Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome
Thank you for choosing the
How does the Router do all of this? A router is a device that allows access to an Internet connection over a network. With the
But what does all of this mean?
Networks are useful tools for sharing Internet access and computer resources. Multiple computers can share Internet access, so you don’t need more than one
PCs on a wired network create a LAN, or Local Area Network. They are connected with Ethernet cables, which is why the network is called “wired”.
PCs equipped with wireless cards or adapters can communicate without cumbersome cables. By sharing the same wireless settings, within their transmission radius, they form a wireless network, which is sometimes called a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). The Router bridges wireless networks of both 802.11b and 802.11g standards and wired networks, allowing them to communicate with each other.
To create your network, install and set up the Router. To guide you through the process, Linksys strongly recommends that you run the Setup Wizard on the Setup
NOTE: If you want to sign up for Internet phone service or activate your account, visit http://www.att.com/linksys after you have installed and configured the Router. Refer to “Chapter 6: Signing up for AT&T CallVantagesm Service” for more information.
Chapter 1: Introduction
mbps: one million bits per second; a unit of measurement for data transmission
nat (network address translation): NAT technology translated IP addresses of a local area network to a different IP address for the Internet
wpa
browser: an application program that provides a way to look at and interact with all the information on the World Wide Web
lan (local area network): the computers and networking products that make up the network in your home or office
ethernet: an IEEE standard network protocol that specifies how data is placed on and retrieved from a common transmission medium
802.11b: an IEEE wireless networking standard that specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 11Mbps and an operating frequency of 2.4GHz
802.11g: an IEEE wireless networking standard that specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 54Mbps, an operating frequency of 2.4GHz, and backward compatibility with 802.11b devices
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Welcome