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Chapter 8 Wireless LAN
8.1.2 What You Need to Know About Wireless
Wireless Basics
"Wireless" is essentially radio communication. In the same way that walkie-talkie
radios send and receive information over the airwaves, wireless networking
devices exchange information with one another. A wireless networking device is
just like a radio that lets your computer exchange information with radios
attached to other computers. Like walkie-talkies, most wireless networking
devices operate at radio frequency bands that are open to the public and do not
require a license to use. However, wireless networking is different from that of
most traditional radio communications in that there a number of wireless
networking standards available with different methods of data encryption.
SSID
Each network must have a name, referred to as the SSID - "Service Set
IDentifier". The "service set" is the network, so the "service set identifier" is the
network's name. This helps you identify your wireless network when wireless
networks' coverage areas overlap and you have a variety of networks to choose
from.
MAC Address Filter
Every Ethernet device has a unique MAC (Media Access Control) address. The MAC
address consists of twelve hexadecimal characters (0-9, and A to F), and it is
usually written in the following format: "0A:A0:00:BB:CC:DD".
The MAC address filter controls access to the wireless network. You can use the
MAC address of each wireless client to allow or deny access to the wireless
network.
Finding Out More
See
Section 8.7 on page 159
networks.
8.1.3 Before You Start
Before you start using these screens, ask yourself the following questions. See
Section 8.1.2 on page 144
• What wireless standards do the other wireless devices in your network support
(IEEE 802.11g, for example)? What is the most appropriate standard to use?
144
for advanced technical information on wireless
if some of the terms used here are not familiar to you.
P-660HN-F1A User's Guide
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