User`s guide

4 - 6 Ethernet or Token Ring Bridge
Adding IEEE 802.11 Management Packet Extensions (Extend)
If this parameter is enabled, the Ethernet or Token Ring Bridge will add
extensions to some of the IEEE 802.11 management packets. This passes
more information to other radio nodes allowing them to associate to the
best Bridge.
Even with the extensions enabled, other manufacturer’s nodes should
ignore the extra information. However, if they become confused, this
parameter may be disabled.
Setting the RF RTS/CTS Parameter (RTS)
This parameter determines the minimum size transmitted packet that
will use the RTS/CTS protocol. The value entered must be in the range
of 100 to 2048 bytes.
This protocol is most useful in networks where the mobile nodes may
roam far enough so the nodes on one side of the cell cannot hear the
transmission of the nodes on the other side of the cell.
When the transmitted packet is large enough, a small packet is sent out
(an RTS). The destination node must respond with another small packet
(a CTS) before the originator may send the real data packet. A node at
the far end of a cell will see the RTS to/from the Bridge or the CTS to/
from the Bridge. The node will know how long to block its transmitter to
allow the real packet to be received by the Bridge. The RTS and CTS are
small and, if lost in a collision, they can be retried more quickly and
with less overhead than if the whole packet must be retried.
The downside of using RTS/CTS is that for each data packet you trans-
mit, you must transmit and receive another packet, which will affect
throughput.