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Glossary

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A

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802.11a: An IEEE wireless networking standard that specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 54Mbps and an operating frequency of 5GHz.
802.11b: An IEEE wireless networking standard that specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 11Mbps and an operating frequency of 2.4GHz.
802.11g: An IEEE wireless networking standard that specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 54Mbps, an operating frequency of 2.4GHz, and backward compatibility with 802.11b devices.

A

Access Point: Device that allows wireless-equipped computers and other devices to communicate with a wired network. Also used to expand the range of a wireless network.
Adapter: This is a device that adds network functionality to your PC.
Ad-hoc: A group of wireless devices communicating directly with each other (peer-to-peer) without the use of an access point.

B

Backbone: The part of a network that connects most of the systems and networks together, and handles the most data.
Bandwidth: The transmission capacity of a given device or network.
Beacon Interval: The frequency interval of the beacon, which is a packet broadcast by a router to synchronize a wireless network.
Bit: A binary digit.
Boot: To start a device and cause it to start executing instructions.
Bridge: A device that connects two different kinds of local networks, such as a wireless network to a wired Ethernet network.
Broadband: An always-on, fast Internet connection.
Browser: A browser is an application program that provides a way to look at and interact with all the information on the World Wide Web.
Buffer: A block of memory that temporarily holds data to be worked on later when a device is currently too busy to accept the data.

C

Cable Modem: A device that connects a computer to the cable television network, which in turn connects to the Internet.
CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance): A method of data transfer that is used to prevent data loss in a network.
CTS (Clear To Send): A signal sent by a device to indicate that it is ready to receive data.

D

Daisy Chain: A method used to connect devices in a series, one after the other.
Database: A collection of data that is organized so that its contents can easily be accessed, managed, and updated.
DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name System): The capability of having a website, FTP, or e-mail server-with a dynamic IP address-use a fixed domain name.
Default Gateway: A device that forwards Internet traffic from your local area network.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol): A protocol that lets one device on a local network, known as a DHCP server, assign temporary IP addresses to the other network devices, typically computers.
DMZ (Demilitarized Zone): Removes the Router's firewall protection from one PC, allowing it to be "seen" from the Internet.
DNS (Domain Name Server): The IP address of your ISP's server, which translates the names of websites into IP addresses.
Domain: A specific name for a network of computers.
Download: To receive a file transmitted over a network.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line): An always-on broadband connection over traditional phone lines.
DSSS (Direct-Sequence Spread-Spectrum): A type of radio transmission technology that includes a redundant bit pattern to lessen the probability of data lost during transmission. Used in 802.11b networking.
DTIM (Delivery Traffic Indication Message): A message included in data packets that can increase wireless efficiency.
Dynamic IP Address: A temporary IP address assigned by a DHCP server.

E

Encryption: Encoding data to prevent it from being read by unauthorized people.
Ethernet: An IEEE standard network protocol that specifies how data is placed on and retrieved from a common transmission medium.

F

Finger: A program that tells you the name associated with an e-mail address.
Firewall: Security measures that protect the resources of a local network from intruders.
Firmware: 1. In network devices, the programming that runs the device. 2. Programming loaded into read-only memory (ROM) or programmable read-only memory (PROM) that cannot be altered by end-users.
Fragmentation: Breaking a packet into smaller units when transmitting over a network medium that cannot support the original size of the packet.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol): A standard protocol for sending files between computers over a TCP/IP network and the Internet.
Full Duplex: The ability of a networking device to receive and transmit data simultaneously.

G

Gateway: A system that interconnects networks.

H

Half Duplex: Data transmission that can occur in two directions over a single line, but only one direction at a time.
Hardware: The physical aspect of computers, telecommunications, and other information technology devices.
HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol): The communications protocol used to connect to servers on the World Wide Web.

I

IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers): An independent institute that develops networking standards.
Infrastructure: Currently installed computing and networking equipment.
Infrastructure Mode: Configuration in which a wireless network is bridged to a wired network via an access point.
IP (Internet Protocol): A protocol used to send data over a network.
IP Address: The address used to identify a computer or device on a network.
IPCONFIG: A Windows 2000 and XP utility that displays the IP address for a particular networking device.
IPSec (Internet Protocol Security): A VPN protocol used to implement secure exchange of packets at the IP layer.
ISM Band: Radio band used in wireless networking transmissions.
ISP (Internet Service Provider): A company that provides access to the Internet.

L

LAN (Local Area Network): The computers and networking products that make up the network in your home or office.

M

MAC (Media Access Control) Address: The unique address that a manufacturer assigns to each networking device.
Mbps (Megabits Per Second): One million bits per second; a unit of measurement for data transmission.
Multicasting: Sending data to a group of destinations at once.

N

NAT (Network Address Translation): NAT technology translates IP addresses of a local area network to a different IP address for the Internet.
Network: A series of computers or devices connected for the purpose of data sharing, storage, and/or transmission between users.
NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol): The protocol used to connect to Usenet groups on the Internet.
Node: A network junction or connection point, typically a computer or work station.

O

OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing): A type of modulation technology that separates the data stream into a number of lower-speed data streams, which are then transmitted in parallel. Used in 802.11a, 802.11g, and powerline networking.

P

Packet: A unit of data sent over a network.
Passphrase: Used much like a password, a passphrase simplifies the WEP encryption process by automatically generating the WEP encryption keys for Linksys products.
Ping (Packet INternet Groper): An Internet utility used to determine whether a particular IP address is online.
POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3): A standard protocol used to retrieve e-mail stored on a mail server.
Port: 1. The connection point on a computer or networking device used for plugging in a cable or an adapter. 2. The virtual connection point through which a computer uses a specific application on a server.
PPPoE (Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet): A type of broadband connection that provides authentication (username and password) in addition to data transport.
PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol): A VPN protocol that allows the Point to Point Protocol (PPP) to be tunneled through an IP network. This protocol is also used as a type of broadband connection in Europe.
Preamble: Part of the wireless signal that synchronizes network traffic.

R

RJ-45 (Registered Jack-45): An Ethernet connector that holds up to eight wires.
Roaming: The ability to take a wireless device from one access point's range to another without losing the connection.
Router: A networking device that connects multiple networks together, such as a local network and the Internet.
RTS (Request To Send): A packet sent when a computer has data to transmit. The computer will wait for a CTS (Clear To Send) message before sending data.

S

Server: Any computer whose function in a network is to provide user access to files, printing, communications, and other services.
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol): The standard e-mail protocol on the Internet.
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol): A widely used network monitoring and control protocol.
Software: Instructions for the computer. A series of instructions that performs a particular task is called a "program".
Spread Spectrum: Wideband radio frequency technique used for more reliable and secure data transmission.
SSID (Service Set IDentifier): Your wireless network's name.
Static IP Address: A fixed address assigned to a computer or device that is connected to a network.
Static Routing: Forwarding data in a network via a fixed path.
Subnet Mask: An address code that determines the size of the network.
Switch: 1. Device that is the central point of connection for computers and other devices in a network, so data can be shared at full transmission speeds. 2. A device for making, breaking, or changing the connections in an electrical circuit.

T

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol): A network protocol for transmitting data that requires acknowledgement from the recipient of data sent.
Telnet: A user command and TCP/IP protocol used for accessing remote PCs.
TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol): A version of the TCP/IP FTP protocol that uses UDP and has no directory or password capability.
Throughput: The amount of data moved successfully from one node to another in a given time period.
Topology: The physical layout of a network.
TX Rate: Transmission Rate.

U

UDP (User Datagram Protocol): A network protocol for transmitting data that does not require acknowledgement from the recipient of the data that is sent.
Upgrade: To replace existing software or firmware with a newer version.
Upload: To transmit a file over a network.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator): The address of a file located on the Internet.

V

VPN (Virtual Private Network): A security measure to protect data as it leaves one network and goes to another over the Internet.

W

WAN (Wide Area Network): The Internet.
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy): A method of encrypting data transmitted on a wireless network for greater security.
WINIPCFG: A Windows 98 and Millennium utility that displays the IP address for a particular networking device.
WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network): A group of computers and associated devices that communicate with each other wirelessly.