Microsoft MN-730 Network Card User Manual


 
Chapter 1: Introduction 3
About Wireless (Radio) Connections
Your adapter communicates by radio transmission. Radio waves travel in all directions,
and can be transmitted through walls and floors. This section on wireless connections
explains wireless network types and provides important information about wireless
performance.
Types of Wireless Networks
There are two types of wireless networks: infrastructure and ad hoc.
In an infrastructure network, a wireless adapter connects to a wireless network
through a central wireless access point, gateway, or router, such as a Microsoft
Wireless Base Station. This type of network is often used when a broadband Internet
connection will be shared among computers, or when there are more than two
computers or devices on a wireless network. The following illustration shows an
infrastructure network.