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Appendix E: Glossary
Wireless-G Access Point
Appendix E: Glossary
802.11b
- A wireless networking standard that specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 11Mbps and an
operating frequency of 2.4GHz.
802.11g
- A wireless networking standard that specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 54Mbps, an operating
frequency of 2.4GHz, and backward compatibility with 802.11b devices.
Access Point
- A device that allows wireless-equipped computers and other devices to communicate with a
wired network. Also used to expand the range of a wireless network.
Adapter
- A device that adds network functionality to your PC.
Ad-hoc
- A group of wireless devices communicating directly with each other (peer-to-peer) without the use of
an access point.
AES
(
A
dvanced
E
ncryption
S
tandard) - A security method that uses symmetric 128-bit block data encryption.
Backbone
- The part of a network that connects most of the systems and networks together, and handles the
most data.
Bandwidth
- The transmission capacity of a given device or network.
Beacon Interval
- Data transmitted on your wireless network that keeps the network synchronized.
Bit
- A binary digit.
Boot
- To start a device and cause it to start executing instructions.
Bridge
- A device that connects different networks.
Broadband
- An always-on, fast Internet connection.
Browser
- An application program that provides a way to look at and interact with all the information on the
World Wide Web.
Buffer
- A shared or assigned memory area that is used to support and coordinate different computing and
networking activities so one isn't held up by the other.
Byte
- A unit of data that is usually eight bits long
