User's Manual

Revision: 0.1
CP-108 Wireless LAN Card User’s Manual
Date:01/15/2002
Page 10 of 17
exchange data, each computer participating in the AdHoc network must also
specify the same SSID and AdHoc Channel in this menu.
Infrastructure Mode
The second mode defined by the IEEE 802.11 standard is called infrastructure
mode, and is the primary application for WLAN operation. In this mode all data on
the wireless network is directed to an Access Point, which then routes the data to
the appropriate wireless station. The Access Point may also be configured to allow
data to be bridged from the wireless network to wired networks.
To participate in a wireless LAN in infrastructure mode, every station and Access
Point must specify the same SSID. In infrastructure mode, all available channels
are scanned for traffic, so there is no need to specify a channel.
Pseudo AdHoc
A third mode has been defined by Intersil, and is used mainly for testing purposes.
Pseudo AdHoc mode allows computers to communicate even without exchanging
compatibility data. For instance, you can send broadcast frames in this mode over
a given channel and expect no interruption by beacons or other packets not
involved in the test. This mode can be used for Packet Error Rate Testing, for
example, to evaluate performance.
As with AdHoc mode, each computer participating in the Pseudo AdHoc network
must also specify the same SSID and AdHoc Channel in this menu. However, note
that this mode can only be used to communicate with other PRISM WLAN
Interface cards.
Setting the SSID
The SSID is the Service Set IDentifier used by Access Points and stations to
identify a wireless LAN. Your PRISM WLAN Interface card scans the available
channels looking for an Access Point (in infrastructure mode) or another station (in
AdHoc mode) which has specified this same SSID. It then attempts to associate
with these Access Points or stations to form a wireless LAN.
To change the SSID, simply highlight it, type the new SSID, and click the Apply
button.
In typical infrastructure applications a company will use a single SSID for all
Access Points. If the radio is scanning and cannot find a channel when an Access
Point is known to be in range, verify that the SSID is set correctly.