Wireless LANs: Extending the Reach of a LAN
This chapter includes the following sections:
- Chapter Objectives
- Exploring Wireless Networking
- Understanding WLAN Security
- Implementing a WLAN
- Chapter Summary
- Review Questions
Historically, LANs have been limited to physical wired segments. With the advent of technologies that utilize infrared (IR) and radio frequency (RF) to carry data, LANs are free from the limitations of a physical media. This chapter describes the reasons for extending the reach of a LAN and the methods that can be used to do so, with a focus on RF wireless access.
Chapter Objectives
Upon completing this chapter, you will be able to describe the wireless LAN (WLAN) environment. This includes being able to meet the following objectives:
- Describe the business drivers and standards that affect WLAN implementation
- Describe WLAN security issues and threat-mitigation methods
- Describe the factors that affect WLAN implementation