SMC Networks EZ Connect SMC2602W User Manual page 26

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What is Infrastructure?
In order for your wireless components to interact with traditional wired networks
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they need a media bridge to translate for them. This is where INFRASTRUCTURE
or Network mode comes into play. An ACCESS POINT is attached to the network
using CAT-5 Ethernet cable attaching to a hub, switch or another PC. Wireless
PC's can then communicate to Wired Ethernet computers through this access
point. The total range of the network is limited to a radius around this Access
Point. To increase the range, extra Access Points may be wired into the network.
These Access Points talk to each other over the hard-wired Ethernet cables
however, they cannot communicate wirelessly to one another and they must be
wired to the same network. Individual wireless PC's can move between Access
Points on the same network seamlessly due to a feature called ROAMING.
• What is Tx-Rate?
Tx-Rate or TRANSFER RATE is the current speed at which the network
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component is operating. SMC-802.11b products can operate at speeds of 1Mb,
2Mb, 5.5Mb, & 11Mbps. A wireless card set to AUTO will attempt to connect at
whatever speed will give the best throughput on the network.
• What is RTS Threshold?
(Request To Send) An RS-232 signal sent from the transmitting station to the
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receiving station requesting permission to transmit. RTS is a collision avoidance
method used by all 802.11b wireless networking devices. In most cases you will
not need to activate or administer RTS. Only if you find yourself in an
Infrastructure environment where all nodes are in range of the Access Point but
may be out of range of each other. It is recommended to leave this setting at its
default value leaving this feature disabled.
• What is Authentication Algorithm?
Authentication Algorithm is the means by which one station is authorized to
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communicate with another. In an Open System, any station can request
authorization in accordance with the WECA standard. In a Shared key system,
only stations that possess a secret encrypted key may participate in the network.
This is a low level security key which allows the equipment with the shared key
algorithm to see each other on the wireless lan.
• What is DBI?
The ability of the antenna to shape the signal and focus it in a particular
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direction is called Antenna Gain, and is expressed in terms of how much stronger
the signal in the desired direction is, compared to the worst possible antenna,
which distributes the signal evenly in all directions (an Isotropic Radiator). To
express the relationship to the Isotropic reference, this is abbreviated: "dBi". The
typical omni-directional "stick" antenna is rated at 6-8 dBi, indicating that that by
redirecting the signal that would have gone straight up or down to the horizontal
level, 4 times as much signal is available horizontally. A parabolic reflector design
can easily achieve 24 dBi.
• What is WEP?
Short for Wired Equivalent Privacy, WEP is a security protocol for wireless local
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area networks (WLANs) defined in the 802.11b and 802.11a standards.
WEP is designed to provide the same level of security as that of a wired LAN.
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LANs are inherently more secure than WLANs because LANs are somewhat
protected by the physicalities of their structure, having some or all part of the
network inside a building that can be protected from unauthorized access.
WLANs, which are over radio waves, do not have the same physical structure
and therefore are more vulnerable to tampering.
WEP aims to provide security by encrypting data over radio waves so that it is
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protected as it is transmitted from one end point to another. The Wired