| What happens to many people is that they're just | | | | printers. Imagine being able to take your |
| about to purchase some wireless equipment, and | | | | computer to somewhere where there's a printer, |
| then they have a sudden realisation -- they have | | | | press print, collect the document and walk away |
| no idea how their network layout is going to work | | | | again. Ad-hoc networking makes this a reality. |
| with a wireless connection. Well, there are a few | | | | Access Points. |
| things you need to think about when you decide | | | | An access point, on the other hand, is a way of |
| how you're going to connect up your computers | | | | connecting your ad-hoc wireless network to a |
| with all that great new wireless gear. | | | | real, wired network. Note that this network could |
| Ad-hoc Networks Explained. | | | | just be a LAN, or it could be the entire Internet. |
| Ad-hoc networks are the ones your wireless | | | | There are hardware access points and software |
| devices create more-or-less on their own -- they | | | | ones, with either kind allowing you to connect |
| are also known as peer-to-peer networks. In an | | | | your wireless device to a wired network. Internet |
| ad-hoc network, each computer on the network | | | | Connecting Sharing, for example, is a software |
| acts as an equal 'peer', with each one sending | | | | access point to the Internet, while a wireless |
| data to any other. This arrangement is most | | | | router is a wired one. If you have wireless access |
| often used in place of a real LAN, to allow | | | | at your office, the chances are it is provided as a |
| employees in a company, for example, to | | | | wireless access point to the wired network, to let |
| exchange files. You can create ad-hoc wireless | | | | people bring in wireless devices and connect them |
| networks between any computers that have | | | | to the office LAN. |
| wireless equipment -- access to the Internet is | | | | A network that contains an access point is |
| not required. | | | | sometimes called an 'infrastructure' network, as |
| These networks work using something called an | | | | opposed to an ad-hoc one. It's worth |
| 'SSID' (Service Set Identifier). Essentially, this is | | | | remembering, though, that part of the |
| the network's name, decided on the computer | | | | infrastructure network still consists of the ad-hoc |
| that was the first to connect to the network | | | | network between the computers -- they can still |
| (yes, a network consisting of just itself). The | | | | communicate just the same as they could before. |
| other computers that connect to the network | | | | If you think about it, you can see that the access |
| can then simply connect by finding the network | | | | point structure allows you to create a series of |
| with the name (SSID) they want. | | | | networks, all interconnected. The Internet, in this |
| This is powerful. You can put your | | | | scheme, is just another wired network. You can |
| wireless-enabled laptop next to a friend's, and the | | | | connect your wired network to the Internet, |
| two computers can create a little network for | | | | connect your wireless network to an access point |
| themselves on the fly. Thanks the way wireless | | | | to your wired network -- whatever you want. |
| networking works, they keep the connection | | | | The string of networks is potentially never-ending, |
| even if you move them around -- the only thing | | | | with wired networks being able to break out into |
| that will force the computers to disconnect from | | | | wireless ones as often as they need to. This |
| each other is if they go out of range. For many | | | | concept is sometimes called lilypad networking, |
| people, this spells the end of messing around with | | | | because it lets your computer be like a frog, |
| CDs and floppy disks -- they can finally use their | | | | hopping from lilypad to lilypad. Even though the |
| laptop just like a briefcase, carrying everything | | | | whole area of the water isn't covered with |
| from one place to another. | | | | lilypads, the frog can still get through -- and you |
| Arriving somewhere with your laptop and being | | | | can make wireless networks work the same |
| automatically included in the wireless network also | | | | way. |
| gives you access to shared resources, such as | | | | |