Typically, wireless networks include a base station that generally couples a wired network with a wireless network and mobile station that uses the wireless network. Often these two devices are in direct communication. Occasionally, intermediate devices relay data and various communications between the base station and the mobile station. For example, the mobile station and the base stations may be physically too far away from each other to communicate. In such an instance, a typically relay station physically sits in between the base and mobile stations. The relay station may be physically close enough for communication with the mobile station, and physically close enough for communication with the base station. Therefore, the, base station may send data to the relay station which then forwards the data to the mobile station, and vice versa. Using one or more relay stations, a wireless network may be physically extended.
An illustrative analogy may be a baseball game in which the outfielder cannot physically throw the ball to the catcher, but can physically throw it to the second baseman. The second baseman may then throw the ball to the catcher. In this analogy the second baseman may act as the relay station between the outfielder (mobile station) and the catcher (base station). The ball may represent the data or other communication.