User guide

154 Appendix B: Glossary
AirMagnet Laptop Analyzer User Guide
A parameter in the configuration of Real-Time FFT, Spectrum Density, and Channel Power
graphs. By default, it is -120 dBm, but the user can set it to any value as long as it less than the
Peak Power but equal to or greater than -140 dBm. See Peak Power.
Mixed
A option in the Band drop-down list menu, if selected, allows the application to display data
captured across all 802.11 radio spectrums and channels. See also 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz Lower, 5 GHz
Middle, and 5 GHz Upper.
Modulated Interference
Interference from a device (to a channel) caused by modulated spectrum (i.e., within the device’s
operating channel width).
Multicast
The process of sending a single message to multiple destinations simultaneously. It is a one-
to-many transmission similar to broadcasting, except that multicasting means transmission to
specific groups, whereas broadcasting implies sending to everybody. Multicasting can save
considerable bandwidth when sending large volumes of data because the bulk of the data is
transmitted once from the source through major backbones and are multiplied, or distributed
out, at switching points closer to the recipients. In a unicast system, the data is replicated
entirely to each recipient. Compare unicast.
Noise
In wireless networking, any radio signal that does not convey useful data. See Noise Floor.
Noise Floor
Refers to the natural interference in a wireless network environment.
Open
A variable in the Security column of the WiFi Devices graph. It means that the application
determines that no security mechanism is used on a certain device based on packets
transmitted from that device.
Peak Power
A setting used in the configuration of Real-Time FFT, Spectrum Density, and Channel Power
graphs. By default, the Real Power is -20 dBm, but the user can change it to any value greater
than the Minimum Power but equal to or l
Phone
Refers to VoFi (Voice over Wi-Fi) phones.
RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator)
A measurement of power (in dBm) in the radio signal received in a Wi-Fi environment. See
Signal Strength.
Service Set Identifier (SSID)
A unique name that identifies a wireless network or a network subset. It is used by every
device connected to the network or that part of the network to identify itself as part of the
family when accessing the network or verifying the origin of a data packet it is transmitting.