Networking

Types of Wireless Networks

Introduction
Community Wireless Networks can be designed in Reading through this material should take about
many ways. To help you understand these 30 to 45 minutes. Working through the activities,
different methods for designing networks, this or diving deeper into the subject with a group may
document covers the basics of what different take longer.
devices do in wireless networks, and how they can
be used in different configurations. Using the MATERIALS + SUPPLIES NEEDED
knowledge and activities in this document, you - The Worksheet and Solution decks - printed out
can work with others to design the wireless on 8½ by 11" or A4 paper. Available on the
network that works best for your community. Construction Kit website.
- Pens or colored markers
Reading and working through Learn Wireless - A surface to work on
Basics before this document will help you with
some of the concepts used in designing wireless
networks. It provides some necessary background
information for this document.

A Build-It-Ourselves Guide to Wireless Mesh Networks

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Wireless Device Roles

There are three major “modes” a Wi-Fi device can use. 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. How the devices are configured depends on the types of
connections you want to use between parts of the network.

In discussing these modes and the examples below, several types of

devices are used. In addition to the phones, tablets, and laptops you
use in accessing a network, routers make up the hardware that runs
the 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.

Wireless Clients (Stations)

Devices such as computers, tablets, and phones are common Clients
on a network. When you are accessing a wireless hotspot, or the
router in your home or office, your device is the client. This client
mode is also known as “station mode” as well.

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 can bridge two Ethernet networks, or connect to more
distant APs.

A Wireless Client is similar to a person in the audience of a play or

movie. They are one of several or many people accessing information
through the same conduit - someone speaking.

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Access Point (Master)

Most wireless networks are made using Access Points - devices that
host and control the wireless connection for laptops, tablets, or smart
phones. If you use Wi-Fi in your home or office, it is most likely
through an Access Point. When a router is set up as an AP, it is said to
be in “Master” or “Infrastructure” mode.

An AP is sometimes a stand-alone device that bridges between a

wireless and wired (Ethernet) network, or is part of a router. APs can
cover a range of areas with a wireless signal, depending on the
power of the device and the type of antenna. There are also some
APs that are weatherproof, designed to be mounted outdoors.

An Access Point is similar to a person on stage, addressing an

audience or crowd - they are providing the information for everyone
else. Those audience members can ask questions of the person on
the stage, and receive a response.

Ad-Hoc Node (Mesh)

Some wireless devices (laptops, smart phones, or wireless routers)
support a mode called Ad-Hoc. This allows those devices to connect
together directly, without an Access Point in-between controlling the
connection. This forms a different type of network - in Ad-Hoc mode,
all devices are responsible for sending and receiving messages to the
other devices - without anything else in between. In an Ad-Hoc
network, every device must be in this role, and using the same
configuration to participate. Not all devices use this mode, and some
have it as a “hidden” feature.

Ad-Hoc devices are used to create a Mesh network, so when they are
in this mode, they are called “Mesh Nodes”.

An Ad-Hoc or Mesh node is similar to an individual in a group or

roundtable discussion. They can take equal part in the conversation,
raising their hand when they want to speak so the others will listen. If
someone at the end of the table cannot hear, one of the individuals
in-between can repeat the original message for the listener.

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Quick Activity
Describe the differences in the two example networks below. What are the roles
and relationships between the different colored nodes in the networks?

Example 1 Example 2

Role of the Pink nodes: Role of the Yellow nodes:

_________________________________________ _________________________________________

Relationship between nodes: Role of the Blue nodes:

_________________________________________ _________________________________________

Relationship between nodes:

_________________________________________

The two networks above are Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure (Access Point) networks.
Are there places or times in a social situation where you are in an Access Point or
Client situation? Are there places or times when you are in an Ad-Hoc situation?

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What connects to what?

From the roles above, you can see that Clients always need to connect to an
Access Point, and Mesh nodes all connect to each other.

It should also be noted that due to how Wi-Fi is designed, this also prevents
different roles from connecting to each other as well.

Access Points cannot connect to each other wirelessly:

Clients cannot connect to each other wirelessly:

Clients cannot connect to Ad-Hoc (Mesh) devices wirelessly:

Access Points cannot connect to Ad-Hoc (Mesh) devices wirelessly:

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Wireless devices in networks

Treat the three types of roles above - Clients, Access Points, and Ad-Hoc nodes - as
the building blocks for large networks. Below are several examples that
demonstrate how devices configured for different roles can be used.

Access Point - Home or Office network

Wireless networks used in your home or office are generally a combination of a
router and a wireless Access Point (AP).

In the diagram above:

• (1) represents the connection to the Internet (Optional - networks can function
without the Internet).
• (2) represents the router that assigns IP addresses and provides a firewall
between your network and the Internet.
• (3) represents the Access Point, providing a wireless bridge between the router
and the users’ devices.
• (4) represents user devices, such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

In many home networks, or small office networks, the router and AP may be
combined into a single device. This is usually just called a wireless router. It may
also have a DSL, Cable, 3G, or 4G port to provide a connection to the Internet. In
large office scenarios, there may be several AP devices spread throughout the
building to provide more even wireless coverage, connected back to the router
through long Ethernet cables.

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Point to Point link - Long Distance Connections

Wireless can be used to connect distant areas. It usually requires very focused
antennas - such as a dish - that can send a narrow beam in a single direction. This
is discussed in Learn Wireless Basics in more detail.

A single long-distance connection is often called a “point-to-point”, or “PtP” link.

The name describes the concept: two points are connected together. This requires
two wireless devices: one setup as an Access Point; the other setup as a Client. In
the example below, two wireless devices create a simple point-to-point link.
OMNIDIRECTIONAL ACCESS POINT AND CLIENT

In the diagram above:

• (1) represents computers connected with Ethernet cables to the wireless
devices. These computers are connected to each other over the
Point-to-Point link.
• (2) represents the wireless device setup as an Access Point.
• (3) represents the wireless device setup as a Client, connected to the
Access Point.

This could look like the building-to-building connection, as shown below:

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Point to Point links continued

LONG-DISTANCE DIRECTIONAL ACCESS POINT AND CLIENT

In the diagram above:

• (1) represents computers connected with Ethernet cables to the wireless
devices. These computers are connected to each other over the
Point-to-Point link.
• (2) represents the wireless device setup as an Access Point.
• (3) represents dish antennas that focus the wireless signal, allowing connections
over long distances.
• (4) represents the wireless device setup as a Client, connected to the
Access Point.

This could look like the network below, where an AP mounted on a tower is able
to connect with a Client device in a home very far away, since the dishes are
facing one another.

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Point to MultiPoint - Wireless Internet Service Provider model

If we combine the two principles used in the networks above - many client devices
connecting to an Access Point, and more powerful antennas used for outdoor
devices to create longer links - we can create Point to Multipoint networks. These
are larger-scale Access Point networks, where there is a single device in the
“center”, controlling all of the Clients connected to it and bridging those
connections to the Internet.

These types of networks are used by Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) to
connect homes and businesses to the Internet. Instead of running cables around a
neighborhood or town, they put up one or more powerful Access Points on a tall
building or tower. By installing directional wireless devices in a Client role on
other rooftops, and pointing them back at the tall building or tower, those
buildings can be connected to the WISP’s networks, and thereby the Internet.

The diagram on the next page demonstrates one model for how this works. There
is a powerful Access Point mounted on a high building, and several nearby
buildings with rooftop wireless Client devices: this forms the Point-to-Multipoint
network. Connected to each of the Client devices is an indoor router or Access
Point, which allows users to connect their computers, laptops, tablets, or
smartphones to the WISP network.

(See next page for diagram)

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Point to MultiPoint continued

In the diagram above:

• (1) represents the connection to the Internet.
• (2) represents small Access Points distributing wireless service inside the
building.
• (3) represents a powerful omnidirectional (all direction) antenna, sending the
wireless signal to a large area around the building.
• (4) represent Client wireless devices on the roof of other buildings, linking to the
powerful Access Point, and able to connect to the Internet through that AP.
• (5) represents an Access Point providing the signal for Client devices to
connect to.

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Mesh - Neighbor-to-neighbor Networks

A mesh network takes the principle of Point-to-Multipoint, and extends it so every
node connects to every other node in range. This creates a “Multipoint-to-
Multipoint” network. All the devices must be in Ad-Hoc mode - wireless devices in
AP mode or Client mode can’t perform the same function. For more information
on how this principle works, see the Introduction to Mesh document.

The diagram below demonstrates one model for how this works. Mesh nodes are
installed on the rooftops of buildings, and those nodes that are in range will
connect. These nodes will share all resources connected to them - such as local
applications or connections to the Internet. They can also be connected to
computers, Access Points, or routers inside the buildings so users can access the
resources anywhere on the network.

In the diagram above:

• (1) represents the connection to the Internet.
• (2) represents a Mesh Node with a connection to the Internet, with an
omnidirectional (all directions) antenna.
• (3) represents Mesh Nodes with omnidirectional (all directions) antennas. These
nodes are receiving Internet access from Mesh Node B. They may be
connected to different devices inside the building.
• (4) represents small Access Points distributing wireless service inside the
building.

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Hybrid Networks
When designing and building town or community-sized networks, it may be
difficult or impossible to use a single method to connect everyone. For instance, a
single Point-to-Multipoint network may not cover an entire community. Mesh
nodes can be used to extend client sites to nearby buildings. Point-to-point
connections can bridge longer distances and join several disconnected networks
together.

In the diagram below, we can see an example of a hybrid network. There is no

single example that can cover all of the possible uses for a network! In the activity
that follows, you will explore the different ways to build a network by working
through scenarios.

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Hybrid Networks continued

One last note before we move on to the activity - in the examples above, and in
the activity that follows, the diagrams focus on building networks across rooftops
or from building to building. This is generally the best way to build networks that
cover neighborhoods, towns, or communities. In the diagrams, the way people
connect to this network isn’t always shown.

Keep in mind that these rooftop routers may not provide connections to users on
the ground, or in buildings. A good way to provide these connections is by
attaching Access Points to an Ethernet port on the rooftop router. This indoor
Access Point can be set up to use the rooftop network as the source of
connections to the Internet, or to provide access to applications and servers on
the network. A detailed look at this is below:

In the diagram above:

• (1) represents the rooftop wireless device. It could be a Mesh Node, or Client
router.
• (2) represents the Ethernet cable running out to the rooftop from the
Power over Ethernet adapter.
• (3) represents a Power over Ethernet (PoE) adapter - a common way to power
outdoor wireless devices.
• (4) represents an Access Point, connected to the neighborhood or community
network through the rooftop router.

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Activity worksheets
Since there are so many ways to build wireless networks to cover your town or
community, we recommend working through these pen-and-paper activities.
Download the network worksheets and example solutions from the Construction
Kit site and try your hand at designing wireless networks.

If you are working through the activity on your own, try printing out the
worksheets first and draw in a possible solution to each of the scenarios. You can
then review the example solutions and see how your networks compare with
some others.

We recommend you work through this activity with a group of your community
members, especially when planning and designing a network. First print out a few
sets of the network worksheets, and break into groups of two or three people
(depending on how many people are gathered). Draw solutions to each scenario,
then meet back up and compare all of your solutions to the scenarios. You can
also look through the example solutions and compare them to what your groups
came up with. Discuss what solutions might be best for your community.

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Activity Rules
There are a few basic rules to follow when working through the activity.

1. There are three types of routers you will use:

a. Omnidirectional. These can send and receive wireless signals in every
direction.

b. Sector. These send and receive wireless signals in a limited arc. Limit the
connections these routers make to a wedge-shaped area.

c. Focused . These send and receive wireless signals in a narrow beam. Limit the
connections to a single thin line.

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Activity Rules continued

2. You have a limited amount of equipment available for each network. Each
worksheet has icons of the types and number of pieces of equipment. The
example below provides three omnidirectional, one sector, and one
focused router:

3. You can “configure” the wireless equipment in your network to serve any of the
wireless roles - AP, client, or ad-hoc node (mesh). The equipment can be any
combination of roles, they don’t have to all be the same role. Label each router
with an “A”, “C”, or “M” depending on the role.

4. You can assume that all of the wireless equipment in the examples are within
range of each other - the signals will reach.

5. Remember that Clients can only connect to Access Points. APs cannot connect
to each other wirelessly, Clients cannot connect to each other wirelessly, and
Mesh nodes cannot connect to APs or Clients wirelessly.

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Activity Rules continued

6. Many Clients can connect to a single Access Point. Ad-hoc (mesh) devices can
have connections to multiple other mesh devices at once.

7. If you want to connect different combinations of devices together, you can

“wire” them together, as if you plugged an Ethernet cable in between the
devices. This way devices that normally cannot connect wirelessly can still be
networked. For example, an Access Point or Client can be connected to a Mesh
node with an Ethernet cable.

Now download and print the worksheets, and try out some designs!

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Definitions
AP (Access Point) : device that allows wireless Client Device : The device with a wifi radio that you
devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi use to connect to a wireless access point, e.g. a
or related standards computer, cell phone or tablet device.

Ad-hoc Network / Device Network: On some Ethernet: A type of networking protocol - it defines
devices (e.g. laptops) some available network the types of cables and connections that are used
connections are shown as computer to computer to wire computers, switches, and routers together.
networks. These are networks that may be ad-hoc Most often Ethernet cabling is Category 5 or 6,
mesh networks or point to point links between made up of twisted pair wiring similar to phone
computers for small file sharing. The term “ad- cables.
hoc” can also refer to unplanned, decentralized
network connections. Node : An individual device in a mesh network.

Antenna : Converts electrical signals to radio PoE (Power over Ethernet) : describes systems
waves. It is normally connected to a radio which pass electrical power along with data on
transmitter or radio receiver, and is the interface Ethernet cabling
between the electrical signals in the radio, and the
movement of the signals through the air.

Related Information
This document is intended to be used after you have worked through Every
Network Tells a Story, and Learn Wireless Basics. It is a partner document to
Wireless Challenges, and can be done before or after that activity.

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