User’s Manual for the NETGEAR Double 108 Mbps Wireless PC Card 32-bit CardBus WG511U
MAC address
The Media Access Control address is a unique 48-bit hardware address assigned to every network interface card. Usually written in the form 01:23:45:67:89:ab.
Mbps
Megabits per second.
NetBIOS
The Network Basic Input Output System is an application programming interface (API) for sharing services and information on local-area networks (LANs). Provides for communication between stations of a network where each station is given a name. These names are alphanumeric names, up to 16 characters in length.
Network Address Translation
NAT. A technique by which several hosts share a single IP address for access to the Internet.
NIC
Network Interface Card. An adapter in a computer which provides connectivity to a network.
packet
A block of information sent over a network. A packet typically contains a source and destination network address, some protocol and length information, a block of data, and a checksum.
PEAP
Protected EAP (PEAP) are Internet Drafts that have been proposed to simplify 802.1X deployment. PEAP requires certificate-based RADIUS server authentication, but supports an extensible set of user authentication methods. Organizations that have not yet issued certificates to every station and don't want to just for 802.1X can use Windows logins and passwords instead. RADIUS servers that support EAP-TTLS and PEAP can check LAN access requests with Windows Domain Controllers, Active Directories, and other existing user databases. From a sniffing perspective, these options are just as strong as EAP-TLS. However, user passwords are still more likely to be guessed, shared, or disclosed through social engineering than client-side certificates.
RADIUS
Short for Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service, RADIUS is an authentication system. Using RADIUS, you must enter your user name and password before gaining access to a network. This information is passed to a RADIUS server, which checks that the information is correct, and then authorizes access. Though not an official standard, the RADIUS specification is maintained by a working group of the IETF.
router
A device that forwards data between networks. An IP router forwards data based on IP source and destination addresses.
