Introduction; About The Wg302 802.11G Prosafe Wireless Access Point - NETGEAR WG302 - 802.11g ProSafe Wireless Access Point Reference Manual

Chapter 2

Introduction

This chapter introduces the NETGEAR WG302 802.11g ProSafe Wireless Access Point. Minimal
prerequisites for installation are presented in "System Requirements" on page 2-4.

About the WG302 802.11g ProSafe Wireless Access Point

The WG302 802.11g ProSafe Wireless Access Point is the basic building block of a wireless LAN
infrastructure. It provides connectivity between Ethernet wired networks and radio-equipped
wireless notebook systems, desktop systems, print servers, and other devices.
The WG302 provides wireless connectivity to multiple wireless network devices within a fixed
range or area of coverage, interacting with a wireless network interface card (NIC) via an antenna.
Typically, an individual in-building access point provides a maximum connectivity area with about
a 300 foot radius. The WG302 802.11g ProSafe Wireless Access Point can support a small group
of users in a range of several hundred feet. Most access points are rated between 30-70 users
simultaneously.
The WG302 802.11g ProSafe Wireless Access Point acts as a bridge between the wired LAN and
wireless clients. Connecting multiple WG302 Access Points via a wired Ethernet backbone can
further lengthen the wireless network coverage. As a mobile computing device moves out of the
range of one access point, it moves into the range of another. As a result, wireless clients can freely
roam from one Access Point to another and still maintain seamless connection to the network.
The auto-sensing capability of the WG302 802.11g ProSafe Wireless Access Point allows packet
transmission at up to 108 Mbps, or at reduced speeds to compensate for distance or
electromagnetic noise interference.
Introduction 2-1
December 2003