Wireless Coverage - Motorola AP-7131 Product Reference Manual

Also see the following:
•

Wireless Coverage

• MAC Layer Bridging
• Content Filtering
• DHCP Support
• Media Types
• Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum
• MU Association Process
• Operating Modes
• Management Access Options
• AP-7131 MAC Address Assignment
1.2.1 Wireless Coverage
An access point establishes an average communication range with MUs called a Basic Service Set
(BSS) or cell. When in a particular cell, the MU associates and communicates with the access point
supporting the radio coverage area of that cell. Adding access points to a single LAN establishes
more cells to extend the range of the network. Configuring the same ESSID (Extended Service Set
Identifier) on all access points makes them part of the same Wireless LAN.
Access points with the same ESSID define a coverage area. A valid ESSID is an alphanumeric, case-
sensitive identifier up to 32 characters. An MU searches for an access point with a matching ESSID
and synchronizes (associates) to establish communications. This device association allows MUs
within the coverage area to move about or roam. As the MU roams from cell to cell, it associates with
a different access point. The roam occurs when the MU analyzes the reception quality at a location
and determines a different provides better signal strength and lower MU load distribution.
If the MU does not find an access point with a workable signal, it can perform a scan to find any AP.
As MUs switch APs, the AP updates its association statistics.
The user can configure the ESSID to correspond to up to 16 WLANs on each 802.11a/n or
802.11b/g/n radio. A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is a data-communications system that
flexibly extends the functionalities of a wired LAN. A WLAN does not require lining up devices for
line-of-sight transmission, and are thus, desirable. Within the WLAN, roaming users can be handed
off from one access point to another like a phone system. WLANs can therefore be configured around
the needs of specific groups of users, even when they are not in physical proximity.
Introduction 1-21