US Patent 7212513 Station for wireless network

A wireless network device, such as a printer, to enter an infrastructure-type user wireless LAN as a station, has an additional access point function. A printer having an ESS-ID ‘MM’ as an initial setting is connected with a user wireless LAN, which includes an access point and a personal computer and uses a common ESS-ID ‘XX’. In this case, the procedure changes the ESS-ID set in the personal computer to ‘MM’ to establish an infrastructure-type communication with the printer. This arrangement enables the ESS-ID set in the printer to be changed to the common ESS-ID ‘XX’ for the user wireless LAN without varying the ESS-ID set in the access point. The technique of the invention ensures easy connection of any device without sufficient input interfaces to the wireless LAN.