Take Control of Wi-Fi Networking and Security, 2nd Edition

Learn Wireless Basics

If you’re already up to speed on how Wi-Fi works, skip to the next chapter, Pick Wi-Fi Network Gear, which digs in on network details. If not, let’s quickly run through some basics to set the stage for what follows.

Adapters and Access Points

Wi-Fi networks need two connected parts: a wireless adapter, also referred to technically as a station, and an access point (AP for short). The wireless adapter is part of a computing device (such as a smartphone, tablet, desktop computer, or smart-home device), while the access point acts as a hub, allowing wireless adapters to communicate both with each other and with other networked devices (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Computing devices contain wireless adapters which communicate with ...