ZyXEL Communications HS100/HS100W manual Configuring Roaming, Rts/Cts

		HomeSafe User’s Guide
		Table 6-1 WLAN : Wireless
LABEL		DESCRIPTION
Enable	Click the check box to activate wireless LAN.
Wireless LAN
ESSID	(Extended Service Set IDentity) The ESSID identifies the Service Set with which a
	wireless station is associated. Wireless stations associating to the access point (AP)
	must have the same ESSID. Enter a descriptive name (up to 32 printable 7-bit ASCII
	characters) for the wireless LAN.
		) If you are configuring the HomeSafe from a
		computer connected to the wireless LAN and
		you change the HomeSafe’s ESSID or WEP
		settings, you will lose your wireless
		connection when you press Apply to confirm.
		You must then change the wireless settings of
		your computer to match the HomeSafe’s new
		settings.
Hide ESSID	Select this check box to hide the ESSID in the outgoing beacon frame so a station
	cannot obtain the ESSID through passive scanning using a site survey tool.
Choose	Set the operating frequency/channel depending on your particular region.
Channel ID	Select a channel from the drop-down list box.
	Refer to the Wizard Setup chapter for more information on channels.
RTS/CTS	Enter a value between 0 and 2432. The default is 2432.
Threshold
Fragmentation	Enter a value between 256 and 2432. The default is 2432. It is the maximum data
Threshold	fragment size that can be sent.
Apply	Click Apply to save your changes back to the HomeSafe.
Reset	Click Reset to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

See the Wireless Security chapter for information on the other labels in this screen.

6.4Configuring Roaming

A wireless station is a device with an IEEE 802.11 compliant wireless adapter. An access point (AP) acts as a bridge between the wireless and wired networks. An AP creates its own wireless coverage area. A wireless station can associate with a particular access point only if it is within the access point’s coverage area.

In a network environment with multiple access points, wireless stations are able to switch from one access point to another as they move between the coverage areas. This is roaming. As the wireless station moves from place to place, it is responsible for choosing the most appropriate access point depending on the signal strength, network utilization or other factors.

The roaming feature on the access points allows the access points to relay information about the wireless stations to each other. When a wireless station moves from a coverage area to another, it scans and uses the channel of a new access point, which then informs the access points on the LAN about the change. The new information is then propagated to the other access points on the LAN. An example is shown in Figure 6-6.

If the roaming feature is not enabled on the access points, information is not communicated between the access points when a wireless station moves between coverage areas. The wireless

Wireless Configuration and Roaming 6-5