User's Manual

Configuration Parameters 18
802.11a Software Parameters
The following configuration parameters are available for the Harmony 802.11a PCI
Card. Refer to Chapter 5 for instructions on how to change these configuration
settings using the Harmony Utility.
Network Mode
Network Mode configures the Harmony 802.11a PCI Card to operate in either Ad Hoc
mode or Infrastructure mode. This parameter’s default setting varies based on the
driver version installed.
When set to Ad Hoc, all Harmony 802.11a devices must have the same SSID, Channel,
and WEP Keys (if WEP is enabled) to communicate. An Ad Hoc network is a wireless
network that consists of only 802.11a client adapters (i.e., a network that does not
have an Access Point).
When set to Infrastructure mode, an 802.11a PCI Card must have the same SSID and
WEP settings (if WEP is enabled) as the Access Points on the network to communicate.
An Infrastructure network is any network that includes one or more 802.11a Access
Points.
SSID
The SSID (Service Set ID), which is also referred to as the ESSID (Extended Service Set
ID), is a text string that all members of the same 802.11a network share.
The SSID may be up to 32 alphanumeric characters long, including spaces. Also,
when configured to “any,” a Harmony 802.11a PCI Card can communicate with any
available Access Point regardless of the Access Point’s SSID.
In an Infrastructure network, the SSID must match on all Harmony 802.11a Access
Points and 802.11a clients (unless the clients’ SSID is “any”). Devices that do not
share the same SSID cannot communicate.
In an Ad Hoc network without an Access Point, each 802.11a device must have the
same SSID to participate in the network. A node cannot use the “any” SSID to join an
Ad Hoc network.