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Glossary
For unfamiliar terms used below, look for entries elsewhere in the glossary.
AD-HOC (IBSS)
Ad-hoc mode does not require an AP or a wired network. Network that transmits
wireless from computer to computer without the use of a base station (access point).
Two or more wireless stations communicate directly to each other. An ad-hoc network
may sometimes be referred to as an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS).
CHANNEL
A radio frequency used by a wireless device is called a channel.
EAP AUTHENTICATION
EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) is an authentication protocol that runs on top of
the IEEE802.1X transport mechanism in order to support multiple types of user
authentication. By using EAP to interact with an EAP-compatible RADIUS server, an
access point helps a wireless station and a RADIUS server perform authentication.
ENCRYPTION
The reversible transformation of data from the original to a difficult-to-interpret format.
Encryption is a mechanism for protecting confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of data.
It uses an encryption algorithm and one or more encryption keys.
FRAGMENTATION THRESHOLD
This is the maximum data fragment size that can be sent before the packet is fragmented
into smaller packets.
IEEE 802.1X
The IEEE 802.1X standard outlines enhanced security methods for both the authentication
of wireless stations and encryption key management. Authentication can be done using an
external RADIUS server.
INFRASTRUCTURE (BSS)
When a number of wireless stations are connected using a single AP, you have a Basic
Service Set (BSS).
