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Instant Wireless® Series

IPX (Internetwork Packet EXchange) - A NetWare communications protocol used to route messages from one node to another. IPX packets include network addresses and can be routed from one network to another.

ISM band - The FCC and their counterparts outside of the U.S. have set aside bandwidth for unlicensed use in the ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) band. Spectrum in the vicinity of 2.4 GHz, in particular, is being made avail- able worldwide. This presents a truly revolutionary opportunity to place con- venient high-speed wireless capabilities in the hands of users around the globe.

ISP (Internet Service Provider) - A company that provides individuals and companies access to the Internet and other related services such as Web site building and virtual hosting.

LAN (Local Area Network) - 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).

Layer 2 - Data Link layer in the International Standards Organization (ISO) 7- Layer Data Communications Protocol, also known as the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model. This is a standard model to consult when designing network protocols. Layer 2 is directly related to the hardware interface for net- work devices and passes traffic based on MAC addresses.

MAC (Media Access Control) Address - A unique number 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.

Mbps (Megabits per second) - One million bits per second; unit of measure- ment for data transmission.

MD5 - A type of one-way authentication method that uses passwords. MD5 authentication is not as secure as the EAP-TLS or EAP/TTLS authentication methods. MD5 authentication does not support dynamic WEP key manage- ment.

MDI (Medium Dependent Interface) - On a network hub or switch, a MDI port, also known as an uplink port, connects to another hub or switch using a straight-through cable. To connect a MDI port to a computer, use a crossover cable.

Dual-Band Wireless A+G Broadband Router

MDIX (Medium Dependent Interface Crossed) - On a network hub or switch, a MDIX port connects to a computer using a straight-through cable. To connect a MDIX port to another hub or switch, use a crossover cable.

mIRC - mIRC runs under Windows and provides a graphical interface for log- ging onto IRC servers and listing, joining and leaving channels.

Multicasting - Sending data to a group of nodes instead of a single destination.

NAT (Network Address Translation) - The translation of an Internet Protocol address (IP address) used within one network to a different IP address known within another network. One network is designated the inside network and the other is the outside.

Network - A system that transmits any combination of voice, video and/or data between users.

NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol) - The protocol used to connect to Usenet groups on the Internet. Usenet newsreaders support the NNTP protocol.

Node - A network junction or connection point, typically a computer or work station.

Notebook (PC) - A notebook computer is a battery-powered personal comput- er generally smaller than a briefcase that can easily be transported and conve- niently used in temporary spaces such as on airplanes, in libraries, temporary offices, and at meetings. A notebook computer, sometimes called a laptop com- puter, typically weighs less than five pounds and is three inches or less in thick- ness.

OFDM - Developed for wireless applications, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technology offers superior performance-increased data rates and more reliable transmissions-than previous technologies, such as DSSS. OFDM is a scheme in which numerous signals of different frequencies are combined to form a single signal for transmission on the medium.

OFDM works by breaking one high-speed data stream into a number of lower- speed data streams, which are then transmitted in parallel. Each lower speed stream is used to modulate a subcarrier. Essentially, this creates a multi-carrier transmission by dividing a wide frequency band or channel into a number of narrower frequency bands or sub-channels. OFDM is also used for other appli- cations, including powerline networking.

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