Linksys WVC200 Cisco Small Business WVC210 Administration Guide - Page 10

2 Planning Your Wireless Network Careful planning is required for a wireless network, to ensure that your users can access the network resources that they need and to ensure that intruders are kept out. This chapter includes the following sections: • Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure Modes, page 4 • Wireless Network Layout, page 5 • Security Threats Facing Wireless Networks, page 6 Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure Modes A wireless local area network (WLAN) is exactly like a regular local area network (LAN), except that each computer in the WLAN uses a wireless device to connect to the network. Computers and other devices, such as peripherals, in a WLAN share the same frequency channel and SSID, which is an identification name for wireless devices. Unlike wired networks, wireless networks have two different modes in which they may be set up: infrastructure and ad-hoc. • Infrastructure mode-The WLAN and wired LAN communicate through an access point. Choose this mode if the wireless network needs to share data or peripherals, such as printers, with a wired network. The basis of infrastructure mode centers around an access point, which serves as the main point of communications in a wireless network. (A wireless router can also be used because a wireless router incorporates the capabilities of an access point.) 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 succession to extend the roaming range, and can be set up to communicate with your Ethernet (wired) hardware as well. WVC210 Wireless-G PTZ Internet Video Camera With 2-Way Audio Administration Guide 4