Introduction; How Does A Wireless Lan Work; Network Association; Roaming - 3Com 3CRWE62092A User Manual

1
How Does a Wireless
LAN Work?

Network Association

Roaming

Security

Ad Hoc Networks

I
NTRODUCTION
3Com wireless technology brings the benefits of a local area network (LAN) to
your office without the restraints and expense of network wiring. If your office
already has an Ethernet LAN, the 3Com 11 Mbps Wireless LAN can extend the
network without adding more wires.
In a traditional LAN, computers communicate through wires. Instead of wires, a
wireless LAN uses radio signals to communicate.
Computers that are equipped for wireless LAN communication are called wireless
LAN clients . The wireless communication is called network association . Clients
associate through one or more access points , which are wireless base stations that
act as wireless hubs.
An access point can be connected to a wired network device such as an Ethernet
hub, switch, or router to give clients access to the wired network where they can
share files and printers and gain access to the Internet.
If the office space is large, you can set up multiple access points on the same
network to increase coverage. When a wireless client begins to lose the signal
as it moves away from an access point, it can reassociate seamlessly with another
access point. This is called roaming .
You can set up security to encrypt your wireless transmissions so that your data
cannot be deciphered if it is intercepted, and to prevent access to the network by
unauthorized clients.
Wireless clients can associate among themselves at close range without an access
point by using ad hoc (temporary) networks. 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 LAN.