User's Manual

AppendixD:GlossaryofTerms
3Com®AirProtectPlannerUserGuide
112
size of a unit determines the granularity of the RF
computations and computational time. Smaller the
size of the unit, higher is the granularity.
However, this requires more time for WLAN signal
computations. Higher granularity also increases
the amount of data generated. The dimension of
each unit is called ‘Factor’. A Factor of four means
that the plan is divided into 4x4 feet or 4x4
meters as per the measurement unit in use.
Planner has an in-built intelligent algorithm to
decide the granularity based on the size of the
plan.
LAN Local Area Network
A LAN usually resides in a single building or
campus, and links the computing resources
together, typically by a cable.
Network Planner
A tool for planning the
WLAN in Planner
Network Planner helps you design the entire
layout with the specifications of the locations of
the objects on the layout. It also helps you plan
the entire network after the placement of objects
on the layout is fixed. It allows you to drag and
drop the devices such as APs and Sensors on the
layout model. This helps you try various ‘What-If’
scenarios. You can also generate various RF
views.
RF Radio Frequency
This is a name given to invisible electromagnetic
waves.
RSSI
Received Signal
Strength Indicator
This is an indicator of the value of the signal
strength at a wireless receiver.
3Com ® AirProtect
Enterprise
A proprietary product of 3Com Corporation that
functions as a comprehensive Wi-Fi Intrusion
Prevention System and Performance Management
Solution.
3Com ® AirProtect
Enterprise Sensors
Sensors are devices that work with the 3Com ®
AirProtect Enterprise Server to provide 802.11
Intrusion Detection and Prevention.
Spillage
Propagation of signal
outside a stipulated
area
In Planner, spillage refers to the propagation of RF
signal outside the authorized area of deployment.
Such spillage exposes the authorized area to the
risk of attacks from hackers using Wi-Fi.
.spm file Planner File
This is the proprietary Planner file format, which
holds information about RF signal values,
placement of devices, and device settings.
.prj file Planner Project File
This is the propriety Planner project file, which
contains a bundle of .spm, image, and AutoCAD
files.
WAN Wide Area Network
It is a public and private network serving a large
geographical area. For example, the Internet.
Wi-Fi Wireless Fidelity
Wi-Fi is a commonly used name to refer to
802.11. It is a trade term promulgated by the
Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA).
"Wi-Fi" is used in place of 802.11b in the same
way that "Ethernet" is used in place of IEEE
802.3. Products certified as Wi-Fi by WECA are
interoperable with each other even if they are
from different manufacturers. A user with a Wi-Fi
product can use any brand of AP with any other
brand of Client hardware that is built to the Wi-Fi
standard.
802.11a Wireless Protocol
When 802.11b was developed, IEEE created a
second extension to the original 802.11 standard
called 802.11a. 802.11a works in the ~5 GHz
frequency band and provides wireless connectivity
speeds of up to 54 Mbps.
802.11b Wireless Protocol
IEEE expanded on the original 802.11 standard in
July 1999, creating the 802.11b specification.