User Manual

11Mbps Wireless LAN Card User's Manual
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Ethernet The most widely used medium access method, which is defined by the IEEE 802.3 standard.
Ethernet is normally a shared media LAN; i.e., all the devices on the network segment share
total bandwidth. Ethernet networks operate at 10Mbps using CSMA/CD to run over 10BaseT
cables.
Gateway A network component that acts as an entrance to another network.
IEEE 802.11 The IEEE 802.xx is a set of specifications for LANs from the Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers (IEEE). Most wired networks conform to 802.3, the specification for
CSMA/CD-based Ethernet networks or 802.5, the specification for token ring networks. 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. IEEE standards ensure interoperability between systems of the same
type.
Infrastructure A wireless network centered about an Access Point. In this environment, the Access Point not
only provides communication with the wired network but also mediates wireless network
traffic in the immediate neighborhood.
IP Internet Protocol. The standard protocol within TCP/IP that defines the basic unit of
information passed across an Internet connection by breaking down data messages into packets,
routing and transporting the packets over network connections, then reassembling the packets
at their destination. IP corresponds to the network layer in the ISO/OSI model.
IP Address An IP address is a 32-bit number that identifies each sender or receiver of information 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.