Nomadix AG 5500, User Manual, Page: 320 / 338

AG 5500
308 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 .
carrier frequency
A frequency in a communications channel modulated to carry analog or digital signal information. For example, an FM
radio transmitter modulates the frequency of a carrier signal and the receiver processes the carrier signal to extract the
analog information. An AM radio transmitter modulates the amplitude of a carrier signal.
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