ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with an explanation of mesh networking and wireless mesh networks. There are two basic types of wireless LAN networking structures, referred to as peer-to-peer and infrastructure. In an infrastructure wireless LAN networking environment, all traffic flows through an access point. In a wireless environment the transmission of data from an access point can also be considered as multipoint communications. The grouping of two or more wireless LAN devices results in the formation of a service set. The actual type of service set that is formed depends upon the type of wireless LAN devices and the manner by which they communicate. The term “Basic Service Set” can be used to refer to any group of two or more wireless devices that communicate with each other, such as two or more clients that form an independent basic service set or one or more clients and an access point that form an independent basic service set.
