When a router is set up as an AP, it is said to be in “Master” or “Infrastructure” mode.Īn AP is sometimes a stand-alone device that bridges between a wireless and wired (Ethernet) network, or is part of a router. If you use Wi-Fi in your home or office, it is most likely through an Access Point. Most wireless networks are made using Access Points - devices that host and control the wireless connection for laptops, tablets, or smart phones. They are one of several or many people accessing information through the same conduit - someone speaking. This can bridge two Ethernet networks, or connect to more distant APs.Ī Wireless Client is similar to a person in the audience of a play or movie. Some routers can operate as Clients as well, which allows them to act like the wireless card in a computer, and connect to other Access Points. This client mode is also known as “station mode” as well. When you are accessing a wireless hotspot, or the router in your home or office, your device is the client. The three wireless roles are:ĭevices such as computers, tablets, and phones are common Clients on a network. These routers are defined in Learn Networking Basics, but for the sake of this document the quick definition of a router is a network device that can connect one network to another, determine what traffic can pass between them, and perform other functions on a network, such as assigning IP addresses. In addition to the phones, tablets, and laptops you use in accessing a network, routers make up the hardware that runs the network. In discussing these modes and the examples below, several types of devices are used. How the devices are configured depends on the types of connections you want to use between parts of the network. These modes define the role a Wi-Fi device has in the network, and networks must be built out of combinations of devices operating in these different modes. There are three major “modes” a Wi-Fi device can use. Working through the activities, or diving deeper into the subject with a group may take longer. Reading through this material should take about 30 to 45 minutes. It provides some necessary background information for this document. Reading and working through Learn Wireless Basics before this document will help you with some of the concepts used in designing wireless networks. Using the knowledge and activities in this document, you can work with others to design the wireless network that works best for your community. To help you understand these different methods for designing networks, this document covers the basics of what different devices do in wireless networks, and how they can be used in different configurations. Community Wireless Networks can be designed in many ways.