basic service set (WLAN) (BSS)

A Basic Service Set(BSS) is a simple WLAN according to IEEE 802.11 in which two stations communicate directly with each other wirelessly. Such a Basic Service Set does not require any other active components such as Wireless Access Points( WAP); communication takes place via the WLAN adapters, Wireless Network Interface Controllers(WNIC).

The network modes supported by the Basic Service Set are also known as ad hocnetworks or peer-to-peer networks. Multiple wireless nodes communicating in ad hoc mode form an independent wireless node group, an Independent Basic Service Set( IBSS).

Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS) and Infrastructure Basic Service Set.

Configurations that operate with a wireless access point (WAP) are called infrastructure WLANs, and the corresponding operation is called infrastructure mode. In this mode, the wireless access point (WAP) acts as a radio hub and establishes connections to the wired network. The access point and the stations registered with it form the basic service set, a radio cell. The connected stations communicate with each other using the same Service Set Identification( SSID).

WLANs with Basic and Extended Service Sets, BSS and ESS

If several unrelated Basic Service Sets operate in close proximity to each other on the same channel, overlapping Basic Service Sets( OBSS) can occur, which reduces network performance.