Linksys WCF12 User Guide - Page 5

Instant WirelessTM Series Ad-Hoc versus Infrastructure Mode Unlike wired networks, wireless networks have two different modes in which they may be set up: Infrastructure and Ad-Hoc. Choosing between these two modes depends on whether or not the wireless network needs to share data or peripherals with a wired network or not. If the computers on the wireless network need to be accessed by a wired net- work or need to share a peripheral, such as a printer, with the wired network computers, the wireless network should be set up in Infrastructure mode. (See Figure 2-1.) The basis of Infrastructure mode centers around an access point, which serves as the main point of communications in a wireless network. Access points transmit data to PCs equipped with wireless network cards, which can roam within a certain radial range of the access point. Multiple access points can be arranged to work in suc- cession to extend the roaming range, and can be set up to communicate with your Ethernet hardware as well. Figure 2-1 If the wireless network is relatively small and needs to share resources only with the other computers on the wireless network, then the Ad-Hoc mode can be used. (See Figure 2-2.) Ad-Hoc mode allows computers equipped with wire- less transmitters and receivers to communicate directly with each other, elimi- nating the need for an access point. The drawback of this mode is that, in Ad- Hoc mode, wireless-equipped computers are not able to communicate with computers on a wired network. And, of course, communication between the wire- less-equipped computers is limit- ed by the distance and interference Figure 2-2 directly between them. 4 Wireless CompactFlash Card Chapter 3: Installing the Wireless CompactFlash Card Before You Start The Wireless CompactFlash Card comes with an automated software installation procedure that interacts with the Windows operating system on your PC and the Windows CE operating systems on your PDA. This procedure automatically installs the Configuration Utility with the driver. After installing the software, you will install the hardware on your PDA. Note: Do NOT insert the Wireless CompactFlash Card into the PDA. You must install the Configuration Utility with driver first. Configuration Utility with Driver Installation 1. Connect your PDA to your PC. Make sure you have the Microsoft ActiveSync Utility installed on your PC. Insert the Setup CD-ROM into your PC's CD-ROM drive. Unless you have deactivated the auto-run feature of Windows, the screen in Figure 3-1 should appear automatically. Figure 3-1 If this screen does not appear automatically, you can access it by clicking the Start button and choosing Run. In the drop-down box provided, type d:\setup.exe (if "d" is the letter of your CD-ROM drive). Alternately, double-click My Computer, and then double-click the CD-ROM drive where the Setup CD is located. Double-click the Setup.exe icon that appears. 5