170
Networking Fundamentals
working group
a standard not fully
developed and
adopted as an offi cial
standard recognized
by IEEE.
without the need for overlapping radio signals. This type of arrangement is ideal
for mobile users. As the user travels through the network system with a mobile
device such as a laptop, he or she can access the network system from anywhere.
For example, a college campus spanning hundreds of acres could incorporate a
mesh arrangement of WAPs throughout the campus area. A professor or student
could use his or her laptop equipped with a wireless PCMCIA card to access the
network system from anywhere on the campus such as classrooms, the library,
cafeteria, a dorm room, or even from outside on the lawn areas.
New IEEE Wireless Standards
There are two other major IEEE standards that are directly related to
wireless technology: 802.15 Wireless Personal Networks (WPAN) and 802.16
Broadband Wireless Access (BWA). While not adopted at this time, they are still
worth mentioning since their adoption is anticipated soon. Standards not fully
developed and adopted as an offi cial standard recognized by IEEE are referred to
as a working group. Titles for the standards being developed always use the term
working group so people will know that they are under development.
Figure 4-23.
A wireless network
can be greatly
expanded by
connecting multiple
Wireless Access
Points (WAPs) to a
cable-based Ethernet
network such as
10BaseT.