Basic wireless access point parameters include SSID, RF
channel with optional power, and authentication (security), whereas basic wireless client
parameters include only authentication. Wireless clients need fewer parameters because a
wireless network interface card (NIC) scans all the available RF it can to locate the RF
channel (meaning an IEEE 802.11b/g card cannot scan 5 GHz) and usually initiates the
connection with a null-SSID to discover the available SSIDs. Therefore, by 802.11 design,
if you are using open authentication, the result is plug-and-play. When security is con?¬?gured
with PSKs for older WEP or current WPA, remember that the key must be an exact match
to allow connectivity.
Depending on the hardware chosen for the access point, it might be capable of two
frequencies, 2.4 GHz ISM band and 5 GHz UNII band, and all three IEEE 802.11a/b/g
implementations. The features of the access point usually allow for ?¬?ne adjustment of
parameters such as which frequencies to offer, which radio to enable, and which IEEE
standard to use on that RF.
When 802.11b wireless clients are mixed with 802.11g wireless clients, throughput is
decreased because the access point must implement a protection RTS/CTS protocol.
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