Wireless Network Configurations

There are several ways to configure a wireless network:

Ad-Hoc Networks

🔗 Nodes communicate directly with each other. 📱 Practical applications:

• Smartphones establishing ad-hoc networks for exchanging photos, videos, or contact information.

• Industrial or warehouse settings where equipment needs to communicate with each other.

• Disaster situations where existing infrastructure is damaged, and ad-hoc networks enable communication during rescue efforts.

Wireless LANs (WLANs)

🔗 Access points bridge wireless and wired networks. 🏢 Common in the business world. 🌐 Wireless devices communicate with access points to access resources outside of the WLAN. 🖧 Access points forward traffic to the gateway router for normal operation.

Mesh Networks

🔗 Devices form a mesh by communicating wirelessly with each other. 🔌 Most mesh networks consist of wireless access points connected to a wired network. 🔁 Increases performance and range of the wireless network. 📶 Additional access points can be deployed without running cables to each of them.