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Appendix
Glossary
For unfamiliar terms used below, look for entries elsewhere in the glossary.
AD-HOC (IBSS)
Ad-hoc mode does not require an AP or a wired network. A network that transmits wireless
from computer to computer without the use of a base station (access point).
Two or more wireless stations communicate directly to each other. An ad-hoc network
may sometimes be referred to as an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS).
CHANNEL
A radio frequency used by a wireless device is called a channel.
EAP AUTHENTICATION
EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) is an authentication protocol that runs on top of
the IEEE802.1X transport mechanism in order to support multiple types of user
authentication. By using EAP to interact with an EAP-compatible RADIUS server, an
access point helps a wireless station and a RADIUS server perform authentication.
ENCRYPTION
The reversible transformation of data from the original to a difficult-to-interpret format.
Encryption is a mechanism for protecting confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of data.
It uses an encryption algorithm and one or more encryption keys.
FRAGMENTATION THRESHOLD
This is the maximum data fragment size that can be sent before the packet is fragmented
into smaller packets.
IEEE 802.1X
The IEEE 802.1X standard outlines enhanced security methods for both the authentication
of wireless stations and encryption key management. Authentication can be done using an
external RADIUS server.
INFRASTRUCTURE (BSS)
When a number of wireless stations are connected using a single AP, you have a Basic
Service Set (BSS).
ROAMING
In an infrastructure network, wireless stations are able to switch from one BSS to another
as they move between the coverage areas. During this period, the wireless stations
maintain uninterrupted connection to the network. This is roaming. As the wireless station
moves from place to place, it is responsible for choosing the most appropriate AP
depending on the signal strength, network utilization among other factors.
SSID
The SSID (Service Set Identity) is a unique name shared among all wireless devices in a
wireless network. Wireless devices must have the same SSID to communicate with each
other.
TEMPORAL KEY INTEGRITY PROTOCOL (TKIP)
Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) uses 128-bit keys that are dynamically generated and
distributed by the authentication server.
USER AUTHENTICATION
WPA applies IEEE 802.1X and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) to authenticate
wireless clients using an external RADIUS database. If you do not have an external RADIUS
server, use WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK (WPA -Pre-Shared Key) that only requires a single
(identical) password entered into each access point, wireless gateway and wireless client. As
long as the passwords match, clients will be granted access to a WLAN.
WEP
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encryption scrambles all data packets transmitted between
the WCB-321A and the AP or other wireless stations to keep network communications pri-
vate. Both the wireless stations and the access points must use the same WEP key for data
encryption and decryption.
