NetComm NP5420 - Manual (Page 7)

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NP5420 11G Wireless PC Card User Guide Page 7
Wireless LAN Modes
Wireless LANs can be configured in one of two ways:
Ad-hoc Networking
Also known as a peer-to-peer network, an ad-hoc network is one that allows all workstations
and computers in the network to act as servers to all other users on the network.
Users on the network can share files, print to a shared printer, and access the Internet with a
shared modem. However, with ad-hoc networking, users can only communicate with other
wireless LAN computers that are in the same wireless LAN workgroup, and are within range.
Infrastructure Networking
Infrastructure networking differs from ad-hoc networking in that it includes an access point.
Unlike the ad-hoc structure where users on the LAN contend the shared bandwidth, on an
infrastructure network, the access point can manage the bandwidth to maximize its utilization.
Additionally, the access point enables users on a wireless LAN to access an existing wired
network, allowing wireless users to take advantage of the wired networks resources, such as
Internet, email, file transfer, and printer sharing.