1 Planning Your Wireless Network
15
The advantage of this plan is that you install the simplest ad-hoc
network first and troubleshoot it. It also makes the most sense if
you have been operating an ad-hoc wireless network for a while
and want to join it to a wired network later.
Access Point(s) First
Install your Access Point(s) first, according to the instructions in
the ZoomAir Access Point Software Manual. As you complete
each Access Point installation, you can modify the settings to in-
crease security, etc. Then install the infrastructure clients, modify-
ing each one as you go to match any special security settings of the
Access Point(s).
The advantage of this plan is that you need to visit each Access
Point and client only once.
Site Survey
For the initial setup of either an ad-hoc or infrastructure wireless
network, you may want to conduct a site survey. For a home or
small office, this could be a simple walk-through, perhaps with a
measuring tape, to determine the distances between potential
members of your network.
For a larger office you may want to do a more formal survey, as
follows:
1. Install the ZoomAir PC Card on two laptop computers and
configure them for ad-hoc operation.
2. Establish a connection between the computers (sharing a file
folder, for instance).
3. Move the computers around in your work area to typical loca-
tions for network members—especially to the locations that
are farthest apart. As you do so, attempt some file transfers
and monitor the connection to be sure it is maintained.
4. If you cannot maintain a reliable wireless connection at the
extremes of your work area (ad-hoc) or at the farthest point
from your proposed Access Point (infrastructure), your op-
tions are to relocate the network members, relocate the Access
Point, or add an Access Point.