CNET Wireless-G CardBus Adapter CWC-800 - Manual (Page 4)

Chapter 2: Planning Your Wireless Network
Network Topology:
A wireless local area network (WLAN) is exactly like a regular local area network (LAN), except that
each computer in the WLAN uses a wireless device to connect to the network. Computers in a WLAN
share the same frequency channel and SSID, which is an identification name for wireless devices.
Ad-Hoc versus Infrastructure Mode:
An Ad-Hoc wireless LAN is a group of computers, each equipped with one WLAN adapter,
communicating with each other as an independent wireless LAN. Computers in Ad-Hoc wireless LANs
must all be configured to share the same radio channel.
Net versus Infrastructure Mode
In an infrastructure mode, the adapter provides access to a wired LAN for wireless workstations
through the help of Access Points(AP). An integrated wireless and wired LAN is called an infrastructure
configuration. A group of adapter PC users and an Access Point compose a Basic Service Set (BSS).
Each adapter PC in a BSS can talk to any computer in the wired LAN infrastructure via the Access
Point.