Introduction; Infrastructure And Ad Hoc Operating Modes; Example Configurations; Wireless Network For The Office Or Classroom - 3Com WL-308 Manual

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Infrastructure and Ad
Hoc Operating Modes
Example
Configurations
Wireless Network for
the Office or Classroom
I
NTRODUCTION
3Com wireless technology has all the benefits of a local area network (LAN)
without the restraints and expense of network wiring. 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless
LAN products provide easy, affordable, flexible ways to extend wireless networks
to more users.
This guide shows how you can use the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Workgroup
Bridge in your office or classroom to connect groups of wired Ethernet client
devices to your wireless LAN.
Operating in infrastructure mode and connected to an Ethernet hub, a single
workgroup bridge can combine up to four client devices—such as computers with
network adapters, printers, and 3Com NBX
workgroup . The workgroup associates with the wired network through a wireless
LAN access point such as the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Access Point 6000.
Infrastructure configurations extend your wireless LAN to devices that would
otherwise have to be connected to the wired network.
Operating in ad hoc mode, two or more bridges can associate among themselves
at close range without an access point, allowing their workgroups to
communicate. You may wish to set up an ad hoc network, for example, if a group
is working away from the office, or if a group in the office needs to share files
apart from the wired LAN.
The following examples illustrate ways you can use the wireless workgroup bridge
to configure Ethernet client devices into workgroups. (Details for setting up
specific configurations are in "Installing the Workgroup Bridge" on page 7.)
You can connect several computers, including those with non-Windows operating
systems, and printers, as shown below.
® telephone sets—into a multiclient