5.3 Glossary
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Access Point
An internetworking device that seamlessly connects wired and wireless networks.
Access points combined with a distributed system support the creation of multiple
radio cells that enable roaming throughout a facility. In Macintosh terms, Access
Point is also referred to as Base Station.
Ad-hoc
An ad-hock network is a local area network or other small network, such as
wireless, in which some of the network devices are part of the network only for
the duration of a communications session. In the case of mobile and portable
devices, they can be a part of the network when in close proximity to the rest of
the network.
BSS ID
(Basic Service Set)
BSS
Basic Service Se
t. A set of stations controlled by a single
coordination function.
Cable Modem
A device that connects your PC to a local TV line and receives data at 1.5Mpbs.
One of its connections is connected to your PC and the other one is to the cable
wall outlet. It attaches a standard 10BASE-T Ethernet card to a computer and
modulates between digital and analog signals.
Cell
The radio coverage area for a wireless device to communicate with an access
point. The size of the cell can depend on the antenna, the speed of transmission,
and the physical area.
Channel
Each channel refers to a different frequency level allowing for multiple
communication paths through one device, much the same way a radio operates.
ESSID
(Extended Service Set)
One of three IEEE 802.11 basic topology schemes. ESS WLAN configurations
consist of multiple BSS cells that can be linked by either wired or wireless
backbones. IEEE 802.11 supports ESS configurations in which multiple cells use
the same channel, and configurations in which multiple cells use different
channels to boost aggregate throughput. Apple prefers to call the ESSID a
ESSID.
Dynamic IP address
A dynamic IP address is an IP address that is given out automatically from a
DHCP Server to client computers or routers on a LAN or WAN.
Gateway
An entrance to a network. It associates with both router and switch whereas the
router gives direction as data arrives at the gateway and the switch, on the other
hand, furnishes its actual path in and out of the gateway.
