Linksys NWR04B manual Network Everywhere Series

Network Everywhere® Series

Firmware - Code that is written onto read-only memory (ROM) or program- mable read-only memory (PROM). Once firmware has been written onto the ROM or PROM, it is retained even when the device is turned off.

Fragmentation - Breaking a packet into smaller units when transmitting over a network medium that cannot support the original size of the packet.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) - A protocol used to transfer files over a TCP/IP network (Internet, UNIX, etc.). For example, after developing the HTML pages for a website on a local machine, they are typically uploaded to the Web serv- er using FTP.

FTP includes functions to log onto the network, list directories, and copy files. It can also convert between the ASCII and EBCDIC character codes. FTP oper- ations can be performed by typing commands at a command prompt or via an FTP utility running under a graphical interface such as Windows. FTP transfers can also be initiated from within a Web browser by entering the URL preceded with ftp://.

Unlike e-mail programs in which graphics and program files have to be “attached,” FTP is designed to handle binary files directly and does not add the overhead of encoding and decoding the data.

Full Duplex - The ability of a device or line to transmit data simultaneously in both directions.

Gateway – A device that interconnects networks with different, incompatible communications protocols.

Half Duplex - Data transmission that can occur in two directions over a single line, but only one direction at a time.

Hardware - Hardware is the physical aspect of computers, telecommunica- tions, and other information technology devices. The term arose as a way to dis- tinguish the “box” and the electronic circuitry and components of a computer from the program you put in it to make it do things. The program came to be known as the software.

HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol) - The communications protocol used to connect to servers on the World Wide Web. Its primary function is to estab- lish a connection with a Web server and transmit HTML pages to the client browser.

IEEE - The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The IEEE describes itself as “the world's largest technical professional society—promot-

Wireless Cable/DSL Router

ing the development and application of electrotechnology and allied sciences for the benefit of humanity, the advancement of the profession, and the well- being of our members.”

The IEEE fosters the development of standards that often become national and international standards. The organization publishes a number of journals, has many local chapters, and has several large societies in special areas, such as the IEEE Computer Society.

IP Address - In the most widely installed level of the Internet Protocol (IP) today, an IP address is a 32-binary digit number that identifies each sender or receiver of information that is sent in packets across the Internet. When you request an HTML page or send e-mail, the Internet Protocol part of TCP/IP includes your IP address in the message (actually, in each of the packets if more than one is required) and sends it to the IP address that is obtained by looking up the domain name in the Uniform Resource Locator you requested or in the e-mail address you're sending a note to. At the other end, the recipient can see the IP address of the Web page requestor or the e-mail sender and can respond by sending another message using the IP address it received.

IPCONFIG - A utility that provides for querying, defining and managing IP addresses within a network. A commonly used utility, under Windows NT and 2000, for configuring networks with static IP addresses.

IPSec (Internet Protocol Security) - IPSec is a developing standard for securi- ty at the network or packet processing layer of network communication. A big advantage of IPSec is that security arrangements can be handled without requiring changes to individual user computers.

ISP - An ISP (Internet service provider) is a company that provides individuals and companies access to the Internet and other related services such as website building and virtual hosting.

LAN - A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line and typically share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building).

Latency - The time delay between when the first bit of a packet is received and the last bit is forwarded.

MAC Address - The MAC (Media Access Control) address is a unique num- ber assigned by the manufacturer to any Ethernet networking device, such as a network adapter, that allows the network to identify it at the hardware level.

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