GLOSSARY
IEEE 802.11
Standard
The IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN standards subcommittee, which is formulat-
ing a standard for the industry.
Access Point
An internetworking device that seamlessly connects wired and wireless
networks together.
Ad Hoc
An Ad Hoc wireless LAN is a group of computers, each with a WLAN
adapter, connected as an independent wireless LAN. Ad Hoc wireless LAN
is applicable at a departmental scale for a branch or SOHO operation.
BSSID
A specific Ad Hoc LAN is called a Basic Service Set (BSS). Computers in a
BSS must be configured with the same BSSID.
DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol - a method in which IP addresses are
assigned by server dynamically to clients on the network. DHCP is used for
Dynamic IP Addressing and requires a dedicated DHCP server on the
network.
Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
This is the method the wireless cards use to transmit data over the fre-
quency spectrum. The other method is frequency hopping. Direct se-
quence spreads the data over one frequency range (channel) while fre-
quency hopping jumps from one narrow frequency band to another many
times per second.
ESSID
An Infrastructure configuration could also support roaming capability for
mobile workers. More than one BSS can be configured as an Extended
Service Set (ESS). Users within an ESS could roam freely between BSSs
while served as a continuous connection to the network wireless stations
and Access Points within an ESS must be configured with the same ESSID
and the same radio channel.
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