Siemens GIGASET 54 - Manual (Page 7)

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The Gigaset PC Card 54
Gigaset PC Card 54 / englisch / A31008-E505-B101-3x-7619 / introduction.fm / 14.11.2008
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The Gigaset PC Card 54
The Gigaset PC Card 54 is a 54 Mbps WLAN network adapter that is connected to your
PC or Notebook via a PCMCIA slot. You can use Gigaset data products to set up a wireless
local network (WLAN = Wireless Local Area Network) without having to lay cables.
Your Gigaset PC Card 54 can be used to connect your PC to other PCs equipped with
wireless network adapters (ad-hoc mode).
You can also connect your PC to a wireless router, e. g. to the Gigaset SE505 dsl/cable,
for Internet access (infrastructure mode).
Since the PCs communicate with each other via radio, it does not matter where they are
located, as long as they are within range of the wireless network. Mobile PCs, such as
Notebooks, can connect to the WLAN even after changing location. This enables you to
use all the files and printers on the network. The Gigaset PC Card 54 works according to
the IEEE 802.11g transmission standard and is backwards compatible with the older
standard IEEE 802.11b. For network security, wireless transmission can be encrypted
using 64/128-bit WEP or the newer WPA standard.
These operating instructions contain important information on how to set up a WLAN
and to configure your Gigaset PC Card 54.
Wireless LAN Basics
This section provides basic information on wireless LANs to show the role of the
Gigaset PC Card 54 in setting up a wireless network
Local Area Network (LAN)
A LAN is a network that exists in a limited area. A network is two or more computers
which are connected together in order to share files as well as peripheral devices,
e. g. a printer.
Using the Gigaset PC Card 54 you can communicate with other PCs without having to
route network cable. Thus you can take your computer to another place and still remain
connected to the network.
You can use the Gigaset PC Card 54 in two different ways. On the one hand, you can
establish a connection to one or more PCs equipped with wireless network adapters.
This is an ad-hoc network. On the other hand, you can establish a connection to an
Access Point, which is used to obtain access to an already existing wired LAN (infrastruc-
ture network).