User's Manual

Glossary
Installation and User Guide: NMS Pro 323
Hypertext Transfer Protocol over SSL (HTTPS)
A variant of HTTP that uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption to secure data transmissions.
HTTPS uses port 443, while HTTP uses port 80.
Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS)
A set of clients communicating with each other or with a network via an access point.
Internet Protocol (IP)
The network layer protocol for routing packets through the Internet.
IP address
32-bit number, usually presented as a period-separated (dotted decimal) list of three-digit numbers,
which identifies an entity on the Internet according to the Internet Protocol standard.
local area network (LAN)
A group of computers, servers, printers, and other devices connected to one another, with the
ability to share data between them.
management information bases (MIBs)
A database of objects that can be monitored by a network management system. Both SNMP and
RMON use standardized MIB formats that allows any SNMP and RMON tools to monitor any
device defined by a MIB.
maskbits
Number of bits in the subnet prefix for an IP address, (provides the same information as subnet
mask). Each triplet of digits in an IP address consists of 8 bits. To specify the subnet in maskbits,
count the number of bits in the prefix. To specify using a subnet mask, indicate the masked bits as
an IP address. Example: subnet mask 255.255.255.0 is equivalent to 24 maskbits, which is the total
number of bits in the 255.255.255 prefix.
Media Access Control (MAC) address
A unique hardware-based equipment identifier, set during device manufacture. The MAC address
uniquely identifies each node of a network. Access points can be configured with MAC access
lists, allowing only certain specific devices to connect with the LAN through them, or to allow
certain MAC-identified network cards or devices access only to certain resources.
MAC address authentication
Method of authenticating clients by using the MAC address of the client station rather than a user
ID.
Network Address Translation (NAT)
The translation of one IP address used within a network to another address used elsewhere. One
frequent use of NAT is the translation of IPs used inside a company, versus the IP addresses visible
to the outside world. This feature helps increase network security to a small degree, because when
the address is translated, it is an opportunity to authenticate the request and/or to match it to
known, authorized types of requests. NAT is also used sometimes to map multiple nodes to a
single outwardly visible IP address.
Network Interface Card (NIC)
Generic term for network interface hardware that includes wired and wireless LAN adapter cards,
PC Cardbus PCMCIA cards, and USB-to-LAN adapters.
network management system (NMS)
Software application that controls a network of multiple access points and clients.