User's Manual

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802.11b
International standard for wireless networking that operates
in the 2.4 GHz frequency range (2.4 GHz to 2.4835 GHz) and
provides a throughput of up to 11 Mbps. This is a very commonly
used frequency. Microwave ovens, cordless phones, medical and
scientific equipment, as well as Bluetooth devices, all work within
the 2.4 GHz frequency band.
802.11g
Similar to 802.11b, but this standard provides a throughput of
up to 54 Mbps. It also operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band
but uses a different radio technology in order to boost overall
bandwidth.
Access point
A wireless LAN transceiver or “base station” that can connect a
wired LAN to one or many wireless devices. Access points can
also bridge to each other.
There are various types of access points and base stations
used in both wireless and wired networks. These include bridges,
hubs, switches, routers and gateways. The differences between
them are not always precise, because certain capabilities associ-
ated with one can also be added to another. For example, a
router can do bridging, and a hub may also be a switch. But
they are all involved in making sure data is transferred from one
location to another.
A bridge connects devices that all use the same kind of protocol.
A router can connect networks that use differing protocols. It
also reads the addresses included in the packets and routes
them to the appropriate computer station, working with any other
routers in the network to choose the best path to send the pack-
ets on. A wireless hub or access point adds a few capabilities