C I S C O C O N F I D E N T I A L - D r a f t A 1
Glossary
GL-4
Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Point Hardware Installation Guide
OL-8247-02
I
IEEE
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. A professional society serving
electrical engineers through its publications, conferences, and standards
development activities. The body responsible for the Ethernet 802.3 and wireless
LAN 802.11 specifications.
infrastructure
The wired Ethernet network.
IP Address
The Internet Protocol (IP) address of a station.
IP subnet mask
The number used to identify the IP subnetwork, indicating whether the IP
address can be recognized on the LAN or if it must be reached through a
gateway. This number is expressed in a form similar to an IP address; for
example: 255.255.255.0.
isotropic
An antenna that radiates its signal in a spherical pattern.
M
MAC
Media Access Control address. A unique 48-bit number used in Ethernet data
packets to identify an Ethernet device, such as an access point or your client
adapter.
MBSSID
Multiple basic SSID. Each multiple basic SSID is assigned a unique MAC
address. You use multiple BSSIDs to assign a unique DTIM setting for each
SSID and to broadcast SSIDs in beacons (one SSID per beacon).
modulation
Any of several techniques for combining user information with a transmitter’s
carrier signal.
multipath
The echoes created as a radio signal bounces off of physical objects.
multicast packet
A single data message (packet) sent to multiple addresses.
O
omni-directional
This typically refers to a primarily circular antenna radiation pattern.
OFDM
Orthogonal frequency division multiplex is a
modulation technique used by IEEE
802.11a-compliant wireless LANs for transmission at 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48,
and 54 Mbps.
P
packet
A basic message unit for communication across a network. A packet usually includes routing
information, data, and sometimes error detection information.