Technical Reference; Wifi Network Overview - ZyXEL Communications NBG7510 User Manual

9.9 Technical Reference

This section discusses wireless LANs in depth.

9.9.1 WiFi Network Overview

WiFi networks consist of WiFi clients, access points and bridges.
• A WiFi client is a radio connected to a user's computer.
• An access point is a radio with a wired connection to a network, which can connect with numerous
WiFi clients and let them access the network.
• A bridge is a radio that relays communications between access points and WiFi clients, extending a
network's range.
Normally, a WiFi network operates in an "infrastructure" type of network. An "infrastructure" type of
network has one or more access points and one or more WiFi clients. The WiFi clients connect to the
access points.
The following figure provides an example of a WiFi network.
Figure 64 Example of a WiFi Network
The WiFi network is the part in the blue circle. In this WiFi network, devices A and B use the access point
(AP) to interact with the other devices (such as the printer) or with the Internet. Your Zyxel Device is the
AP.
Every WiFi network must follow these basic guidelines.
• Every device in the same WiFi network must use the same SSID.
The SSID is the name of the WiFi network. It stands for Service Set IDentifier.
Chapter 9 Wireless
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