Editing Wireless LAN (section)

=== Peer-to-peer ===
[[File:Wlan adhoc.png|thumb|Peer-to-Peer or ad hoc wireless LAN]]

An [[Wireless ad hoc network|ad hoc network]] is a network where stations communicate only [[peer-to-peer]] (P2P). There is no base and no one gives permission to talk. This is accomplished using the [[Independent Basic Service Set]] (IBSS). A [[Wi-Fi Direct]] network is a different type of wireless network where stations communicate peer-to-peer.<ref>{{cite web|title=Is this the same as Ad Hoc mode?|url=http://www.wi-fi.org/knowledge-center/faq/same-ad-hoc-mode|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130830054611/https://www.wi-fi.org/knowledge-center/faq/same-ad-hoc-mode|archive-date=2013-08-30}}</ref> In a peer-to-peer network wireless devices within range of each other can discover and communicate directly without involving central access points.

In a Wi-Fi P2P group, the group owner operates as an access point and all other devices are clients. There are two main methods to establish a group owner in the Wi-Fi Direct group. In one approach, the user sets up a P2P group owner manually. This method is also known as ''autonomous group owner'' (''autonomous GO''). In the second method, called ''negotiation-based group creation'', two devices compete based on the group owner intent value. The device with higher intent value becomes a group owner and the second device becomes a client. Group owner intent value can depend on whether the wireless device performs a cross-connection between an infrastructure WLAN service and a P2P group, available power in the wireless device, whether the wireless device is already a group owner in another group or a received signal strength of the first wireless device.

[[File:Wifi hidden station problem.svg|thumb|[[Hidden node problem]]: Devices A and C are both communicating with B, but are unaware of each other]]

[[IEEE 802.11]] defines the PHY and [[medium access control]] (MAC) layers based on [[carrier-sense multiple access with collision avoidance]] (CSMA/CA). This is in contrast to Ethernet which uses [[carrier-sense multiple access with collision detection]] (CSMA/CD). The 802.11 specification includes provisions designed to minimize collisions because mobile units have to contend with the [[hidden node problem]] where two mobile units may both be in range of a common access point, but out of range of each other.