User's Manual

9
Chapter 1: Introduction
This chapter describes the package contents and provides a list of features and application
illustrations of the 11g Wireless Broadband Router.
1-1 About The 11g Wireless Broadband Router
The 11g Wireless Broadband Router is a hybrid design product which combines Ethernet
technology and wireless access into a single stand-alone unit. The device allows you take
advantages of both mobility and fast connection. All PCs whenever on wireless LAN or
Ethernet LAN can share files, printers and other network resource. Moreover, all users can
share single account of Internet access by having this device connect to a DSL/Cable modem.
Ethernet / Fast Ethernet
Ethernet is the most widely-used network access method, especially in a Local Area Network
(LAN) and is defined by the IEEE as the 802.3 standard. Normally, Ethernet is a shared media
LAN. All stations on the segment share the total bandwidth, which could be 10Mbps (Ethernet),
100Mbps (Fast Ethernet), With a switched Ethernet, each sender and receiver has the full
bandwidth.
Fast Ethernet is defined as IEEE 802.3u standard, a high-speed version of Ethernet with
100Mbps transmission rate.
Wireless LAN
Wireless Local Area Network systems (WLANs) transmit and receive data through the air by
using radio frequency (RF). This offers some advantages like mobility, ease of installation, and
scalability over traditional wired systems.
Mobility: WLANs combine data connectivity with user mobility. This provides users with
access to network anywhere in their organization. For example, users can roam from a
conference room to their office without being disconnected from the LAN. This is impossible
with wired networks.
Ease of Installation: Eliminating the need to deploy network cable on walls and ceilings,
Installing WLANs is easy for novice and expert users alike.
Scalability: WLAN topologies are easy to change in various ways from peer-to-peer networks
for a small group of users to full infrastructure networks for hundreds of users roaming over a
broad area.
Wireless LAN is suitable for difficult-to-wire and frequently changing environments. It’s also
an ideal solution for mobile workers to access network resource and for setting a temporary
LAN when necessary
Wireless LANs can be set as “Ad-hoc” network and “Infrastructure” network. Unlike the
“Ad-hoc network”, where users on the LAN send data directly to each other, the
“Infrastructure” network includes an access point and users on the “Infrastructure” network
send data to that dedicated access point. 11g Wireless Broadband Router uses “Infrastructure”
network as Wireless LANs. Each wireless LAN PC within the range of the access point can
communicate with other wireless LAN PCs within the range.