VIEWSONIC Wireless Media Gateway WMG80 - Manual (Page 86)

ViewSonic Wireless Media Gateway 80
also be a switch. But they are all involved in making sure data is
transferred from one location to another.
A bridge connects devices that all use the same kind of protocol. A
Gateway can connect networks that use differing protocols. It also
reads the addresses included in the packets and routes them to the
appropriate computer station, working with any other Gateway in
the network to choose the best path to send the packets on. A
wireless hub or access point adds a few capabilities such as
roaming and provides a network connection to a variety of clients,
but it does not allocate bandwidth. A switch is a hub that has extra
intelligence: It can read the address of a packet and send it to the
appropriate computer station. A wireless gateway is an access
point that provides additional capabilities such as NAT routing,
DHCP, firewalls, security, etc.
Ad-Hoc mode. A client setting that provides independent peer-to-
peer connectivity in a wireless LAN. An alternative set-up is one
where PCs communicate with each other through an AP.
Applet. An application or utility program that is designed to do a
very specific and limited task.
Backbone. The central part of a large network that links two or
more subnetworks and is the primary path for data transmission for
a large business or corporation. A network can have a wired
backbone or a wireless backbone.