ZyXEL Communications NWA1100-N User Manual

Chapter 1 Introducing the NWA

NWA1100-N User’s Guide

A Basic Service Set (BSS) is the set of devices forming a single wireless network (usually an access 
point and one or more wireless clients). The Service Set IDentifier (SSID) is the name of a BSS. In 
Multiple BSS (MBSSID) mode, the NWA provides multiple virtual APs, each forming its own BSS and 
using its own individual SSID profile.

You can configure up to eight SSID profiles, and have up to four active at any one time.

You can assign different wireless and security settings to each SSID profile. This allows you to 
compartmentalize groups of users, set varying access privileges, and prioritize network traffic to 
and from certain BSSs.

To the wireless clients in the network, each SSID appears to be a different access point. As in any 
wireless network, clients can associate only with the SSIDs for which they have the correct security 
settings.

For example, you might want to set up a wireless network in your office where Internet telephony 
(VoIP) users have priority. You also want a regular wireless network for standard users, as well as a 
‘guest’ wireless network for visitors. In the following figure, VoIP_SSID users have QoS priority, 
SSID01 is the wireless network for standard users, and Guest_SSID is the wireless network for 
guest users. In this example, the guest user is forbidden access to the wired Land Area Network 
(LAN) behind the AP and can access only the Internet.

Multiple BSSs