User's Manual

ORiNOCO Wireless Client User Guide
Chapter 3 Wireless Topologies 19
You can use the ORiNOCO Wireless Client to communicate with 802.11a Access Points,
802.11g Access Points, 802.11b Access Points, or a combination of Access Point types. The
card is compatible with 802.11a, 802.11g, or 802.11b Access Points from any vendor, including
Proxim’s ORiNOCO and Harmony Access Point products.
3-3-1 Connecting to a Single AP
Figure 3-2 depicts an ORiNOCO network that uses a single Access Point (AP); in this example,
the Access Point is an ORiNOCO AP- 2000 (with an ORiNOCO 802.11g card installed)
Figure 3-2 Communicating with a Single 802.11g Access Point
3-3-2 Roaming Between Multiple APs
For larger environments, the ORiNOCO Wireless Client may roam from one Access Point to
another while maintaining the same network connection. The Access Points establish coverage
areas or cells similar in concept to those of a cellular phone network. The card will connect to any
Access Point that is within range.
The ORiNOCO Wireless Client supports roaming between APs of the same type (for example,
from one 802.11a AP to another) or roaming between APs of different types (for example, from
an 802.11a AP to an 802.11g AP). Figure 3-3 illustrates roaming between APs of the same radio
type.