User's Manual

Configuring a Wireless LAN
There are three basic components that must be configured for a wireless LAN to operate properly:
● Network Name—Each wireless network uses a unique Network Name to identify the network. This
name is called the Service Set Identifier (SSID). When you set up your wireless adapter, you specify the
SSID. If you want to connect to an existing network, you must use the name for that network. If you are
setting up your own network you can make up your own name and use it on each computer. The name
can be up to 32 characters long and contain letters and numbers.
● Profiles—When you set up your computer to access a wireless network, Intel(R) PROSet creates a
profile for the wireless settings that you specify. If you want to connect to another network, you can scan
for existing networks and make a temporary connection, or create a new profile for that network. After
you create profiles, your computer will automatically connect when you change locations.
● Security—The 802.11 wireless networks use encryption to help protect your data. Wired equivalent
privacy (WEP) uses a 64-bit or 128-bit shared encryption key to scramble data. Before a computer
transmits data, it scrambles the data using the secret encryption key. The receiving computer uses this
same key to unscramble the data. If you are connecting to an existing network, use the encryption key
provided by the administrator of the wireless network. If you are setting up your own network you can
make up your own key and use it on each computer.
Identifying a Wireless Network
Depending on the size and components of a wireless LAN, there are many ways to identify a wireless LAN:
● The Network Name or Service Set Identifier (SSID)—Identifies a wireless network. All wireless
devices on the network must use the same SSID.
● Extended Service Set Identifier (ESSID)—A special case of SSID used to identify a wireless network
that includes access points.
● Independent Basic Service Set Identifier (IBSSID)—A special case of SSID used to identify a
network of wireless computers configured to communicate directly with one another without using an
access point.
● Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID)—A unique identifier for each wireless device. The BSSID is the
Ethernet MAC address of the device.
● Broadcast SSID—An access point can respond to computers sending probe packets with the
broadcast SSID. If this feature is enabled on the access point, any wireless user can associate with the
access point by using a blank (null) SSID.
Surveying the Site of Your Wireless LAN