Nomadix AG 5000, User Manual, Page: 266 / 286

AG 5000
262 Glossary of Terms
ACK
(ACKnowledgment) If all the transmitted data is present and correct, the receiving device sends an ACK
signal, which acts as a request for the next data packet.
Adaptive Configuration Technology
A Nomadix, Inc. patented technology that enables Dynamic Address Translation. See also, DAT .
ad-hoc mode
An 802.11x 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, or an
Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS). Ad-hoc mode is useful for establishing a network where wireless
infrastructure does not exist or where services are not required.
ADSL
(Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line) A method for moving data at high speed over regular phone lines.
AP
(Access Point) A hardware device or a computer's software that acts as a communication hub for users of a
wireless device to connect to a wired LAN. APs are important for providing heightened wireless security
and for extending the physical range of service a wireless user has access to.
ARP
(Address Resolution Protocol) Used to dynamically bind a high level IP address to a low level physical
hardware address. ARP is limited to a single physical network that supports hardware broadcasting.
ATM
(Asynchronous Transfer Mode) A network technology based on transferring data in “cells” or packets of a
fixed size (53 bytes each). The cell used with ATM is relatively small compared to units used with older
technologies. The small, constant cell size allows ATM equipment to transmit video, audio, and computer
data over the same network, and assures that no single type of data monopolizes the line. ATM can offer
multi-gigabit bandwidth. See also,
Bandwidth and Packet .
Bandwidth
The maximum speed at which data can be transmitted between computers across a network, usually
measured in bits per second (bps). If you think of the communication path as a water pipe, the bandwidth
represents the width of the pipe which consequently determines how many gallons of water can flow
through it at any given time. See also,
Broadband .
Beacon Interval
The frequency interval of the beacon, which is a packet broadcast by a router to synchronize a wireless
network.
Broadband
A high speed data transmission medium capable of supporting a wide range of varying frequencies.
Broadband can carry multiple signals at fast rates of speed by dividing the total capacity of the medium into
multiple, independent bandwidth channels, where each channel operates only on a specific range of
frequencies. See also,
Bandwidth .
BSS
(Basic Service Set) See infrastructure mode .
ag5000_userguide.book Page 262 Friday, March 4, 2005 3:05 PM