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| Network Topologies
C
2
HAPTER
Infrastructure Wireless LAN for Roaming Wireless PCs
I
W
NFRASTRUCTURE
The infrastructure configuration extends the accessibility of wireless PCs to
the wired LAN.
A wireless infrastructure can be used for access to a central database, or
for connection between mobile workers, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 7: Infrastructure Wireless LAN
Desktop PC
LAN
R
IRELESS
FOR
The Basic Service Set (BSS) defines the communications domain for each
access point and its associated wireless clients. The BSS ID is a 48-bit
binary number based on the access point's wireless MAC address, and is
set automatically and transparently as clients associate with the access
point. The BSS ID is used in frames sent between the access point and its
clients to identify traffic in the service area.
The BSS ID is only set by the access point, never by its clients. The clients
only need to set the Service Set Identifier (SSID) that identifies the service
set provided by one or more access points. The SSID can be manually
configured by the clients, can be detected in an access point's beacon, or
can be obtained by querying for the identity of the nearest access point.
For clients that do not need to roam, set the SSID for the wireless card to
that used by the access point to which you want to connect.
A wireless infrastructure can also support roaming for mobile workers.
More than one access point can be configured to create an Extended
Service Set (ESS). By placing the access points so that a continuous
– 36 –
Wired LAN Extension
to Wireless Clients
Server
Switch
Access Point
W
PC
OAMING
IRELESS
Notebook PC
Desktop PC
S
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