Primary Response Air Cover Glossary
The following terms and definitions may be useful when reading literature
on wireless technology and Primary Response Air Cover:
| Abbreviation |
Description |
| AP |
Access Point |
| DNS |
Domain Name System (or Service or Server) |
| IEEE |
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers |
| IP |
Internet Protocol |
| LAN |
Local Area Network |
| MAC |
Media Access Control |
| SSID |
Service Set Identifier |
| WEP |
Wired Equivalent Privacy |
| WLAN |
Wireless Local Area Network |
| WPA |
Wi-Fi Protected Access |
| Term |
Description |
| 802.11 |
An IEEE wireless LAN specification for over-the-air
interface between a wireless Client and a base station or between two
wireless Clients.
Examples of 802.11 Standards
| 802.11
Spec |
Release
Date |
Op
Frequency |
Data
Rate (typ) |
Data
Rate (max) |
Range
(Indoor) |
| A |
1999 |
5 GHz |
25 Mbit/s |
54 Mbit/s |
~30 meters
(~100 feet) |
| B |
1999 |
2.4 GHz |
6.5 Mbit/s |
11 Mbit/s |
~30 meters
(~100 feet) |
| G |
2003 |
2.4 GHz |
25 Mbit/s |
54 Mbit/s |
~30 meters
(~100 feet) |
| N |
2008 |
2.4 or 5.0 GHz |
200 Mbit/s |
540 Mbit/s |
~50 meters
(~160 feet) |
|
| Access Point |
Access Point also referred to, as an AP is a
station* that provides distribution services. It is the hub used by wireless
Clients for communicating with each other and connecting to the WLAN.
* A station is the component that connects to the wireless medium |
| Ad hoc Network |
A network formed by peer-to-peer connections
between wireless Clients. It is difficult to enforce tight security policy
controls on ad hoc connections. Therefore, ad hoc connections create
security vulnerability. |
| Client |
A laptop, a handheld device, or any other system
that uses the wireless medium (802.11 standard) for communication. |
| DNS |
Domain Name Service, an Internet service that
translates domain names into IP addresses. |
| IP Address |
Internet Protocol Address, a 32-bit numeric identifier
for a computer or a device on the network. |
| MAC Address |
Media Access Control Address, a unique 6-byte
(48 bit) address burnt into the network adapter by the manufacturer and
is often transparent to a user; a networked device has a MAC address
corresponding to each network interface. |
| Security Settings |
An IEEE 802.11 defined MAC–level privacy mechanism
that protects the contents of data frames from eavesdropping using encryption. |
| SSID |
A unique token identifying an 802.11 WLAN; all
wireless devices on a WLAN must employ the same SSID to communicate with
each other. |
| WEP |
Wired Equivalent Privacy, an IEEE 802.11 defined
MAC–level privacy mechanism that protects the contents of data frames
from eavesdropping using encryption. |
| WLAN |
Wireless Local Area Network that uses high frequency
radio waves, rather than wires to communicate between nodes. |
| WPA |
Wi-Fi Protected Access offers a higher level
of security than WEP and implements a majority of the 802.11i standard. |
|
