LAN Local area network. A system of connecting PCs and other devices within the same physical proximity for sharing resources such as an Internet connections, printers, files, and drives. When Wi-Fi is used to connect the devices, the system is known as a wireless LAN or WLAN. See WAN.
MAC address Media Access Control address. A unique hardware number that identifies each device on a network. A device can be a computer, printer, and so on. A MAC address is also known as an AirPort ID.
Mbps Megabits per second. A measurement of data speed equivalent to a million bits per second.
MIMO Multiple-input multiple-output. An advanced signal processing technology that uses multiple receivers and multiple transmitters in both the client and access point to achieve data throughput speeds of 100 Mbps. See 802.11n.
NAT Network Address Translation. A network capability that enables multiple computers to dynamically share a single incoming IP address from a dial-up, cable, or DSL connection. NAT takes a single incoming public IP address and translates it to a new private IP address for each client on the network. See DHCP, IP address.
network name A name used to identify a wireless network. See SSID.
NIC Network interface card. A wireless or wired PC adapter card that allows the client computer to utilize network resources. Most office-wired NICs operate at 100 Mbps. Wireless NICs operate at data rates defined by 802.11 standards.
packet A unit of information transmitted from one device to another on a network. A packet typically contains a header with addressing information, data, and a checksum mechanism to ensure data integrity.
pass phrase A series of characters used to create a key that is used by Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). See PSK, WPA.
print server A network device, often a computer, that connects to at least one printer, allowing it to be shared among computers on a network.
PSK Pre-shared key. A mechanism in Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)-Personal that allows the use of manually entered keys or passwords to initiate WPA security. The PSK is entered on the access point or home wireless gateway and each PC that is on the Wi-Fi network. After entering the password, Wi-Fi Protected Access automatically takes over. It keeps out eavesdroppers and other unauthorized users by requiring all devices to have the matching password. The password also initiates the encryption process which, in WPA is Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) and in WPA2 is Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). See TKIP, WPA-Personal, WPA2-Personal.
