Edimax Technology EW-7303 APn V2 - Manual (Page 62)

5.4 How does wireless networking work?
The 802.11 standard define two modes: infrastructure mode and ad hoc mode. In infrastructure mode,
the wireless network consists of at least one access point connected to the wired network infrastructure
and a set of wireless end stations. This configuration is called a Basic Service Set (BSS). An Extended
Service Set (ESS) is a set of two or more BSSs forming a single sub-network. Since most corporate
WLANs require access to the wired LAN for services (file servers, printers, Internet links) they will
operate in infrastructure mode.
Example
xample 1: wireless Infrastructure Mode
Ad hoc mode (also called peer-to-peer mode or an Independent Basic Service Set, or IBSS) is simply a
set of 802.11 wireless stations that communicate directly with one another without using an access
point or any connection to a wired network. This mode is useful for quickly and easily setting up a
wireless network anywhere that a wireless infrastructure does not exist or is not required for services,
such as a hotel room, convention center, or airport, or where access to the wired network is barred
(such as for consultants at a client site).
Example 2: wireless Ad Hoc Mode