User Manual

20 USB Wireless 802.11 b/g Adaptor
Glossary
Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g Device
20
Terms
Continued
x MAC Address
Media Access Control Address. On an
802.11 network the MAC address is used to
identify each node of the network.
x Network Name
See SSID.
x Network Key
Network password.
x SSID (Service Set Identifier)
The unique identifier attached to the
header of packets sent over a Wireless
Local Area Network (WLAN). The SSID
differentiates Wireless LANs from one
another. For this reason an SSID must be
entered on each wireless device
attempting to connect on the WLAN.
x Station
See Client.
x WEP
Wired Equivalency Protocol. WEP is an
802.11 encryption standard that provides
security for wireless LANs.
x Wireless LAN
A wireless version of Ethernet, the Wireless
Local Area Network enables wireless
internet access through your SoftAP™ or
broadband router.
x Wireless Network
See Wireless LAN.
x WPA
Wi-Fi Protected Access. WPA is an addition
to the security in the 802.11 standard. It is
an enhancement to the original security
implementation for 802.11 devices.
x WPA Personal AES
(Advanced Encryption Standard). See
WPA.
x WPA Personal TKIP
(Temporal Key Integrity Protocol). See
WPA.
Glossary
Terms
x Access Point (AP)
A hardware device (possibly a PC) that
can act as a communication hub for
wireless devices enabling them to connect
to a wired LAN (Local Area Network) or to
one another.
x ASCII (American Standard Code for
Information Interchange)
A code used for encryption that represents
letters with numbers.
x Broadband Router
A device which lets multiple client devices
share a single internet connection (like DSL,
Cable modem or T1). Generally
Broadband Routers offer rudimentary
network address translations and firewall
features.
x Client
A device that acquires networking services
from another device like another PC or
access point.
x DNS Server
Domain Name System / Service / Server is
a service available on the internet that
translates domain names into IP addresses.
x Encryption
The most efficient way to achieve data
security online. Encryption is a method of
coding data. Generally it is necessary to
provide a secret key or password in order
to receive decoded information when
encrypted.
x Gateway
A gate or entrance into a network. The ISP
connecting a home to the internet is
generally the gateway in a residence.
x HEX
A numbering system used in encryption.
HEX is a 16 symbol system consisting of the
numbers 0 – 9 and A – F.
x IP Address
An address that identifies devices on a
TCP/IP network (eg; 192.168.0.2).
x ISP (Internet Service Provider)
A company that provides access to the
internet.