NetComm Wireless Network Device NP643 - Manual (Page 5)

NP643 IEEE 802.11g PC Card Adapter 5
YML786 Rev1
Wireless Terminology
Wireless Standards
802.11, 802.11b and 802.11g all refer to a series of standards which govern a common
method of creating wireless local area networks (WLANs).
802.11b and 11g are the most common WLAN types, with 11g being the later and faster
of the two standards with a maximum transmission rate of 54Mbps.
The NP643 is faster again as it is built around a processor which ‘turbo-charges’
transmission rates up to 108Mbps.
802.11g is ‘backward compatible’ with 802.11b, which means that the two standards are
able to communicate, albeit at the lower 11Mbps rate of the 11b standard.
The NP643 can communicate with both kinds of device at their maximum rate, and with
other ‘turbo-charged’ devices at the much higher rate of 108Mbps.
Wireless Security Terms
The Advanced Features of the NP643 include the ability to select from several types of
Wireless Security.
WEP
WEP stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy. Introduced with
802.11b, WEP uses encryption to protect data confidentiality
by way of pre-shared keys (passwords or pass-phrases) that are
entered at both ends. Superseded by WPA and 802.11i but still in
use.