Instant Wireless® Series
Server - Any computer whose function in a network is to provide user access to files, printing, communications, and other services.
Software - Instructions for the computer. A series of instructions that performs a particular task is called a "program." The two major categories of software are "system software" and "application software." System software is made up of control programs such as the operating system and database management sys- tem (DBMS). Application software is any program that processes data for the user.
A common misconception is that software is data. It is not. Software tells the hardware how to process the data.
SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) - Market segment of professionals who work at home or in small offices.
Spread Spectrum - Spread Spectrum technology is a wideband radio frequen- cy technique developed by the military for use in reliable, secure,
SSID (Service Set IDentifier) - A unique name shared among all points in a wireless network. The SSID must be identical for each point in the wireless net- work and is
Storage - The
Subnet Mask - The method used for splitting IP networks into a series of sub- groups, or subnets. The mask is a binary pattern that is matched up with the IP address to turn part of the host ID address field into a field for subnets.
Switch - 1. A data switch connects computing devices to host computers, allowing a large number of devices to share a limited number of ports. 2. A device for making, breaking, or changing the connections in an electrical cir- cuit.
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) - A method (protocol) used along with the IP (Internet Protocol) to send data in the form of message units (datagram) between network devices over a LAN or WAN. While IP takes care of handling the actual delivery of the data (routing), TCP takes care of keeping track of the individual units of data (called packets) that a message is divided into for effi- cient delivery over the network. TCP is known as a "connection oriented" pro- tocol due to requiring the receiver of a packet to return an acknowledgment of receipt to the sender of the packet resulting in transmission control.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) - The basic com- munication language or set of protocols for communications over a network (developed specifically for the Internet). TCP/IP defines a suite or group of protocols and not only TCP and IP.
Throughput - The amount of data moved successfully from one place to another in a given time period.
Topology - A network's topology is a logical characterization of how the devices on the network are connected and the distances between them. The most common network devices include hubs, switches, routers, and gateways. Most large networks contain several levels of interconnection, the most impor- tant of which include edge connections, backbone connections, and
WAN (Wide Area Network)- A communications network that covers a rela- tively large geographic area, consisting of two or more LANs. Broadband com- munication over the WAN is often through public networks such as the tele- phone (DSL) or cable systems, or through leased lines or satellites. In its most basic definition, the Internet could be considered a WAN.
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) - A data privacy mechanism based on a 64- bit or
WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) - A group of computers and associat- ed devices that communicate with each other wirelessly.
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