• Access Point
A hardware device that serves as a communications hub to provide a wireless connection to a wireless-enabled computer. The range of an AP can be up to 1000 feet.
• Bandwidth
Specifies the amount of the frequency spectrum that is usable for data transfer. It identifies the maximum data rate that a signal can attain on the medium without encountering significant loss of power, and specifies the amount of the frequency spectrum that is usable for data transfer.
• Baud Rate
The rate at which data is transferred.
• Bits per second (bps)
A measurement of how fast data moves over a communication line. A bit is the basic measure of data.
• Broadband
A high-speed, high-capacity transmissions channel. Broadband channels are carried on coaxial or fiber-optic cables that have a wider bandwidth than conventional telephone lines, giving them the ability to carry video, voice, and data simultaneously. Broadband is often used to send different types of signals simultaneously.
• Client
Any computer connected to a network that requests services (files, print capability) from another member of the network. 'Client' also refers to the software that makes this connection possible.
• Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
A Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is a connection type that uses the existing 2-wire copper telephone wiring to allow for a simultaneous, constant Internet connection and standard telephone service. DSL comes in various forms that allow for speeds ranging from 32 Kbps upwards of 25 Mbps.
• Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)
A wireless LAN technology, Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) uses a radio transmitter to spread data packets over a fixed range of the frequency band, spreading its signal continuously over a wide frequency band.
• Dial Up
A dial-up connection is a connection from a computer to a server over standard telephone lines, establishing a direct connection to the Internet.
• Driver
A driver is a program that controls a device; it acts as a translator between the device and programs that use the device.
• Ethernet
The most widely used LAN access method, which is defined by the IEEE 802.3 standard. Ethernet is normally a shared media LAN meaning that all devices on the network segment share total bandwidth.
• Gigahertz (GHz)
One billion hertz. A Hertz is the international unit for measuring frequency, equivalent to the older unit of cycles per second. The standard U.S. electrical power frequency is 60 Hz and wireless 802.11 LANs operate at 2.4 GHz.
• Host
A computer connected directly to the Internet that provides services to other local and/or remote computers. It functions as the beginning and end of data transfers. A host is also a computer to which an expansion device attaches. When a LAN card is installed in a PC, that PC is the host to that adapter.
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
A membership organization based in New York that includes engineers, scientists, and students in electronics and allied fields. It has more than 300,000 members and is involved with setting standards for computers and communications. www.ieee.org
• IEEE 802.11
IEEE 802.xx is a set of specifications for LANs from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). 802.11 defines the standard for wireless LANs encompassing three incompatible (non-interoperable) technologies: Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS), Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS), and Infrared.
• Internet
A global network of computer networks, evolved from the ARPANET that use TCP/IP to communicate and share information. Often, the Internet refers to a group of Local Area Networks (LAN) connected by wire, radio, satellite signals or some other form of communication.
• Internet Protocol (IP)
A method or protocol by which data is sent from one computer to another on a network or over the Internet. IP provides the basis of the Internet.
• IP Address
A 32-bit number that identifies each sender or receiver of information that is sent across the Internet. An IP address has two parts: the identifier of a particular network on the Internet and an identifier of the particular device (which can be a server or a workstation) within that network.
• Internet Service Provider (ISP)
An organization that provides access to the Internet. Small ISPs provide service via modem and ISDN while the larger ones also offer private line hookups (T1, fractional T1, etc.). Kilobytes per second (Kbps) It is 1,000 bits per second, a measure of the speed in which data can be transmitted from one device to another.
• Local Area Network (LAN)
A high-speed, privately owned computer network covering a limited geographical area, such as an office or a building. The benefits include the sharing of Internet access, files, and equipment such as printers and storage devices. Wireless LANs use wireless communications in a home or office to network all PCs together.
• Local Service Area
Much like a 'home calling area', a customer can get unlimited access in all locations within a specific local area.
• Megabyte
A megabyte (MB) is a standard measure of data size. A megabyte is equal to 1024 kilobytes (KB).
• Modem
A device used to connect a computer to a phone line, which converts signals between a digital form and an analog form.
• Network
Two or more computers connected together in order to share resources.
• Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card
A credit-card sized device that was originally designed as a platform for add-on memory for portable computers, but later expanded to include a wide range of peripherals including pagers and radio modems.
• Radio Frequency (RF)
A generic term for radio-based technology. The international unit for measuring radio frequency is Hertz (Hz), which is equivalent to the older unit of cycles per second.
• Range
A linear measure of the distance that a transmitter can send a signal.
• Roaming
Moving seamlessly from one AP coverage area to another with no loss in connectivity.
• Server
The computer or software that holds information and responds to requests for services from other computers known as clients.
• Service Set Identifier (SSID)
A common identifier that all computers on the same wireless LAN share.
• Spread Spectrum
A radio transmission technology that "spreads" the user information over a much wider bandwidth than otherwise required in order to gain benefits such as improved interference tolerance and unlicensed operation.
• T1
A telephone company's high-speed, leased-line connection for data traffic.
• Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
A protocol used with the Internet Protocol (IP) to send data in the form of individual units called packets between computers over the Internet. While IP takes care of handling the actual delivery of the data, TCP keeps track of the packets that a message is divided into for efficient routing through the Internet.
• Wide Area Network (WAN)
A wide area network connects local area networks together. Typical WAN interfaces include plain old telephone system (POTS) lines, digital subscriber lines (DSL), cable, T1/T3, and ISDN.
• WECA
The Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance. WECA's mission is to certify interoperability of Wi-Fi 802.11 products and to promote Wi-Fi as the global wireless LAN standard across all market segments. www.wi-fi.org
• Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
A flexible data communication system implemented as an extension to or as an alternative for a wired LAN within a building or campus. Using electromagnetic waves, WLANs transmit and receive data over the air, minimizing the need for wired connections.
• WISP
Wireless Internet Service Provider. Like a traditional Internet Service Provider (ISP), a WISP provides access to the Internet to its customers for a fee. A WISP provides a wireless connection and provides faster speeds than a dial-up connection.
• Value Added Reseller (VAR)
A VAR is a company that resells products and services with extra components added (for example, a laptop) that help compliment both parties.
• Virtual Private Network (VPN)
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a non-public connection between two computers that sends private corporate data over a shared or public network such as the Internet. VPNs can also be used to give subscribers, clients and consultants access to corporate resources with security features that can include encryption, authentication and tunneling.