP			DHCP
			Agent
	TCP/IP
TFTP	HTTP			Telnet
File	Configuration
System		Settings

Configuration Port

Multiport Bridge

Forwarding	Spanning	Wireless ARP
Database	Tree	Server

		Bridging
Ethernet	Radio	Radio	IP
Port	Port 1	Port 2	Port

RS-232 Connector	Ethernet	Antenna	Antenna
	Connection	Connection	Connection

Figure 1. Access Point Architecture

Access points are multiport (Ethernet-to-wireless) bridges, and because wireless end devices operate similarly to other Ethernet devices, all your existing Ethernet applications will work with the wireless network without any special networking software. Any access point, except the root access point, can concurrently receive hello messages on its Ethernet port, its radio port, and its IP tunnel port. However, an access point can use only one port to attach to the network. Port priorities are structured as follows:

1.Ethernet

2.IP tunnel

3.Radio

Unlike the physical Ethernet and radio ports, the IP tunnel port does not have its own output connector. It is a logical port that provides IP encapsulation services for frames that must be routed to reach their destinations. Once frames are encapsulated, they are transmitted or received through the Ethernet or radio port.

Wireless end devices may use power management to maintain battery life. These end devices periodically wake up to receive frames that arrived while their radio was powered down. The access point automatically provides a pending message delivery service that holds frames until the end device is ready to receive them.

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