Mitel WRV54G Planning Your Wireless Network, Network Topology, Ad-Hoc versus Infrastructure Mode

Wireless-G VPN Broadband Router

Chapter 2: Planning Your Wireless Network

Network Topology

A wireless local area network (WLAN) is exactly like a regular local area network (LAN), except that each computer in the WLAN uses a wireless device to connect to the network. Computers in a WLAN share the same frequency channel and SSID, which is an identification name shared by the wireless devices belonging to the same wireless network.

Ad-Hoc versus Infrastructure Mode

Unlike wired networks, wireless networks have two different modes in which they may be set up: infrastructure and ad-hoc. An infrastructure configuration is a WLAN and wired LAN communicating to each other through an access point. An ad-hoc configuration is wireless-equipped computers communicating directly with each other. Choosing between these two modes depends on whether or not the wireless network needs to share data or peripherals with a wired network or not.

If the computers on the wireless network need to be accessible by a wired network or need to share a peripheral, such as a printer, with the wired network computers, the wireless network should be set up in Infrastructure mode. The basis of Infrastructure mode centers around an access point or wireless router, such as the Wireless-G VPN Broadband Router, which serves as the main point of communications in a wireless network. The Router transmits data to PCs equipped with wireless network adapters, which can roam within a certain radial range of the Router. You can arrange the Router and multiple access points to work in succession to extend the roaming range, and you can set up your wireless network to communicate with your Ethernet hardware as well.

If the wireless network is relatively small and needs to share resources only with the other computers on the wireless network, then the Ad-Hoc mode can be used. Ad-Hoc mode allows computers equipped with wireless transmitters and receivers to communicate directly with each other, eliminating the need for a wireless router or access point. The drawback of this mode is that in Ad-Hoc mode, wireless-equipped computers are not able to communicate with computers on a wired network. And, of course, communication between the wireless- equipped computers is limited by the distance and interference directly between them.

Network Layout

The Wireless-G VPN Broadband Router has been specifically designed for use with both your 802.11b and 802.11g products. Now, products using these standards can communicate with each other.

network: a series of computers or devices connected for the purpose of data sharing, storage, and/or transmission between users

lan (local area network): The computers and networking products that make up the network in your home or office

ssid: your wireless network’s name

ad-hoc: a group of wireless devices communicating directly to each other (peer-to-peer) without the use of an access point

infrastructure: a wireless network that is bridged to a wired network via an access point

adapter: a device that adds network functionality to your PC

ethernet: IEEE standard network protocol that specifies how data is placed on and retrieved from a common transmission medium

access point: a device that allows wireless- equipped computers and other devices to communicate with a wired network. Also used to expand the range of a wireless network

Chapter 2: Planning Your Wireless Network 4

Network Topology