LevelOne WAP-6012 User Manual page 97

Different Access Points within an ESS can use different Channels. To reduce inter-
ference, it is recommended that adjacent Access Points SHOULD use different
channels.
As Wireless Stations are physically moved through the area covered by an ESS,
they will automatically change to the Access Point which has the least interference
or best performance. This capability is called Roaming. (Access Points do not
have or require Roaming capabilities.)
Channels
The Wireless Channel sets the radio frequency used for communication.

Access Points use a fixed Channel. You can select the Channel used. This allows
you to choose a Channel which provides the least interference and best perfor-
mance. For 802.11g, 13 channels are available in the USA and Canada., but
11channels are available in North America if using 802.11b.

If using multiple Access Points, it is better if adjacent Access Points use different
Channels to reduce interference. The recommended Channel spacing between
adjacent Access Points is 5 Channels (e.g. use Channels 1 and 6, or 6 and 11).

In "Infrastructure" mode, Wireless Stations normally scan all Channels, looking for
an Access Point. If more than one Access Point can be used, the one with the
strongest signal is used. (This can only happen within an ESS.)

If using "Ad-hoc" mode (no Access Point), all Wireless stations should be set to
use the same Channel. However, most Wireless stations will still scan all Chan-
nels to see if there is an existing "Ad-hoc" group they can join.
WEP
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is a standard for encrypting data before it is transmit-
ted. This is desirable because it is impossible to prevent snoopers from receiving any
data which is transmitted by your Wireless Stations. But if the data is encrypted, then it
is meaningless unless the receiver can decrypt it.
If WEP is used, the Wireless Stations and the Wireless Access Point must have
the same settings.
WPA-PSK
Like WEP, data is encrypted before transmission. WPA is more secure than WEP, and
should be used if possible. The PSK (Pre-shared Key) must be entered on each Wire-
less station. The 256Bit encryption key is derived from the PSK, and changes
frequently.
WPA2-PSK
This is a further development of WPA-PSK, and offers even greater security, using the
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) method of encryption.
WPA-Enterprise
This version of WPA requires a Radius Server on your LAN to provide the client au-
thentication according to the 802.1x standard. Data transmissions are encrypted using
the WPA standard.
Appendix D - About Wireless LANs
93