Abbreviated as BSS,
Basic Service Set is a component of the
IEEE 802.11 WLAN architecture. This network architecture is built around a Basic Service Set (BSS), which is actually a set of STAs (the component that connects to the wireless medium such as a network adapter or NIC) that communicate with each other. When one
access points (AP) is connected to wired
network and a set of wireless stations it is referred to as a Basic Service Set (BSS).
Contrast with Extended Service Set (ESS).
See also infrastructure mode.