Infrastructure Wireless Lan - Foundry Networks IronPoint 200 Installation Manual

Foundry IronPoint 200 Installation Guide
Figure 3-1. Ad Hoc Wireless LAN
PC with Wireless
PCI Adapter

Infrastructure Wireless LAN

The access point is designed to provide access to a wired LAN for wireless workstations. An
integrated wired/wireless LAN is called an Infrastructure configuration. A Basic Service Set (BSS)
consists of a group of wireless PC users and an access point that is directly connected to the wired
LAN. Each wireless PC in this BSS can talk to any computer in its wireless group via a radio link, or
access other computers or network resources in the wired LAN infrastructure via the access point.
The infrastructure configuration not only extends the accessibility of wireless PCs to the wired LAN,
but also increases the effective wireless transmission range for wireless PCs by passing their signal
through one or more access points.
A wireless infrastructure can be used for access to a central database, or for a connection between
mobile workers, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 3-2. Infrastructure Wireless LAN
Desktop PC
3-2
Ad Hoc Wireless LAN
Notebook with
Wireless USB Adapter
Notebook with
Wireless PC Card
Wired LAN Extension to
Wireless Clients
Server
Switch
Access Point
PC with Wireless
PCI Adapter
© 2007 Foundry Networks, Inc.
Notebook with Wireless
PC Card Adapter
April 2007