User Manual

Intel® Wireless Gateway User's Guide
1
Chapter 1. Introduction
A Local Area Network (LAN) is a network in one location. Users at that location share files,
printers, and other services. In a LAN, a networked computer that requests services is called a
client. A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is a type of LAN that uses high frequency radio
waves rather than wires to communicate and transmit data among the network clients and devices.
It is a flexible data communication system implemented as an extension to, or as an alternative for,
a wired LAN.
In a WLAN, wireless adapters are installed in clients, also called wireless clients. The adapter
allows the wireless client to communicate with the WLAN without cables. Instead, wireless clients
send and receive information through a path in the air called a channel.
The standards for a WLAN are based on the IEEE 802.11b standard. All Intel 802.11b-compliant
devices interoperate with other 802.11b-compliant wireless devices from other vendors. The WiFi
certification logo indicates that the wireless device has been tested by an independent organization
and is 802.11b-compliant.
A wireless client operates in either infrastructure mode or peer-to-peer mode.
1.1 Infrastructure Mode: A WLAN with Access Points
In infrastructure mode, wireless clients send and receive information through one or more access
points. Access points are strategically located within an area to provide optimal coverage for
wireless clients. Access points and wireless clients constitute a WLAN.
Access points can be connected to a LAN of wired or wireless clients. The access points send and
receive information from the LAN through this connection.
An Extended Service Set Identifier (ESSID) is used to identify the wireless clients and access
points in a WLAN. All wireless clients and access points in the WLAN must use the same ESSID.
A Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) uniquely defines each wireless client and access point.
1.2 Peer-to-Peer Mode (Ad Hoc): A WLAN without Access Points
In peer-to-peer mode, wireless clients directly send and receive information to other wireless
clients without using an access point. In contrast to infrastructure mode, this type of WLAN does
not contain access points; therefore, a WLAN operating in peer-to-peer mode does not apply to the
Intel® Wireless Gateway.
1.3 Identifying a WLAN
An ESSID and BSSID are both Service Set Identifiers (SSID) that identify and control the wireless
client’s access to a given WLAN. The SSID is sometimes referred to as the network name. For
simplicity, this guide refers to an ESSID and BSSID as simply an SSID. The SSID indicates what
WLAN you are referring to. In most cases, the user interface displays the SSID.
When installing an access point or wireless adapter in a wireless client, the installation program
asks you to enter the SSID. Intel cannot provide you with this information, as it is specific to your
network; although, you may choose to use the default SSID, 101, for the Intel® Wireless
Gateway.