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Glossary
Frequently used terms in the wireless technology.
- 802.11b
- Access Point
- Ad-hoc Network
- Bluetooth
- BS, BSS, IBBS, ESS, DS, BBSID, ESSID, SSID
- DHSS
- FHSS
- Hot Spot, Hotspot
- IEEE
- Infrastructure Network
- LAN
- RF
- Wi-Fi/WECA
- WLAN
802.11b
802.11b (also referred to as 802.11 High Rate or
Wi-Fi) -- an extension to 802.11 that applies to wireless LANS and provides
11 Mbps transmission (with a fallback to 5.5, 2 and 1 Mbps) in the 2.4
GHz band. 802.11b uses only DSSS. 802.11b was a 1999 ratification to the
original 802.11 standard, allowing wireless functionality comparable to
Ethernet. .
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Access Point AP
A hardware device that serves as a communications
hub to provide a wireless connection to a wireless-enabled computer. The
range of an AP can be up to 300 feet.
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Ad-hoc Network
An 802.11 networking framework in which devices
or stations communicate directly with each other, without the use of an
access point (AP). Ad-hoc mode is also referred to as peer-to-peer mode.
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Bluetooth
A standard for short-range wireless communication
between computing devices and associated peripherals, including laptop
and mobile computers, PDAs, and mobile phones.
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BS, BSS, IBBS, ESS, DS, BBSID,
ESSID, SSID
BS = Base Station, equal to Access Point
BSS = Basic Service Set, an AP forms an association with one or more wireless
clients
IBSS = Independent Basic Service Set, consists of at least two wireless
stations. This type of network is often referred to an ad hoc network
ESS = Extended Service Set is a set of two or more BSSs that form a single
subnetwork
DS = Distribution System, an element of a wireless system that interconnects
Basic Service Sets via access points to form an Extended Service Set.
BSSID = Basic Service Set ID, is the MAC address of a wireless adapter
or access point
ESSID oder SSID = Electronic System ID oder Service Set Identifier is
a Network Name that identifies a wireless network
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DHSS
DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum) Combines
a data signal at the sending station with a higher data rate bit sequence,
which many refer to as a chip sequence (also known as processing gain).
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FHSS
.Takes the data signal and modulates it with a carrier
signal that hops from frequency to frequency as a function of time over
a wide band of frequencies. For example, a frequency-hopping radio will
hop the carrier frequency over the 2.4 GHz frequency band between 2.4
GHz and 2.483 GHz. A hopping code determines the frequencies it will transmit
and in which order. To properly receive the signal, the receiver must
be set to the same hopping code and “listen” to the incoming
signal at the right time at the correct frequency.
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Hot Spot, Hotspot
Place where you can access the wireless LAN
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IEEE
IInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers,
www.ieee.org. This is a membership
organization that includes engineers, scientists, and students in electronics
and allied fields. The IEEE is best known
for developing standards for the computer and electronics industry. In
particular, the IEEE 802 standards for local-area networks are widely
followed.
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Infrastrucutre Network
A client setting providing connectivity to an AP.
As compared to Ad-Hoc Mode where PCs communicate directly with each other,
wireless-clients configured in Infrastructure Mode all pass data through
a central AP. The AP not only mediates wireless network traffic in the
immediate neighbourhood, but also provides communication with the wired
network. See AD-Hoc and AP.
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LAN
A computer network that spans a relatively small
area. Most LANs are confined to a single building or group of buildings.
However, one LAN can be connected to other LANs over any distance via
telephone lines and radio waves.
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RF
Short for radio frequency, any frequency within
the electromagnetic spectrum associated with radio wave propagation.
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WEP
An optional IEEE 802.11 function that offers frame
transmission privacy similar to a wired network. The Wired Equivalent
Privacy generates secret shared encryption keys that both source and destination
stations can use to alter frame bits to avoid disclosure to eavesdroppers.
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Wi-Fi / WECA
Wi-Fi is short for wireless fidelity and is another
name for IEEE 802.11b. It is a trade term promulgated by the Wireless
Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA).
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WLAN
Acronym for wireless local-area network. A type
of local-area network that uses high-frequency radio waves rather than
wires to communicate between nodes.
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