D-Link Air DWL-900AP User Manual page 17

Network Functions of the Access Point
(continued)
DHCP Support
The access point supports the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
used to obtain a leased IP address and network configuration information
from a remote server. When DHCP is enabled, the access point sends out a
DHCP request to obtain the IP settings and network configuration
information. The access point can be configured to download two additional
files when a boot takes place, the firmware file and an HTML file. DHCP or
BOOTP servers can be programmed to transfer these two files when a
DHCP request is made.
Media Types
The wireless access point can be used to bridge the wired Ethernet LAN and
wireless LAN radio network. The 10BASE-T Ethernet interface fully complies
with Ethernet Rev. 2 and IEEE 802.3 specifications and operates in full
duplex. The radio interface conforms to IEEE 802.11b specifications for
wireless LAN. The WLAN interface operates at speeds of up to 11 Mbps
using direct sequence radio technology. The wireless access point supports
multiple-cell operations with fast roaming between cells. With the direct
sequence system, each cell operates independently. Adding cells to the
network can increase the coverage area and total system capacity. The
access point supports wireless devices operating in Continuously Aware or
Power Save modes.
Media Access Control
All WLAN devices, like all Ethernet devices, have a unique, hardware-
encoded Media Access Control (MAC) address. Wireless LAN algorithms
employ carrier sense and collision avoidance techniques (CSMA/CA) to
ensure network access to all devices and error checking (CRC) for accuracy
of data transmissions. The method of access control used in WLAN is called
the Distributed Coordination Function (DCF).