802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi capability is built into both io-pkt-v4-hc and io-pkt-v6-hc.
The networking Wi-Fi solution lets you join or host WLAN (Wireless LAN) networks based on IEEE 802.11 specifications. Using io-pkt, you can operate in infrastructure mode or ad hoc mode.
Infrastructure mode
Infrastructure mode is the more common network configuration where all wireless hosts (clients) connect to the wireless network via a WAP. The WAP centrally controls access and authentication to the wireless network and provides access to rest of your network. More than one WAP can exist on a wireless network to service large numbers of wireless clients.
Ad-hoc mode
Ad hoc mode lets you create a wireless network quickly by allowing wireless nodes within range (for example, the wireless devices in a room) to communicate directly with each other without the need for a wireless access point. Although this communication link is easy to construct, it may not be appropriate for a large number of nodes because of performance degradation, limited range, non-central administration, and weak encryption.
The io-pkt manager supports WEP, WPA, WPA2, or no security for authentication and encryption when acting as the WAP or client. WPA/WPA2 is the recommended encryption protocol for use with your wireless network. WEP isn't as secure as WPA/WPA2 and is known to be breakable. It's available for backward compatibility with already deployed wireless networks.
For information on connecting your client, see “Using wpa_supplicant to manage your wireless network connections” later in this chapter.