Actiontec electronic 802UIG - Manual (Page 6)

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Understanding the
Wireless Network
Wireless local area networks ( WLAN ) perform the exact same functions as wired
local area networks ( LAN ). Each computer in the WLAN uses a data radio device to
connect to the network, and all computers in the network share the same frequen-
cy and method for identifying wireless devices. Wireless local area networks differ
from wired local area networks only in their operating mode. The two operation
modes are Ad Hoc and Infrastructure.
Ad Hoc Mode
Ad hoc mode is a networking framework by which wireless devices or stations
communicate directly with each other, without the need for an access point or
wireless router/gateway.
Ad hoc mode is also called peer-to-peer mode or independent basic service set
(
IBSS ). This mode is useful when communicating among many computers locally
without the need to connect to printers or file servers on a wired LAN .
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