ZyXEL Communications Corporation B220 Manuel D’Utilisation

 

 

ZyAIR Wireless LAN Utility  

Wireless Network Basics 

 

1-1 

A wireless LAN (WLAN) provides a flexible data communication system that you can use to access 
various services (navigating the Internet, email, printer services, etc.) on the wired network without 
additional expensive network cabling infrastructure. In effect, a wireless LAN environment provides you 
the freedom to stay connected to the wired network while moving in the coverage area. 

  Access to network services in areas otherwise hard or expensive to wire, such as historical 

buildings, buildings with asbestos materials and classrooms. 

  Doctors and nurses can access a complete patient’s profile on a handheld or notebook computer 

upon entering a patient’s room. 

  It allows flexible workgroups a lower total cost of ownership for networks that are frequently 

reconfigured. 

  Conference room users can access the network as they move from meeting to meeting- accessing 

up-to-date information that facilitates the ability to communicate decisions “on the fly”. 

  It provides campus-wide networking coverage, allowing enterprises the roaming capability to set 

up easy-to-use wireless networks that transparently covers an entire campus. 

Unlike wired networks, you can set up wireless networks in two different modes: infrastructure and ad-hoc. 
Set up your wireless network depending on your network needs. The following sections describe each 
network mode.   

An ad-hoc network consists of two or more computers communicating with one another through the 
wireless network. No access points (APs) or existing wired networks are needed. An access point acts as a 
bridge between the wireless and wired networks