WLAN Client Bridge

Networking

Feedsee Networking : WLAN Client Bridge : Serves as connector between robot and operator

In 2007, Colubris Networks gave a Colubris WLAN Client Bridge 200 to IIT FIRST Robotics, the robotics club at Illinois Institute of Technology, for use in the 20th Annual AMD Jerry Sanders Creative Design Competition, in which 150-pound remote controlled robots competed against each other to retrieve objects. The bridge wirelessly connected control and video feeds from its robot to the operator. The video system let the robot operator see what the robot is seeing, giving the operator greater control over manipulating the objects. The control feed let the operator receive real-time diagnostic data, which gave steady feedback from the robot's internal systems.

A wireless WLAN bridge, also known as a wireless bridge, is a device that allows you to connect two or more network segments (LANs or parts of a LAN) together wirelessly. These devices are used in large areas where it's not feasible or cost-effective to run physical network cables.

Here's how a wireless WLAN bridge operates:

  1. Connection of Networks: The wireless bridge connects two networks, typically located in different buildings or significant distances apart, over a wireless link. This connection is often achieved by mounting the bridge devices high on building rooftops, towers, or poles to establish a line-of-sight connection.
  2. Transparent Bridging: The bridge operates in a way that is transparent to the network, meaning the connected networks behave as if they're connected directly via a physical cable. It forwards packets between the network segments as if they were a single network.
  3. Maintaining Network Protocols: Wireless bridges can carry any network traffic that a standard Ethernet cable can carry. They operate at the data link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model, meaning they maintain the network protocols of the connected networks.
  4. Operating Modes: Wireless bridges can operate in several modes, including point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, or multipoint-to-multipoint, depending on the requirements of the network.

Wireless bridges can be a particularly useful technology for connecting separate office buildings or houses, creating network connections in hard-to-wire areas, or extending the range of Wi-Fi hotspots. They provide a valuable tool in the arsenal of a network designer or administrator.