Local area network having a wireless transmission link

A local area network station (12) includes a transceiver (20) adapted to transmit and receive signals over a wireless communications link. The transceiver (20) is coupled to a CSMA/CD LAN controller device (22) and to a signal generator circuit (40) which is also coupled to the LAN controller device (22). If the station (12) desires to transmit a data frame but a carrier sense signal (CRS) indicates that the link is busy, transmission of the data frame is deferred, and after the carrier sense signal (CRS) becomes inactive, a collision is simulated by the signal generator circuit (40) providing a CDT signal to the LAN controller device (22) which goes into a backoff mode and attempts to retransmit the frame after a random backoff time. Thus, commercially available CSMA/CD chips can be utilized in a single wireless channel LAN environment using a CSMA/CA protocol, with a low risk of collisions.