Linksys WRE54G-RM User Guide - Page 7

Wireless-G Range Expander Chapter 1: Introduction Welcome Thank you for choosing the Wireless-G Range Expander. This Range Expander will allow you to expand your network beyond the range of your current access point or wireless router. How does the Range Expander do this? Once on your network, the Range Expander repeats the signal to all devices within its range. By placing the Range Expander at the furthest edge of your access point or wireless router's signal, it could conceivably double the area of your network. But what does all of this mean? Networks are useful tools for sharing computer resources. You can access one printer from different computers and access data located on another computer's hard drive. Networks are even used for playing multiplayer video games. So, networks are not only useful in homes and offices, they can also be fun. PCs equipped with wireless cards and adapters can communicate without cumbersome cables. By sharing the same wireless settings, within their transmission radius, they form a wireless network. While access points and wireless routers bridge wireless networks and wired networks, the Range Expander can then take that signal for networks that use the 802.11b and 802.11g standards and extend it beyond its current range. Use the instructions in this Guide to help you connect the Range Expander, set it up, and configure it to expand the range of your Wireless-G and Wireless-B networks. These instructions should be all you need to get the most out of the Range Expander. network: a series of computers or devices connected for the purpose of data sharing, storage, and/or transmission between users. access point: a device that allows wireless-equipped computers and other devices to communicate with a wired network. Also used to expand the range of a wireless network. router: a networking device that connects multiple networks together. adapter: a device that adds network functionality to your PC. 802.11b: an IEEE wireless networking standard that specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 11Mbps and an operating frequency of 2.4GHz. 802.11g: an IEEE wireless networking standard that specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 54Mbps, an operating frequency of 2.4GHz, and backward compatibility with 802.11b devices. Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Welcome