User's Guide

hwc_glossary.fm
Glossary
Networking terms and abbreviations
9034530-02,
March 2010
HiPath Wireless Controller, Access Points and Convergence Software V7.11, User Guide 477
push-to-talk (PTT) The push-to-talk (PTT) is feature on wireless telephones that allows them to operate like a
walkie-talkie in a group, instead of standard telephone operation. The PTT feature requires
that the network be configured to allow multicast traffic.
A PTT call is initiated by selecting a channel and pressing the ‘talk’ key on the wireless
telephone. All wireless telephones on the same network that are monitoring the channel will
hear the transmission. On a PTT call you hold the button to talk and release it to listen.
QoS Quality of Service. A term for a number of techniques that intelligently match the needs of
specific applications to the network resources available, using such technologies as Frame
Relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Ethernet and 802.1 networks, SONET, and
IP-routed networks. QoS features provide better network service by supporting dedicated
bandwidth, improving loss characteristics, avoiding and managing network congestion,
shaping network traffic, setting traffic priorities across the network.
Quality-of-Service (QoS): A set of service requirements to be met by the network while
transporting a flow. (RFC2386)
RADIUS Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service. An authentication and accounting system that
checks User Name and Password and authorizes access to a network. The RADIUS
specification is maintained by a working group of the IETF (RFC2865 RADIUS, RFC2866
RADIUS Accounting, RFC2868 RADIUS Attributes for Tunnel Protocol Support).
RF Radio Frequency, a frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum associated with radio wave
propagation. When an RF current is supplied to an antenna, an electromagnetic field is
created that can propagate through space. These frequencies in the electromagnetic
spectrum range from Ultra-low frequency (ULF) -- 0-3 Hz to Extremely high frequency (EHF)
-- 30GHz - 300 GHz. The middle ranges are: Low frequency (LF) -- 30 kHz - 300 kHz, Medium
frequency (MF) -- 300 kHz - 3 MHz, High frequency (HF) -- 3MHz - 30 MHz, Very high
frequency (VHF) -- 30 MHz - 300 MHz, Ultra-high frequency (UHF)-- 300MHz - 3 GHz.
RFC Request for Comments, a series of notes about the Internet, submitted to the Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF) and designated by an RFC number, that may evolve into an
Internet standard. The RFCs are catalogued and maintained on the IETF RFC website:
www.ietf.org/rfc.html.
Roaming In 802.11, roaming occurs when a wireless device (a station) moves from one Access Point
to another (or BSS to another) in the same Extended Service Set (ESS) -identified by its SSID.
RP-SMA Reverse Polarity-Subminiature version A, a type of connector used with wireless antennas
RSN Robust Security Network. A new standard within IEEE 802.11 to provide security and privacy
mechanisms. The RSN (and related TSN) both specify IEEE 802.1x authentication with
Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP).
RSSI RSSI received signal strength indication (in 802.11 standard)
RTS / CTS RTS request to send, CTS clear to send (in 802.11 standard)
Segment In Ethernet networks, a section of a network that is bounded by bridges, routers or switches.
Dividing a LAN segment into multiple smaller segments is one of the most common ways of
increasing available bandwidth on the LAN.
Term Explanation