Chapter 2: Planning Your Wireless Network; Ad-Hoc And Infrastructure Modes - Cisco PVC2300 Administration Manual

Planning Your Wireless Network

Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure Modes

Cisco PVC2300 and WVC2300 Internet Video Cameras with Audio Administration Guide
A wireless local area network (WLAN) is exactly like a regular local area network
(LAN), except that each computer in the WLAN uses a wireless device to connect
to the network. Computers and other devices, such as peripherals, in a WLAN
share the same frequency channel and SSID, which is an identification name for
wireless devices. This chapter includes the following sections:
• Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure Modes, page 5
• Wireless Network Layout, page 6
• Additional Security Tips, page 6
• Security Threats Facing Wireless Networks, page 7
Unlike wired networks, wireless networks have two different modes in which they
may be set up: infrastructure and ad-hoc. An infrastructure configuration is a
WLAN and wired LAN communicating to each other through an access point. An
ad-hoc configuration is computers with wireless capabilities communicating
directly with each other. Choosing between these two modes depends on
whether or not the wireless network needs to share data or peripherals with a
wired network or not.
If the computers on the wireless network need to be accessed by a wired
network or need to share a peripheral, such as a printer, with the wired network
computers, the wireless network should be set up in infrastructure mode. The
basis of infrastructure mode centers around an access point, which serves as the
main point of communications in a wireless network. A wireless router can also be
used because a wireless router incorporates the capabilities of an access point.
Access points transmit data to PCs equipped with wireless network cards, which
can roam within a certain radial range of the access point. Multiple access points
can be arranged to work in succession to extend the roaming range, and can be
set up to communicate with your Ethernet (wired) hardware as well.
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