Linksys WPS11 manual Instant Wireless Series

Instant Wireless™ Series

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.

Spread Spectrum - Spread Spectrum technology is a wideband radio frequen- cy technique developed by the military for use in reliable, secure, mission-crit- ical communications systems. It is designed to trade off bandwidth efficiency for reliability, integrity, and security. In other words, more bandwidth is con- sumed than in the case of narrowband transmission, but the trade off produces a signal that is, in effect, louder and thus easier to detect, provided that the receiver knows the parameters of the spread-spectrum signal being broadcast. If a receiver is not tuned to the right frequency, a spread-spectrum signal looks like background noise. There are two main alternatives, Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) and Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS).

Static IP Address - A permanent IP address that is assigned to a node in an IP or a TCP/IP network.

STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) - Telephone wire that is wrapped in a metal sheath to eliminate external interference.

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 Internet Protocol (Internet Protocol) to send data in the form of message units between computers over the Internet. While IP takes care of handling the actual delivery of the data, TCP takes care of keeping track of the individual units of data (called packet) that a message is divided into for efficient routing through the Internet.

Wireless PrintServer

TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is the basic communication language or protocol of the Internet. It can also be used as a communications protocol in a private network (either an intranet or an extranet). When you are set up with direct access to the Internet, your comput- er is provided with a copy of the TCP/IP program just as every other computer that you may send messages to or get information from also has a copy of TCP/IP.

Upgrade - To replace existing software or firmware with a newer version.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator) - The address that defines the route to a file on the Web or any other Internet facility. URLs are typed into the browser to access Web pages, and URLs are embedded within the pages themselves to pro- vide the hypertext links to other pages.

UTP - Unshielded twisted pair is the most common kind of copper telephone wiring. Twisted pair is the ordinary copper wire that connects home and many business computers to the telephone company. To reduce crosstalk or electro- magnetic induction between pairs of wires, two insulated copper wires are twisted around each other. Each signal on twisted pair requires both wires. Since some telephone sets or desktop locations require multiple connections, twisted pair is sometimes installed in two or more pairs, all within a single cable.

WAN - A communications network that covers a wide geographic area, such as state or country.

Workgroup - Two or more individuals that share files and databases.

47 48