NetComm NP6800 - Manual (Page 37)

Rev.1 - YML655 www.netcomm.com.au
NP6800 - Wireless LAN Access Point Page 37
Glossary
A
Ad-Hoc Mode - A client setting that provides
independent peer to peer connectivity in a
wireless LAN. An alterative setup is where
PCs communicate with each other through an
access point.
B
Bandwidth - The transmission capacity of a
given facility, in terms of how much data the
facility can transmit in a fixed amount of time;
expressed in bits per second (bps).
Bit - A binary digit. The value - 0 or 1-used in
the binary numbering system. Also, the
smallest form of data.
D
Default Gateway - The routing device used
to forward all traffic that is not addressed to a
station within the local subnet.
DHCP server and client - DHCP stands for
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. This
protocol is designed to automatically load
parameters for the TCP/IP network, including
the IP address, host name, domain name,
netmask, default gateway, and name server
address. The machine that provides this
service is called the DHCP server, and its
client computers are called DHCP clients. If
client computers support DHCP, a TCP/IP
configuration is not needed on each client
computer.
Domain - A subnetwork comprised of a
group of clients and servers under the control
of one security database. Dividing LANs into
domains improves performance and security.
Driver - A workstation or server software
module that provides an interface between a
network interface card and the upper-layer
protocol software running in the computer; it
is designed for a specific NIC, and is installed
during the initial installation of a network-
compatible client or server operating system.
DSSS (Direct-Sequencing Spread-Spectrum) -
DSSS operate over the radio airwaves in the
unlicensed ISM band (industrial, scientific,
medical). DSSS uses a radio transmitter to
spread data packets over a fixed range of
frequency band.
E
Encryption - A security method that applies a
specific algorithm to data in order to alter the
data's appearance and prevent other devices
from reading the information.
Ethernet - The most widely used LAN
access method which is defined by the IEEE
802.3 standard. Ethernet is normally a shared
media LAN meaning all devices on the
network segment share total bandwidth.
Ethernet networks operate at 10Mbp using
CSMA/CD to run over 10Base T cables.
F
Fragmentation Threshold Value -
Indicates how much of the network
resources is devoted to recovering packet
errors. The value should remain at its default
setting of 2,432. If you experience high packet
error rates, you can decrease this value but it
will likely decrease overall network
performance. Only minor modifications of this
value are recommended.
Fragmentation - Breaking a packet into
smaller units when transmitting over a
network medium that cannot support the
original size of the packet.
I
IP Address - An IP address is a 32-bit
number that identifies each sender & receiver
of information that is sent across the Internet.
An IP address has two parts: the identifier of
a particular network on the Internet and one
identifier of a particular device (which can be
a server or a workstation within that
network).
L
LAN - A local area network (LAN) is 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).
M
MAC Address - 12-digit hexadecimal
number that identifies a networking product
on the network.
Mbps (Megabits per second) - One million
bits per second; unit of measurement for data
transmission.