Some routers can operate as Clients as well, which allows them to act like the wireless card in a computer, and connect to other Access Points. This client mode is also known as “station mode” as well. When you are accessing a wireless hotspot, or the router in your home or office, your device is the client. The three wireless roles are:ĭevices such as computers, tablets, and phones are common Clients on a network. These routers are defined in Learn Networking Basics, but for the sake of this document the quick definition of a router is a network device that can connect one network to another, determine what traffic can pass between them, and perform other functions on a network, such as assigning IP addresses. In addition to the phones, tablets, and laptops you use in accessing a network, routers make up the hardware that runs the network. In discussing these modes and the examples below, several types of devices are used. How the devices are configured depends on the types of connections you want to use between parts of the network. These modes define the role a Wi-Fi device has in the network, and networks must be built out of combinations of devices operating in these different modes. There are three major “modes” a Wi-Fi device can use. Working through the activities, or diving deeper into the subject with a group may take longer. Reading through this material should take about 30 to 45 minutes. It provides some necessary background information for this document. Reading and working through Learn Wireless Basics before this document will help you with some of the concepts used in designing wireless networks. Using the knowledge and activities in this document, you can work with others to design the wireless network that works best for your community. To help you understand these different methods for designing networks, this document covers the basics of what different devices do in wireless networks, and how they can be used in different configurations. Community Wireless Networks can be designed in many ways.