Wireless Local Area Network (Wlan) - Siemens Gigaset SE361 WLAN User Manual

The Gigaset SE361 WLAN

Wireless local area network (WLAN)

In a wireless local area network (WLAN) PCs are linked without wires or cables. For this
the PCs have to be equipped with a wireless network adapter (WLAN adapter) such as a
Gigaset USB Stick 54 or you can use a PC with a wireless option built in.
We generally differentiate between two types of wireless network:
u
Infrastructure mode
u
Ad-hoc mode
Infrastructure mode
Infrastructure mode connects wireless and wired networks with one another. In addi-
tion to the mobile stations, the infrastructure mode needs an access point such as the
Gigaset SE361 WLAN. In infrastructure mode the stations in the network always com-
municate via this access point. Each station that wants to be part of a wireless network
must first be registered with the access point before it can exchange data.
The access point establishes the connection between the mobile stations of a wireless
network and a wired LAN (Ethernet) or the Internet. This is described as the device's
router functionality. The router sends data packets that are not addressed to stations
within the network "outside," and forwards data packets originating from "outside" to
the appropriate station within the network.
You can use the Gigaset SE361 WLAN to connect
u
wirelessly networked PCs to the Internet and
u
wirelessly networked PCs to an Ethernet network.
Infrastructure mode is the default configuration of the Gigaset SE361 WLAN. This con-
figuration is described in the quick guide that comes with the device.
Ad-hoc mode
An ad-hoc network is a wireless network that has been configured without an access
point or a router. The mobile network components that communicate with each other
directly and wirelessly form the network on an "ad-hoc" basis, i.e. as and when required.
All the stations in the network have the same rights. Ad-hoc networks are used wher-
ever communications networks have to be set up quickly and without any existing net-
work infrastructure, and where participants are on the move.
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