User's Manual

WLAN USB Dongle User’s Guide
53
7 Glossary
IEEE 802.11 Standard
The IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN standards subcommittee, which is formulating a
standard for the industry.
Access Point
An integrated wireless and wired LAN is called an Access Point configuration. Access
Point is applicable to enterprise scale for wireless access to central database, or
wireless application for mobile workers.
BSSID
A specific Peer-to-Peer LAN is called a Basic Service Set (BSS). Computers in a BSS
must be configured with the same BSSID.
DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol - a method in which IP addresses are assigned
by server dynamically to clients on the network. DHCP is used for Dynamic IP
Addressing and requires a dedicated DHCP server on the network.
Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
This is the method the wireless cards use to transmit data over the frequency
spectrum. The other method is frequency hopping. Direct sequence spreads the data
over one frequency range (channel) while frequency hopping jumps from one narrow
frequency band to another many times per second.
ESSID
An Infrastructure configuration could also support roaming capability for mobile
workers. More than one BSS can be configured as an Extended Service Set (ESS).
Users within an ESS could roam freely between BSSs while served as a continuous
connection to the network wireless stations and Access Points within an ESS must be
configured with the same ESSID and the same radio channel.
Ethernet
Ethernet is a 10/100Mbps network that runs over dedicated home/office wiring. Users
must be wired to the network at all times to gain access.
Gateway
A gateway is a hardware and software device that connects two dissimilar systems,
such as a LAN and a mainframe. In Internet terminology, a gateway is another name