Glossary
Ad-hoc: Devices in an ad-hoc wireless network communicate directly (“peer to peer”), without a wireless access point.
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard): An encryption standard developed for use by the American government. AES has been praised for combining strong encryption with rapid processing.
Auto IP (APIPA—Automatic Private IP Addressing): Allows devices in a network to automatically assign themselves unique IP addresses if no DHCP server is found on the network. Auto IP uses addresses from 169.254.1.0 to 169.254.254.255 and a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. These addresses are neither global nor private but are reserved for Auto IP.
BSS-ID (Basic Service Set ID): All wireless devices on an ad-hoc wireless network share the same BSS-ID. The BSS-ID may be up to thirty-two characters long and is case sensitive. See also Ad-hoc.
Channel: When multiple wireless LANs with different ESS-IDs are operating on a single frequency within a given area, transmission speeds will drop. Specifying a separate channel (frequency) for each network can prevent interference and increase transmission speeds (note that all devices in the same network must be set to the same channel). In the IEEE 802.11b/g standard, the 2.4 GHz band is divided into 14 channels, each separated by 4 MHz.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Server: Each device in a TCP/IP network requires an IP address. If a DHCP server is present on the network, IP addresses will be assigned automatically.
DNS (Domain Name Server): A server that contains a database of IP addresses and host names for the machines it administers and that converts host names to IP addresses in response to queries from clients. Each DNS can also query other Domain Name Servers for addresses not listed in its database.
ESS-ID (Extended Service Set ID): Multiple BSSs can be confi gured to form an ESS, allowing users to roam between wireless access points. Only devices with the same ESS-ID as a given access point can communicate with that access point. The ESS-ID may be up to thirty-two characters long and is case sensitive.
Ethernet: The name given to the IEEE 802.3 LAN standard. Devices in an Ethernet network are connected via UTP cables for transmission speeds of up to 10 Mbps (10 base-T) or 100 Mbps (100 base-TX).
Gateway: A network node that acts as an entrance to another network, for example between a company network and the Internet.
IIS (Internet Information Services): Microsoft’s name for its Web server software. Notable for its close connection to Windows-based systems through Active Server Pages (ASPs). When installed as part of the operating system, IIS makes it relatively easy to build web a server.
