Can someone explain Access Point vs Infrastructure mode

[siratfus]

Today, I was able to get my Canon slr to communicate with my smartphone using the EOS REMOTE APP. I just follow instructions and everything magically works. But I have no clue why it works, and I would just like to learn.

Everything in my house from my tivo, ps3, smartphones.. they are all connected to my Fios Network, the network SSID is for example KING KONG.

Now the cannon allows us to talk to the smartphone using access point or infrastructure. When I select infrastructure, I'm somewhat on familiar ground because both device have to hook up to the KING KONG ssid. But the other way is for the Canon to create an ACCESS POINT, which utilizes a new SSID and encryption key. So for example, the new ssid is GODZILLA. In my smartphone, I would connect to the GODZILLA network. I still see KING KONG, but I don't need to choose it, I connect to GODZILLA instead, and it works perfectly too. This is where I'm confused... KING KONG gets its service from Verizon. How is GODZILLA getting online? I know it's somehow still through verizon, but still, I would like someone to school me on why and how this all works. Your time is much appreciated.

[Bjs]

o encryption = anything can connect online

check your settings on the cannon network settings ... it cannot connect by default if your fios network wireless device is using wireless encryption key.

Check fios device for wireless encryption setup ... for better security it should be enabled.

[Cornucopia]

Here's an analogy:
Your FIOS ssid "King Kong" is like a server, and your Canon AND your Smartphone are "clients" to that server.

With you "Godzillar" AP, your Canon starts acting like it's own independent WiFi host server, and the Smartphone is the client directly to it. Neither is using KingKong's Wifi service.

(and yes, you should ALWAYS, ALWAYS set every WiFi network up as encrypted)

Scott

[siratfus]

Here's an analogy:
Your FIOS ssid "King Kong" is like a server, and your Canon AND your Smartphone are "clients" to that server.

With you "Godzillar" AP, your Canon starts acting like it's own independent WiFi host server, and the Smartphone is the client directly to it. Neither is using KingKong's Wifi service.

(and yes, you should ALWAYS, ALWAYS set every WiFi network up as encrypted)

Scott

No data or bandwidth fees necessary? That's why I'm confused. LOL! So they are talking to each other, but they are not using the internet?

Yes, my network is secured. WPA2.

[yoda313]

So they are talking to each other, but they are not using the internet?

I'm no networking expert but I thought I'd chime in anyway.

Are you just using your phone to do this and not a computer? IF so than I would ask is your phone using the home wifi or is it on its own network - ie 4g or whatever?

If so than yes you can bypass the home wifi entirely.

Othewise every device that uses the home wifi would have to log in and use the password to do so. Unless you use the instant connect option. Forget what it's called but thats where you press the button to connect. But some of those have web pages you access independently to set up the device. Wifi connect is it?

[Cornucopia]

Here's an analogy:
Your FIOS ssid "King Kong" is like a server, and your Canon AND your Smartphone are "clients" to that server.

With you "Godzillar" AP, your Canon starts acting like it's own independent WiFi host server, and the Smartphone is the client directly to it. Neither is using KingKong's Wifi service.

(and yes, you should ALWAYS, ALWAYS set every WiFi network up as encrypted)

Scott

No data or bandwidth fees necessary? That's why I'm confused. LOL! So they are talking to each other, but they are not using the internet?

Yes, my network is secured. WPA2.

Never said there would or wouldn't be fees. What your Canon is doing MAY or MAY NOT connect to the internet (though I sincerely doubt it unless it has cellular access). No, it just lets the 2 devices share with each other as an Intranet (internal LAN). If it also had cellular & internet access AND it allowed data passthrough service (what's usually known as "tethering"), you could give internet access to the other device. But it's that data passthrough service that often logs the data & bandwidth used which would conceiveably allow your ISP to charge the fees.

And if either of those devices WAS accessing the internet directly (through cellular), yes, it WOULD allow one to totally bypass your FIOS internet access point.

Scott

[hello_hello]

Infrastructure mode and access point mode are basically the same thing, but as the Canon distinguishes between the two, I'd assume access point mode creates a sub-network whereas infrastructure mode does not. When you use a new encryption key for access point mode are you using two encryption keys? ie one for the Canon to conect to the KING KONG network and a second for devices to connect to the GODZILLA network?

If so, I'd guess.....
You have the world wide web thingy as an outside network (network 1 or WAN) which you connect to via your router (which I assume is wireless) then the router creates your own home network (network 2 or LAN) which all your devices connect to using the KING KONG SSID. Then you create an "access point" connection, and the Canon creates network 3 using the GODZILLA SSID to which you can connect devices, which in turn connect you to the internet via network 2. It'd be kind of like using the Canon as a second router except instead of having the internet one side and the home network on the other, you have your home network on one side and a sub-home network on the other.

I have two routers. My PCs are connected to a wireless router which in turn connects wirelessly to the ADSL router in another room. To run the second router that way it needs to be running in "Client mode", so it sounds like the Canon's Access Point mode has it running as an Access Point in Client mode.
In wireless "Client mode" I'm pretty sure my router (it's old and it's been quite a while since I set it up) must use the same encryption for the second network as the first network does, but it can use a different SSID for the second network.

[budwzr]

An "Access Point" is a repeater, or "Range Extender". A middleman. The concept is to extend a wifi signal's range by overlapping each other's circle of coverage.

Infrastructure Mode is a direct wireless connection to the main router. There can only be one main router.

Or you can think of it as "Domains" nested like a russian doll set. In AP mode, the camera is the top-level domain on the Godzilla SSID. There's no further connection "UP".

P.S. "I Think", hehehe.

[hello_hello]

My understanding of the (traditional) terminology is by definition an access point connects wireless devices to a wired network. Therefore a wireless router has a built in access point, or it's a combination modem/router/access point etc. It'd normally run in infrastructure mode.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_access_point

While many wireless routers/access points can be configured to run as clients of another wireless access point, normally that'd mean running them in some sort of client, repeater or bridge mode etc.

That's my understanding of it anyway.....

PS Here's what my router's help file says:

Wireless Mode
The wireless part of your router can run in different modes:

AP mode – This is the default mode, also called Infrastructure mode. Your router acts as an central connection point, which wireless clients can connect to.

Client mode – The radio interface is used to connect the internet-facing side of the router (i.e., the WAN) as a client to a remote accesspoint. NAT or routing are performed between WAN and LAN, like in "normal" gateway or router mode. Use this mode, e.g., if your internet connection is provided by a remote accesspoint, and you want to connect a subnet of your own to it.

Client Bridged mode – The radio interface is used to connect the LAN side of the router to a remote accesspoint. The LAN and the remote AP will be in the same subnet (This is called a "bridge" between two network segments). The WAN side of the router is unused and can be disabled. Use this mode, e.g., to make the router act as a "WLAN adapter" for a device connected to one of its LAN ethernet ports.

Ad-Hoc mode – This is for peer to peer wireless connections. Clients running in Ad-Hoc mode can connect to each other as required without involving central access points.

[Nelson37]

Simple verification test - pull the plug on the verizon modem and test if the cannon and/or smartphone can still get online. If so, then you are connecting thru cellular at lower speeds and greater expense. If not, then a subnet has been created that still connects to King Kong at some point.