Planning Your Wireless Network; Network Topology; Ad-Hoc Versus Infrastructure Mode - Hawking WIRELESS-G CARDBUS PC CARD - GUIDE D User Manual

2. Planning Your Wireless Network

2.1 Network Topology

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 in a
WLAN share the same frequency channel and SSID, which is an identification name for wireless
devices.

2.2 Ad-Hoc versus Infrastructure Mode

Ad-Hoc
An wireless LAN is a group of computers, each equipped with one WLAN adapter,
connected as an independent wireless LAN. Computers in a specific Ad-Hoc wireless LAN must
all be configured to share the same radio channel.
Infrastructure
An integrated wireless and wired LAN is called an configuration. In this mode, a
group of wireless nodes and an Access Point compose a Basic Service Set (BSS). Each PC
adapter/card in a BSS can talk to any computer in the wired LAN infrastructure via the Access
Point.
Network Topology
Ad-H
oc versus Infrastructure Mod