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23
Wireless Networking Using 802.11b
Infrastructure Mode
The use of a WAP to connect a wireless LAN to a wired LAN is called
Infrastructure. A WAP serves as a bridge between the wired and wireless
network. Connecting the WAP to any port on the wired network will give
wireless access to all wireless-equipped computers within its coverage area.
A WAP is configured with a Service Set Identifier. This is a "name" that is
given to the wireless network and is used by the wireless-equipped
computers to access the wireless network. WAPs can also be configured to
use encryption or grant access to computers with specific MAC addresses. A
WAP also effectively doubles the distance that computers in the wireless
LAN can be located from one another. This is because the WAP serves as a
central point for routing of all the wireless network traffic between the
wireless computers. Wireless-equipped computers networked together in
Infrastructure mode form a group called a Basic Service Set (BSS). Up to 64
individual computers can exist at a single time in a BSS. This is due to the
ability of the WAP to handle no more than 64 clients. The diagram below
illustrates how the WAP will effectively double the distance between
wireless-equipped computers in a BSS.
Basic Service
Set (BSS)