Cisco Systems OL-7426-03 quick start Bios

Applet

An application or utility program that is designed to do a very specific and limited task.

Application Software

A computer program that is designed to do a general task. For example, word processing, payroll, Internet browsers and graphic design programs would all be considered applications.

Association

The process used by a client to connect to an Access Point.

Authentication

The process used to confirm a client’s identity before communication is allowed with other devices connected to the Access Point.

Backbone

The central part of a large network that links two or more subnetworks and is the primary path for data transmission for a large business or corporation. A network can have a wired backbone or a wireless backbone.

Bandwidth

The amount of transmission capacity that is available on a network at any point in time. Available bandwidth depends on several variables such as the rate of data transmission speed between networked devices, network overhead, number of clients, and the type of device used to connect PCs to a network. It is similar to a pipeline in that capacity is determined by size: the wider the pipe, the more water can flow through it; the more bandwidth a network provides, the more data can flow through it. Standard 802.11b provides a bandwidth of 11 Mbps; Standards 802.11a and 802.11g provide a bandwidth of 54 Mbps. These are the raw capabilities of the network. Many things conspire to reduce these values, including protocol overhead, collisions, and implementation inefficiencies.

BIOS

Basic Input/Output System.

Bits per Second (bps)

A measure of data transmission speed over communication lines based on the number of bits that can be sent or received per second. Bits per second-bps-is often confused with bytes per second-Bps. 8 bits make a byte, so if a wireless network is operating at a bandwidth of 11 megabits per second (11 Mbps), it is sending data at 1.375 megabytes per second (1.375 Mbps).

Blacklist

Obsolete reference to the Exclusion List.

Bluetooth Wireless

A technology specification for linking portable computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones for short-range transmission of voice and data across a global radio frequency band without the need for cables or wires. Bluetooth is a frequency-hopping technology in the 2.4 GHz frequency spectrum, with a range of 30 feet.

Bootloader

An operating system module (ppcboot) that loads software entities in a defined order to create a func- tional operating system.

5/26/05	Glossary
OL-7426-03