LINKSYS WRE54GV2 Users Manual

Appendix A: Glossary

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.

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.

Bandwidth - The transmission capacity of a given device or network. Bit - A binary digit.

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.

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.

Domain - A specific name for a network of computers.

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.

Dynamic IP Address - A temporary IP address assigned by a DHCP server. 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.

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.

Gateway - A system that interconnects networks.

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.

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

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. Network - A series of computers or devices connected for the purpose of data sharing, storage, and/or transmission between users.

Node - A network junction or connection point, typically a computer or work station.

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.

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.

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. Software - Instructions for the computer. A series of instructions that performs a particular task is called a "program".

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. Topology - The physical layout of a network.

Upgrade - To replace existing software or firmware with a newer version.