2.9 Wireless LAN (WLAN)
WLAN stands for Wireless Local Area Network, i.e. a cable-free network. The IEEE standard 802.11(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) for wireless LANs (WLANs) offers two configuration methods for wireless networks, the ad-hoc mode and the infrastructure mode.
Ad-hoc mode (peer-to-peer work group)
In an ad-hoc network, individual computers are connected to each other as required. In other words, there is no fixed structure or fixed points in the network. As a rule, any node may communicate with any other node. In this configuration there is no AccessPoint. This enables a small WLAN work group may be quickly established. The individual members of the group can exchange data with each other and share printers, as permitted by the Microsoft network functions of the various Windows operating systems. A few providers also refer to an ad-hoc network as a peer-to-peer network. In this configuration, data packets are transmitted directly from a transmitting to the corresponding receiving station. Insofar as the individual stations are located within its respective range, this is the most simple and least costly method of establishing a WLAN.
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