Configuring access points and bridges to treat a workgroup bridge as a client device allows more workgroup bridges to associate to the same access point, or to associate using an SSID that is not an infrastructure SSID. The performance cost of reliable multicast deliveryduplication of each multicast packet sent to each workgroup bridge limits the number of infrastructure devices, including workgroup bridges, that can associate to an access point or bridge. To increase beyond 20 the number of workgroup bridges that can associate to the access point, the access point must reduce the delivery reliability of multicast packets to workgroup bridges. With reduced reliability, the access point cannot confirm whether multicast packets reach the intended workgroup bridge, so workgroup bridges at the edge of the access point's coverage area might lose IP connectivity.

When you treat workgroup bridges as client devices, you increase performance but reduce reliability. You use the no infrastructure client configuration interface command to configure access points and bridges to treat workgroup bridges as simple client devices. This is the default setting.