Access Point-centric Configuration

The most commonly used wireless setup involves one access point and
several 802.11a/b clients. When you install an access point, you enhance
the range of your network. The access point functions as your wireless
server, freeing up the resources of your wired server. The access point is
connected to your wired Ethernetwork so that each client can access the
network resources from every wired server as well as the file shares on
other wireless/wired clients on your network segment.

Every access point can handle several clients, but this number is
essentially restricted by two conditions:

1. How many simultaneous transmissions occur at any given time

2. How much bandwidth is consumed by a typical wireless transmission
Essentially, most applications today require much more bandwidth
than their predecessors did. In a typical “real” situation, an access point
can accommodate as many as 50 clients. However, as bandwidth demands
increase, the number of clients the access point can host decreases proportionally
with increased network resource demand. Multimedia applications
are so common now that a typical 802.11b access point can only realistically
support about 10 to 20 mobile devices at any given time.