Cabletron Systems 3Com manual OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL WIRELESS 1 NETWORKING, Introduction, Topologies

OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL WIRELESS

1 NETWORKING

Introduction	AirConnect® from 3Com is made up of a series of products that work together to
	deliver high-speed digital wireless networking. This technology provides connectivity
	between wireless clients and network nodes in a variety of indoor environments,
	and also provides bridging architecture between wired and wireless network
	segments. AirConnect is based on the IEEE 802.11B standard, and delivers 11 Mbps
	data transfer rates.
	The core hardware products that make up an AirConnect network include
	the following:
	■ A wireless network interface card (NIC) installed in a wireless client, either
	a PC Card installed in a notebook computer, or a PCI card installed in a
	desktop computer.
	■ Access point, or AP, which serves as a wireless network node.
	■ PowerBASE-T (optional), which provides bus power to the access point when
	connected to an Ethernet network.
	Also included in your AirConnect kit are an AP mounting bracket and hardware,
	a serial cable, a power adapter and associated power cables, and one CD: the
	AirConnect Installation CD.
AirConnect Network	To better understand how the various AirConnect products work together to create
Topologies	a wireless network, it might be helpful to depict a few of the possible AirConnect
	network topologies. The topology used in a particular environment depends on many
	factors, such as the functionality of the AP in the network, or desired data transfer
	rates. Your AirConnect network topology will probably resemble one of the following
	scenarios, or perhaps a combination of two or more.
Peer-To-Peer Network	The simplest AirConnect topology consists of one AP providing a single-cell
	network for wireless clients. In this scenario, as shown in the figure below, the
	wireless clients (notebook and desktop computers with the AirConnect NIC
	installed) communicate through the AP on a peer-to-peer network. The clients can
	be moved anywhere within the coverage area of the AP, and still communicate
	with each other. The AP in this instance serves the same purpose as a stand-alone
	network hub, and is not connected to any other network segments.