Glossary - Buffalo WLA-G54C User Manual

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Specifi cations

Glossary

10BaseT or 100BaseTx: 802.3 based Ethernet network
that uses UTP (Unshielded twisted pair) cable and a star
topology. 10 is 10 Mbps and 100 is 100 Mbps.
802.1x: The standard for wireless LAN authentication
used between an AP and a client. 802.1x with EAP will
initiate key handling.
Ad-Hoc Network: The wireless network based on a
peer-to-peer communications session. Also referred to
as AdHoc.
Bandwidth: The transmission capacity of a computer or
a communication channel, stated in Megabits per second
(Mbps).
BSS (Basic Service Set): An 802.11 networking frame-
work that includes an Access Point.
Client: A PC or workstation on a network.
Cross-Over Wiring: A UTP cable that has its transmit and
receive pair crossed to allow communications between
two devices.
DCE (Data Communications Equipment): Hardware
used for communication with a Data Terminal Equipment
(DTE) device.
Default Gateway: The IP Address of either the nearest
router or server for the LAN.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Confi guration Protocol): Based
on BOOTP, it uses a pool of IP addresses, which it assigns
to each device connected to it, and retrieves the address
when the device becomes dormant for a period of time.
DNS (Domain Name System): System used to map read-
able machine names into IP addresses
Driver: Software that interfaces a computer with a spe-
cifi c hardware device.
DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum): Method of
spreading a wireless signal into wide frequency band-
width.
DTE (Data Terminal Equipment): Device that controls
data fl owing to and from a computer.
Dynamic IP Address: An IP address that is automatically
assigned to a client station in a TCP/IP network, typically
by a DHCP server.
ESS (Extended Service Set): A set of two or more BSSs
that form a single sub-network. ESS-ID is user identifi ca-
tion used in the ESS LAN confi guration.
Ethernet: The most widely used architecture for Local
Area Networks (LANs). It is a shared-media network
architecture. The IEEE 802.3 standard details its function-
ality.
Ethernet cable: A wire similar to telephone cable that
carries signals between Ethernet devices.
Firmware: Programming inserted into programmable
read-only memory, thus becoming a permanent part of a
computing device.
Frame: A fi xed block of data, transmitted as a single entity.
Also referred to as packet.
Full-Duplex: To transmit on the same channel in both
directions simultaneously.
Gbps (Giga Bits per second): One billion bits per second.
Half-duplex: To transmit on the same channel in both
directions, one direction at a time.
Hub: A device which allows connection of computers
and other devices to form a LAN.
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers):
The professional organization which promotes develop-
ment of electronics technology.
IP (Internet Protocol) Address: A unique 32-binary-digit
number that identifi es each sender or receiver of infor-
mation sent in packets.
Infrastructure: A wireless network or other small net-
work in which the wireless network devices are made a
part of the network through the Access Point.
ISP (Internet Service Provider): A company that provides
access to the Internet and other related services.
IV (Initialization Vector): The header section of a message
packet.
LAN (Local Area Network): A group of computers and
peripheral devices connected to share resources.
LED (Light Emitting Diode): The lights on a hardware
device representing the activity through the ports.
MAC (Medium Access Control) Address: A unique num-
ber that distinguishes network cards.
Mbps (Mega Bits Per Second): A measurement of millions
of bits per second.
MDI/X (Media Dependent Interface/Cross-over): Port
on a network hub or switch that crosses the incoming
transmit lines with the outgoing receive lines.
MHz (MegaHertz): One million cycles per second.
MIB II: A database containing performance information
and statistics on each device in a network.
NAT (Network Address Translation): An internet stan-
dard that enables a LAN to use one set of IP addresses
for internal traffi c and a second set for external traffi c.