User's Manual

Ethernet
A networking standard using cables (Category 5) to create a network.
Network Adapter - Also known as a NIC (Network Interface Card). Used to provide PC’ s or laptops with an
Ethernet port or wireless access to the network.
Broadband Modem - A device that allows broadband connection to the internet. Broadband connections include
speeds faster than 56k (dial up modem speed). The two most common types of Broadband connections are DSL
and Cable. Cable modem relies on the bandwidth of cable television lines while DSL modems rely on the
telephone lines operating at DSL speeds.
Router - A device used to share internet access from one user to multiple users. By taking one IP address
(Addresses used by ISP’ s to assign broadband services to your computer) the Router distributes the services of
your broadband access among multiple users and IP’ s.
Wireless
Wireless Device – Any WiFi device (802.11b/g) that communicates wirelessly using the IEEE802.11 wireless
standard. These devices can range from wireless access points to wireless routers to wireless PCI client cards.
IEEE 802.11 – Wireless Network Specifications
• 802.11 -- applies to wireless LANs (Networks) and provides 1 or 2 Mbps transmission in the 2.4 GHz band
using either frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) or direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS).
• 802.11b (also referred to as 802.11 High Rate or Wi-Fi) -- an extension to 802.11 that applies to wireless
LANs and provides 11 Mbps transmission (with a fallback to 5.5, 2 and 1 Mbps) in the 2.4 GHz band.
802.11b uses only DSSS. 802.11b was a 1999 ratification to the original 802.11 standard, allowing
wireless functionality comparable to Ethernet.
• 802.11g -- applies to wireless LANs and provides 54 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band. Backwards compatible
with IEEE 802.11b products.
Hi-Gain WiFi Antenna
High powered antenna to increase the distance of your WiFi device.
dBi (decibel) - A unit of measurement used to determine the gain level of wireless antennas.
mW (MilliWatt) - A unit of measurement used to determine the power level of wireless devices.