twisted around each other. Each signal on twisted pair requires both wires.
Since some telephone sets or desktop locations require multiple connections,
twisted pair is sometimes installed in two or more pairs, all within a single
cable.
VPN (Virtual Private Network) - A technique that allows two or more LANs to
be extended over public communication channels by creating private commu-
nication subchannels (tunnels). Effectively, these LANs can use a WAN as a
single large "virtually private" LAN. This removes the need to use leased lines
for WAN communications through secure use of a publicly available WAN
(such as the Internet). Examples of VPN technology are: PPTP (Point to Point
Tunneling Protocol), L2TP (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol), and IPSec (Internet
Protocol Security).
WAN (Wide Area Network)- A communications network that covers a rela-
tively large geographic area, consisting of two or more LANs. Broadband
communication over the WAN is often through public networks such as the
telephone (DSL) or cable systems, or through leased lines or satellites. In its
most basic definition, the Internet could be considered a WAN.
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) - A data privacy mechanism based on a 64-
bit or 128-bit shared key algorithm, as described in the IEEE 802.11 standard.
WINIPCFG - Configuration utility based on the Win32 API for querying,
defining and managing IP addresses within a network. A commonly used util-
ity for configuring networks with static IP addresses.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) - The basic com-
munication language or set of protocols for communications over a network
(developed specifically for the Internet). TCP/IP defines a suite or group of
protocols and not only TCP and IP.
Telnet - A terminal emulation protocol commonly used on the Internet and
TCP/IP-based networks. It allows a user at a terminal or computer to log onto
a remote device and run a program.
TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) - A version of the TCP/IP FTP protocol
that has no directory or password capability.
Throughput - The amount of data moved successfully from one place to
another in a given time period.
TX Rate - Transmission Rate.
UDP (User Datagram Protocol) - A method (protocol) used along with the IP
(Internet Protocol) to send data in the form of message units (datagram)
between network devices over a LAN or WAN. While IP takes care of handling
the actual delivery of the data (routing), UDP takes care of keeping track of the
individual units of data (called packets) that a message is divided into for effi-
cient delivery over the network. UDP is known as a "connection-less" protocol
due to NOT requiring the receiver of a packet to return an acknowledgment of
receipt to the sender of the packet (as opposed to TCP).
Upgrade - To replace existing software or firmware with a newer version.
Upload - To transmit a file over a network. In a communications session,
upload means transmit, download means receive.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) - The address that defines the route to a file
on the Web or any other Internet facility. URLs are typed into the browser to
access Web pages, and URLs are embedded within the pages themselves to pro-
vide the hypertext links to other pages.
UTP - Unshielded twisted pair is the most common kind of copper telephone
wiring. Twisted pair is the ordinary copper wire that connects home and many
business computers to the telephone company. To reduce crosstalk or electro-
magnetic induction between pairs of wires, two insulated copper wires are
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Wireless Access Point Router with 4-Port Switch
Instant Wireless
TM
Series
