Overview

Wireless network becomes the busy tasks for home users lately since the availability of the affordable wireless routers in the market ranging from standard wireless router for shared internet only, wireless router for work and play and high performance router for streaming HD video and gaming in larger home. Setting up the router to create a wireless network in homes is simple, moreover the included documents are so clear to understand and follow. But newbie frequently has no idea how to connect the devices. Knowing the wireless network diagram or the wireless router diagram will help you in connecting the devices.

Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure

Basically there are two types of wireless network:

1. Ad-Hoc wireless network, meaning the communication take place between two wireless devices in a peer to peer / point to point network. For example: a remote TV that uses infrared to control the TV, the communication must be in a line of sight without any obstacles.
2. Infrastructure wireless network. The network consists of both wired and wireless network and typically uses a wireless access point (AP) as the point of access. The AP acts like the base station that bridge the communication between the wireless clients in the wireless network and the computers in the wired network. The wireless network diagram can be shown in figure 1.

See also infrastructure and Ad-hoc wireless network.

Infrastructure Wireless Network

As discussed above, an infrastructure wireless network consists of wired and wireless networks and communication between the wireless clients on the wireless network and clients in the wired network through a base station (Access Point). The figure 1 below shows a common wireless network diagram that consist of a router (with modem), a wireless access point as the base station and the clients.

The wireless access point (the Ethernet port) connects to modem-router (the Ethernet port) using the UTP network cable. Typically a wireless access point includes one Ethernet port that must be connected to the wired network via a Switch or a modem-router.

Figure 1 – Wireless Network Infrastructure

Wireless Router Diagram

As opposed to the above wireless network diagram where the wireless access point connects to the modem-router, the wireless router diagram is nearly the same. The different is that you need to connect the wireless router to the pure-modem (a modem without the routing function for example Surfboard SB6120 DOCSIS 3 Cable modem).

Figure 2 shows a wireless router diagram where a wireless router connects to a pure modem. Connect the Ethernet port of the modem to the WAN port of the wireless router using a cross UTP cable. But some types of wireless routers support the autosensing Ethernet ports, meaning you can use either cross or straight through UTP cable.

There are many wireless routers support the USB port (such as Linksys E4200v2 with one USB port) to allow you host a shared storage or shared printer as shown in the diagram. Generally a wireless router includes 4xEthernet port you can connect to the computers using the UTP network cable, but DIR-632 D-Link includes 8 ports. With 8 ports, the router is ideal for small offices to let you connect 8 computers with wired connection and the wireless N network to let your wireless clients connect to network wirelessly.

Figure 2 – Wireless router diagram

Wireless Range Extender Diagram

In large home, a standard wireless router frequently cannot cover the whole corners of the building due to many factors including the number of walls the signal must pass through. Dead spots are on the farthest corner of the building. You can extend the range coverage of the network by adding a wireless range extender for example DAP-1360 by D-Link or DHP-W306AV Powerline Wireless Range Extender.

You can position the wireless extender nearly the end of the wireless router coverage (but still connect to the router) to extend the coverage on dead spots area where you need to cover. The figure 3 shows a wireless router diagram with wireless range extender.

Figure 3 Wireless network diagram with range extender

In the figure 3 you see that the modem-router connects direct to the internet. This is an all-in-one device which integrates a wireless router and the modem (either cable or ADSL). For example GT784WN Actiontec which includes the wireless 300 Mbps router and built-in DSL modem for DSL services or Surfboard SBG6580 Docsis 3 cable modem router.

In the figure you see a printer that connects to the network. The printer uses a wireless print server to let you connect to the network wirelessly and you position the router in a convenience location that is easy to access by users.

By Ki Grinsing