What is BSS ID?
A specific Ad hoc LAN is called a Basic Service Set (BSS). Computers in a BSS must be configured with the
same BSS ID.
What is WEP?
WEP is Wired Equivalent Privacy, a data privacy mechanism based on a 40 bit shared key algorithm, as
described in the IEEE 802 .11 standard.
What is TKIP?
TKIP is a quick-fix method to quickly overcome the inherent weaknesses in WEP security, especially the
reuse of encryption keys. TKIP is involved in the IEEE 802.11i WLAN security standard, and the specification
might be officially released by early 2003.
What is AES?
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), a chip-based security, has been developed to ensure the highest
degree of security and authenticity for digital information, wherever and however communicated or stored,
while making more efficient use of hardware and/or software than previous encryption standards. It is also
included in IEEE 802.11i standard. Compare with AES, TKIP is a temporary protocol for replacing WEP
security until manufacturers implement AES at the hardware level.
Can Wireless products support printer sharing?
Wireless products perform the same function as LAN products. Therefore, Wireless products can work with
Netware, Windows 2000, or other LAN operating systems to support printer or file sharing.
Would the information be intercepted while transmitting on air?
WLAN features two-fold protection in security. On the hardware side, as with Direct Sequence Spread
Spectrum technology, it has the inherent security feature of scrambling. On the software side, WLAN series
offer the encryption function (WEP) to enhance security and Access Control. Users can set it up depending
upon their needs.
What is DSSS? What is FHSS? And what are their differences?
Frequency-hopping spread-spectrum (FHSS) uses a narrowband carrier that changes frequency in a pattern
that is known to both transmitter and receiver. Properly synchronized, the net effect is to maintain a single
logical channel. To an unintended receiver, FHSS appears to be short-duration impulse noise. Direct-
sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) generates a redundant bit pattern for each bit to be transmitted. This bit
pattern is called a chip (or chipping code). The longer the chip is, the greater the probability that the original
data can be recovered. Even if one or more bits in the chip are damaged during transmission, statistical
techniques embedded in the radio can recover the original data without-the need for retransmission. To an
unintended receiver, DSSS appears as low power wideband noise and is rejected (ignored) by most
narrowband receivers.
What is Spread Spectrum?
Spread Spectrum technology is a wideband radio frequency technique developed by the military for use in
reliable, secure, mission-critical communication systems. It is designed to trade off bandwidth efficiency for
reliability, integrity, and security. In other words, more bandwidth is consumed than in the case of
narrowband transmission, but the trade off produces a signal that is, in effect, louder and thus easier to
detect, provided that the receiver knows the parameters of the spread-spectrum signal being broadcast. If a
receiver is not tuned to the right frequency, a spread –spectrum signal looks like background noise. There
are two main alternatives, Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) and Frequency Hopping Spread
Spectrum (FHSS).
What is WMM?
Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM), a group of features for wireless networks that improve the user experience for
audio, video and voice applications. WMM is based on a subset of the IEEE 802.11e WLAN QoS draft
standard. WMM adds prioritized capabilities to Wi-Fi networks and optimizes their performance when
multiple concurring applications, each with different latency and throughput requirements, compete for
network resources. By using WMM, end-user satisfaction is maintained in a wider variety of environments
and traffic conditions. WMM makes it possible for home network users and enterprise network managers to
decide which data streams are most important and assign them a higher traffic priority.
What is WMM Power Save?
WMM Power Save is a set of features for Wi-Fi networks that increase the efficiency and flexibility of data
transmission in order to conserve power. WMM Power Save has been optimized for mobile devices running
latency-sensitive applications such as voice, audio, or video, but can benefit any Wi-Fi device. WMM Power
Save uses mechanisms included in the IEEE 802.11e standard and is an enhancement of IEEE 802.11
legacy power save. With WMM Power Save, the same amount of data can be transmitted in a shorter time
while allowing the Wi-Fi device to remain longer in a low-power “dozing” state.
