Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP):
An IETF standard that establishes an
authentication protocol for network access. Many authentication methods, including
passwords, certificates, and smart cards, work within this framework.
EAP-TLS:
A type of authentication method using the Extensible Authentication Protocol
(EAP) and a security protocol called the Transport Layer Security (TLS). EAP-TLS uses
certificates which use passwords. EAP-TLS authentication supports dynamic WEP key
management.
EAP-TTLS:
A type of authentication method using the Extensible Authentication Protocol
(EAP) and Tunneled Transport Layer Security (TTLS). EAP-TTLS uses a combination of
certificates and another method, such as passwords. It is more secure than MD5
authentication, which uses passwords, and less secure than EAP-TLS authentication,
which exclusively uses certificates. EAP-TTLS authentication supports dynamic WEP key
management.
Encryption:
Scrambling data so that only the authorized recipient can read it. Usually a
key is needed to decrypt the data.
Extended Service Set IDentifier (ESSID):
A type of unique identifier applied to both the
AP and the wireless PC Card that is attached to each packet. This allows the AP to
recognize each wireless client and its traffic.
F
Firewall:
A firewall is a set of related programs, located at a network gateway server, that
protects the resources of a network from users from other networks.
Frequencies:
Strike a piano key and you generate a tone. Pick up the tone with a
microphone and your tone turns in to a "vibrating" or "cycling" electronic signal. The rate
of vibration depends on the key struck. In electronics we refer to this rate of vibration as
the number of "cycles per second." The formal term for this value is Hertz. As we move
up in rate, such as in the Broadcast Band, we can use Kilohertz (KHz) to represent 1,000
Hz, or Megahertz (MHz) to represent 1,000,000 Hz. Continuing much further upward, we
finally reach 1,000,000,000 Hz, which we can fortunately shorten to a Gigahertz (GHz).
These frequencies are the home of both 802.11a (5 GHz) and 802.11b (2.4 GHz).
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