CCNA®: Cisco® Certified Network Associate: Fast Pass, Third Edition

5.2. Identify and describe the purpose of the components in a small wireless network (including SSID, BSS, ESS)

Transmitting a signal using the typical 802.11 specifications works a lot like it does with a basic Ethernet hub: They're both two-way forms of communication, and they both use the same frequency to both transmit and receive, often referred to as half-duplex, as mentioned earlier in the chapter. Wireless LANs (WLANs) use RF's that are radiated into the air from an antenna that creates radio waves. These waves can be absorbed, refracted, or reflected by walls, water, and metal surfaces, resulting in low signal strength. So, because of this innate vulnerability to surrounding environmental factors, it's pretty apparent that wireless ...