Netgear FM114P FR114W Reference Manual - Page 138
Wireless Networking, Wireless Network Configuration, Ad-hoc Mode (Peer-to-Peer Workgroup)
UPC - 606449024029
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Reference Manual for the Model FR114P, FR114W and FM114P Cable/DSL ProSafe Firewall Family Wireless Networking The FR114W Wireless-Ready Firewall and FM114P Wireless Firewall with Print Server conform to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b standard for wireless LANs (WLANs). On an 802.11b wireless link, data is encoded using direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) technology and is transmitted in the unlicensed radio spectrum at 2.5GHz. The maximum data rate for the wireless link is 11 Mbps, but it will automatically back down from 11 Mbps to 5.5, 2, and 1 Mbps when the radio signal is weak or when interference is detected. The 802.11b standard is also called Wireless Ethernet or Wi-Fi by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA, see http://www.wi-fi.net), an industry standard group promoting interoperability among 802.11b devices. Wireless Network Configuration The 802.11b standard offers two methods for configuring a wireless network - ad hoc and infrastructure. Ad-hoc Mode (Peer-to-Peer Workgroup) In an ad hoc network, computers are brought together as needed; thus, there is no structure or fixed points to the network - each node can generally communicate with any other node. There is no Access Point involved in this configuration. This mode enables you to quickly set up a small wireless workgroup and allows workgroup members to exchange data or share printers as supported by Microsoft Networking in the various Windows operating systems. Some vendors also refer to ad hoc networking as Peer-to-Peer group networking. In this configuration, network packets are directly sent and received by the intended transmitting and receiving stations. As long as the stations are within range of one another, this is the easiest and least expensive way to set up a wireless network. Infrastructure Mode With a wireless Access Point, you can operate the wireless LAN in the infrastructure mode. This mode provides wireless connectivity to multiple wireless network devices within a fixed range or area of coverage, interacting with wireless nodes via an antenna. B-12 Networks, Routing, and Firewall Basics