Operation Manual

Glossary
FRITZ!Box Fon WLAN 7570 vDSL 155
already existing analog telephones to be used even when
the computer is switched off. Various Internet Service Pro-
viders and telephony carriers provide SIP fixed-line gate-
ways for this purpose. Such a gateway is used to produce
voice connections between the Internet and conventional
telephone networks. In principle VoIP conversations are
possible via every DSL line, but for convenient use with ex-
isting terminal equipment, and for conversations with the
fixed-line and mobile networks, it is important that the DSL
provider support what is known as the SIP standard. SIP is
the current standard defined for VoIP by the IETF (Internet
Engineering Task Force).
WLAN abbreviation for Wireless LAN, or Wireless Local Area Net-
work
The term WLAN designates the industry standard for wire-
less local networks passed by the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 1997 under the title
IEEE 802.11.
By means of WLAN technology, individual computers or net-
work devices like printers or DSL access points can be
linked wirelessly to an existing cable-connected local
network (LAN), or LANs can be converted completely to a
wireless structure. A further useful purpose for WLAN tech-
nology is to link segments of existing cable-connected net-
works.
Although WLAN was actually developed only for short-
range connections, by cascading WLAN access points or
implementing transmission networks with high-power
point-to-point radio transmission, even network segments
located further from each other can be linked or network
participants in relatively remote locations can be economi-
cally and easily integrated into an existing network.
WLAN access points often also serve as access points to
the Internet in private or public institutions. Many airports,
hotels and cafes, for instance, make WLAN hotspots availa-
ble to their customers, either free or subject to a charge. Ul-
timately this has maneuvered WLAN into serious competi-
tion with mobile UMTS technology.