Chapter 2: Planning Your Wireless Network
Network Topology
A wireless network is a group of computers, each equipped with one or more wireless adapters. Computers in a wireless network must be configured to share the same radio channel to talk to each other. Several PCs equipped with wireless cards or adapters can communicate with each other to form an
Linksys also provides products to allow wireless adaptors to access wired network through a bridge such as the wireless access point, or wireless router. An integrated wireless and wired network is called an infrastructure network. Each wireless PC in an infrastructure network can talk to any computer in a wired or wireless network via the access point or wireless router.
An infrastructure configuration extends the accessibility of a wireless PC to a wired network, and may double the effective wireless transmission range for two wireless adapter PCs. Since an Access Point is able to forward data within a network, the effective transmission range in an infrastructure network may be more than doubled since Access Point can transmit signal at higher power to the wireless space.
Roaming
Infrastructure mode also supports roaming capabilities for mobile users. Roaming means that you can move your wireless PC within your network and the access points will pick up the wireless PC's signal, providing that they both share the same wireless network (SSID), wireless channel, and wireless security settings.
This Access Point has 802.11F
Before you consider roaming, choose a feasible radio channel and optimum access point position. Proper access point positioning combined with a clear radio signal will greatly enhance performance.
infrastructure: a wireless network that is bridged to a wired network via an access point.
roaming: the ability to take a wireless device from one access point's range to another without losing the connection.
ssid: your wireless network's name
Chapter 2: Planning Your Wireless Network | 4 |
Network Topology
