Linksys WDT11 - Manual (Page 5)

3
Instant Wireless TM Series
Pac
• One Instant Wireless TM PCI Adapter
• One Setup CD-ROM with User Guide
• One Quick Installation
• Pentium 90 or Faster
• Minimum 16MB of RAM
• PCI Local Bus 2.1 compliant
2
Network PC Card and PCI Adapter
Planning Your Wireless Network
Network Topology
A wireless LAN is exactly like a regular LAN, except that each computer in the
LAN uses an Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card to connect to the network
using no wires. Computers in a wireless LAN must be configured to share the
same radio channel.
The Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card provides access to a wired LAN for
wireless workstations. An integrated wireless and wired LAN is called an
Infrastructure configuration. A group of Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card
users and an Access Point compose a Basic Service Set (BSS). Each PC
equipped with an Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card in a BSS can talk to any
computer in a wired LAN infrastructure via the Access Point.
An infrastructure configuration extends the accessibility of an Instant
Wireless™ Network PC Card PC to a wired LAN, and doubles the effective
wireless transmission range for two Instant Wireless™ Network PC Card PCs.
Since the Access Point is able to forward data within its BSS, the effective
transmission range in an infrastructure LAN is doubled.
The use of a unique ID in a BSS is essential. All computers that have Instant
Wireless™ Network PC Cards configured without roaming options in an inde-
pendent BSS must be configured with a BSS ID (that is used in the BSS).
The Wireless LAN Infrastructure configuration is appropriate for enterprise-
scale wireless access to a central database, or as a wireless application for
mobile users.
Infrastructure mode also supports roaming capabilities for mobile users. More
than one BSS can be configured as an Extended Service Set (ESS). This con-
tinuous network allows users to roam freely within an ESS. All Instant
Wireless™ Network PC Card PCs within one ESS must be configured with the
same ESS ID and use the same radio channel.
Before enabling an ESS with roaming capability, selecting a feasible radio
channel and optimum Access Point position is recommended. Proper Access
Point positioning combined with a clear radio signal will greatly enhance per-
formance.
Roaming
Package Contents for the PCI Adapter
System Requirements for the PCI Adapter