User's Manual
GL-1
Cisco IOS Software Configuration Guide for Cisco Aironet Access Points
OL-11350-01
GLOSSARY
802.11
The IEEE standard that specifies carrier sense media access control and physical 
layer specifications for 1- and 2-megabit-per-second (Mbps) wireless LANs 
operating in the 2.4-GHz band.
802.11a
The IEEE standard that specifies carrier sense media access control and physical 
layer specifications for wireless LANs operating in the 5-GHz frequency band.
802.11b
The IEEE standard that specifies carrier sense media access control and physical 
layer specifications for 5.5- and 11-Mbps wireless LANs operating in the 
2.4-GHz frequency band.
802.11g
The IEEE standard that specifies carrier sense media across control and physical 
layer specifications for 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54 Mbps LANs operating in 
the 2.4-GHz frequency band.
802.3af
The IEEE standard that specifies a mechanism for Power over Ethernet (PoE). 
The standard provides the capability to deliver both power and data over 
standard Ethernet cabling.
A
access point
A wireless LAN data transceiver that uses radio waves to connect a wired 
network with wireless stations.
ad hoc network
A wireless network composed of stations without Access Points.
antenna gain
The gain of an antenna is a measure of the antenna’s ability to direct or focus 
radio energy over a region of space. High gain antennas have a more focused 
radiation pattern in a specific direction.
associated
A station is configured properly to allow it to wirelessly communicate with an 
Access Point.
B
backoff time
The random length of time that a station waits before sending a packet on the 
LAN. Backoff time is a multiple of slot time, so a decrease in slot time ultimately 
decreases the backoff time, which increases throughput.










