www.netcomm.com.au
Rev. 1 - YML669
Page 18
NP5430 11g Wireless PC Card User Guide
Appendix B: Glossary
802.11b
One of the IEEE standards for wireless networking hardware.
Products that adhere to a specific IEEE standard will work with
each other, even if they are manufactured by different
companies. The 802.11b standard specifies a maximum data
transfer rate of 11Mbps, an operating frequency of 2.4GHz, and
WEP encryption for security. 802.11b networks are also referred
to as Wi-Fi networks.
802.11g
Refers to the extension of the IEEE 802.11 standard for wireless
networking. The 802.11g specifications used by NetComm
specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 54Mbps using OFDM
modulation, an operating frequency of 2.4GHz, backward
compatibility with IEEE 802.11b devices and WEP encryption
for security.
Ad-hoc Network
An ad-hoc network is a group of computers, each with a wireless
adapter, connected as an independent 802.11 wireless LAN. Ad-
hoc wireless computers operate on a peer-to-peer basis,
communicating directly with each other without the use of an
access point. Ad-hoc mode is also referred to as an Independent
Basic Service Set (IBSS) or as peer-to-peer mode, and is useful at
a departmental scale or SOHO operation.
CTS (Clear To Send)
An RS-232 signal sent from the receiving station to the
transmitting station that indicates it is ready to accept data.
Default Gateway
The router used to forward all traffic that is not addressed to a
station within the local subnet.
DHCP
(Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) - A protocol that lets
network administrators manage centrally and automate the
assignment of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses in an
organization's network. Using the Internet's set of protocol
(TCP/IP), each machine that can connect to the Internet needs a
unique IP address. When an organization sets up its computer
users with a connection to the Internet, an IP address must be
assigned to each machine. Without DHCP, the IP address must
be entered manually at each computer and, if computers move to
another location in another part of the network, a new IP address
must be entered. DHCP lets a network administrator supervise
and distribute IP addresses from a central point and
automatically sends a new IP address when a computer is
plugged into a different place in the network.
DHCP uses the concept of a "lease" or amount of time that a
given IP address will be valid for a computer. The lease time can
vary depending on how long a user is likely to require the
