Wireless LAN Topologies IN THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT THE FOLLOWING: ¥ Wireless networking topologies * Wireless wide area network (WWAN) * Wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN) * Wireless personal area network (WPAN) = Wireless local area network (WLAN) ¥ 802.11 topologies * Access point * Client station = Integration service (IS) = Distribution system (DS) * Wireless distribution system (WDS) * Service set identifier (SSID) * Basic service set (BSS) + Basic service set identifier (BSSID) + Basic service area (BSA) = Extended service set (ESS) = Independent basic service set (IBSS) = Nonstandard 802.11 topologies ¥ 802.11 configuration modes * Access point modes = Client station modesA computer network is a system that provides communications between computers. Computer networks can be configured as peer to peer, as client/server, or as centralized central pro- cessing units (CPUs) with distributed dumb terminals, A networking topology is defined simply as the physical and/or logical layout of nodes in a computer network. Any individual who has taken a networking basics class is already familiar with bus, ring, star, mesh, and hybrid topologies that are often used in wired networks. All copologies have advantages and disadvantages. A topology may cover very small areas or can exist as a worldwide architecture. Wireless topologies also exist as defined by the physical and logical layout of wireless hardware. Many wireless technologies exist and can be arranged into four major wireless networking topologies. The 802.11-2007 standard defines one specific type of wireless communication, Within the 802.11 standard exist three types of topologies, known as service sets, Over the years, vendors have also used 802.11 hardware using nonstandard topologies to meet specific wireless networking needs. This chapter covers the topologies used by a variety of wireless technologies and covers 802.11-specific topologies, both standard and nonstandard. Wireless Networking Topologies Although the main focus of this Study Guide is 802.11 wireless networking, which is a local area technology, other wireless technologies and standards exist in which wireless communications span either smaller or larger areas of coverage. Examples of other wire- less technologies are cellular telephone, Bluetooth, and ZigBee. All of these different wireless technologies may or may not be arranged into four major wireless topologies: © Wireless wide area network (WWAN) * Wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN) «© Wireless personal area network (WPAN) + Wireless local area network (WLAN) Additionally, although the 802.11-2007 standard is a WLAN standard, the same tech- nology can sometimes be deployed in different wireless network architectures discussed in this section.Wireless Networking Topologies 223 Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) A wide area network (WAN) covers a vast geographical area. A WAN might traverse an entire state, region, or country, or even span worldwide, The best example of 2 WAN is the Internet, Many private and public corporate WANS consist of hardware infrastructure such as T1 lines, fiber optics, and routers, Protocols used for wired WAN communications include Frame Relay, ATM, MPLS, and others. ‘A wireless wide area network (WWAN) also covers broad geographical boundaries but obviously uses a wireless medium instead of a wired medium. Wireless wide area networks typically use cellular telephone technologies or proprietary licensed wireless bridging tech- nologies. Cellular providers such as T-Mobile, Verizon, and Vodafone use a variety of com- peting technologies to carry data. Some examples of these cellular technologies are GPRS, CDMA, TDMA, and GSM. Data can be carried to a variety of devices such as cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and cellular networking cards (pictured in Figure 7.1). FIGURE 7.1 Acellular networking card Data rates and bandwidth using these technologies are relatively slow when compared to other wireless technologies, such as 802.11, However, as cellular technologies have improved, so have cellular data-teansfer rates. It is important to understand that 802.11 wireless networking infrastructure cannot be deployed as a WWAN. Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (WMAN) A wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN) provides coverage to a metropolitan area such as a city and the surrounding suburbs. WMANS have been created for some time by