Cabletron Systems RoamAbout Access Point Manual page 14

What a RoamAbout Access Point Provides
What a RoamAbout Access Point Provides
The RoamAbout Access Point is a 2-port bridge. One port connects to an Ethernet LAN.
The other port connects to a wireless network. The wireless connection is provided by a
RoamAbout 802.11 DS compliant PC Card.
Bridging Services
The RoamAbout Access Point provides the following bridging services:
•
Store-and-forward capability
The Access Point receives, checks, and transmits frames to other LANs, enabling the
configuration of extended LANs.
•
Frame filtering based on address
Using the address database and the source and destination addresses from incoming
frames, the Access Point isolates the traffic that should not be allowed on other LANs.
This action reduces the total data traffic on an extended LAN by not forwarding the
packets that have local destination addresses or packets that are not allowed to be
forwarded. This increases bandwidth efficiency.
•
Data Link layer relay
The Access Point operates at the Data Link layer of the Open System Interconnection
(OSI) model. Operation at this layer makes the Access Point transparent to the
protocols that use the LAN connectivity service. This protocol transparency is a key
factor in the extended LAN service.
•
Dynamic address learning
The forwarding and translating process module automatically adds new source
addresses to the address database while the Access Point is operating. This reverse
learning of the address and port association allows automatic network configuration
without prior downline loading of configuration data to the Access Point. Address
learning is protocol and management entity independent.
An Aging Timer determines how long an address remains in the database. The timer
measures the time since data was last addressed to or from a particular node. If the
timer lapses without any traffic, the node's address is removed from the database. The
Aging Timer interval can be modified by a Network Management System.
1-2 Wireless Network Configurations