MeshLinx MWI-5000 User Guide
MESHLINX CONFIDENTIAL
9
gateway then forwards the packet directly to the computer whose address is
specified.
ISP:
An ISP (Internet Service Provider) is an entity that provides individuals and
companies access to the Internet and other related services such as Web site
building and hosting. An ISP has the equipment and the telecommunication line
access required to have a Point-of-Presence (PoP) on the Internet for the geographic
area served.
LAN:
A Local Area Network (LAN) is a group of computers and associated
devices that share a common communications line and typically share the resources
of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within
an office building). Usually, the server has applications and data storage that are
shared in common by multiple computer users. A local area network may serve as
few as two or three users (for example, in a home network) or as many as
thousands of users (for example, in an FDDI network).
MAC:
Medium Access Control. In a WLAN network card, the MAC is the radio
controller protocol. It corresponds to the ISO Network Model's level 2 Data Link
layer. The IEEE 802.11 standard specifies the MAC protocol for medium sharing,
packet formatting and addressing, and error detection.
OFDM:
Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is a method of
digital modulation in which a signal is split into several narrowband channels at
different frequencies. The technology was first conceived in the 1960s and 1970s
during research into minimizing interference among channels near each other in
frequency.
In some respects, OFDM is similar to conventional frequency-division
multiplexing (FDM). The difference lies in the way in which the signals are
modulated and demodulated. Priority is given to minimizing the interference, or
crosstalk, among the channels and symbols comprising the data stream. Less
importance is placed on perfecting individual channels.
RADIUS:
Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) is a
client/server protocol and software that enables remote access servers to
communicate with a central server to authenticate dial-in (or other temporarily
connected) users and authorize their access to the requested system or service.
RADIUS allows a company to maintain user profiles in a central database that all
remote servers can share. It provides better security, allowing a company to set up a
policy that can be applied at a single administered network point. Having a central
service also means that it's easier to track usage for billing and for keeping network
statistics.
Router:
On the Internet, a router is a device or, in some cases, software in a
computer, that determines the next network point to which a packet should be
forwarded toward its destination. The router is connected to at least two networks
and decides which way to send each information packet based on its current
understanding of the state of the networks it is connected to. A router is located at