AML M7140 Stationary Terminal - Manual (Page 11)

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are flawed, the fact is that security breaches of a wireless LAN require a deliberate attempt to
access the network by an intruder.
The primary issue is that many current users of wireless LAN have opted NOT to turn on
security features. If users were to enable the security features currently available (including only
allowing known systems access to the network and enabling WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
encryption the intruder's work is much harder. Much as a burglar will bypass a house whose
doors and windows are securely locked, so too will a hacker tend to bypass a network where
security measures are enabled.
Ad-Hoc Mode
Most installed wireless LANs today utilize "infrastructure" mode that requires the use of one or
more access points. With this configuration, the access point provides an interface to a
distribution system (e.g., Ethernet), which enables wireless users to utilize the corporate network
and the CommandLink server.
As an optional feature, however, the 802.11b standard specifies "ad-hoc" mode, which allows
the radio network interface card (NIC) to operate in what the standard refers to as an
independent basic service set (IBSS) network configuration. With an IBSS, there are no access
points. User devices communicate directly with each other in a peer-to-peer manner.
The next illustration shows the M7140 desktop terminal using Ad-hoc mode.
The next illustration shows the M7140 desktop terminal in a typical wireless network.