A LAN is a network of devices wired to communicate, while a WAN is a larger-scale version. WLAN is a wireless LAN with different systems to choose from, including ad hoc mode and infrastructure mode. The choice of 802.11 version depends on equipment standards and Ethernet connections.
A LAN is a local area network, a collection of networked devices, including at least one computer, that are wired so that they can communicate with each other. A WAN is a Wide Area Network, a system similar to a LAN, but on a larger scale, perhaps encompassing a multi-building facility or campus. WLAN, not to be confused with WAN, is a wireless local area network, often called a wireless LAN. This is a LAN with at least one wireless connection, rather than a wired one. A WLAN system is a method of creating a WLAN and there are several to choose from.
One of the types of WLAN system is the ad hoc mode system, or Independent Basic Service Set (BSS). Both names indicate that this type of LAN does not communicate with any type of Access Point (AP), base station that has an off-premises network connection to the Internet. Another name for this type of WLAN system is peer-to-peer mode. It can be created using equipment with WLAN PC cards or with WLAN dongles.
A WLAN system can also include an AP, either as a standalone device or in a router. Any AP and its attached devices are called a Basic Service Set (BSS), which clarifies the acronym IBSS used for an ad hoc WLAN system. If two or more Basic Service Sets are located in the same subnet, a physical or logical division of a WLAN, an Extended Service Set (ESS) has been created. Regardless of whether it is a BSS or an ESS, this type of WLAN system is called infrastructure mode. Therefore, when choosing the best WLAN system, you have to decide whether you need a BSS, an ESS or an IBSS.
Another important consideration is which version or versions of 802.11, the WiFi standard set by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), to use. The most common choices are 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n. The choice depends on the standards of equipment used to build the WLAN system and consideration of which, if any, components might be connected via Ethernet cable, for example, rather than wirelessly. You can also get dual band routers that operate at both 2.4GHz (GigaHertz) and 5GHz and can handle both new and legacy devices.
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