User's Manual

4/1/05
OL-7426-02
Static Key
An encryption key that has been entered into both access point and client, used for encrypting data
communications. Static WEP keys can be cracked, but AES keys are currently safe for wireless
transmissions.
Subnetwork or Subnet
Found in larger networks, these smaller networks are used to simplify addressing between numerous
computers. Subnets connect to the central network through a router, hub or gateway. Each individual
wireless LAN will probably use the same subnet for all the local computers it talks to.
Subscriber
Subscriber
A subscriber is the user who accesses network services through an 802.11 client.
Switch
A type of hub that efficiently controls the way multiple devices use the same network so that each can
operate at optimal performance. A switch acts as a network traffic policeman: rather than transmitting
all the packets it receives to all ports as a hub does, a switch transmits packets to only the receiving
port.
TCP
A protocol used along with the Internet Protocol (IP) to send data in the form of individual units (called
packets) between computers over the Internet. While IP takes care of handling the actual delivery of
the data, TCP takes care of keeping track of the packets that a message is divided into for efficient
routing through the Internet. For example, when a web page is downloaded from a web server, the TCP
program layer in that server divides the file into packets, numbers the packets, and then forwards them
individually to the IP program layer. Although each packet has the same destination IP Address, it may
get routed differently through the network. At the other end, TCP reassembles the individual packets
and waits until they have all arrived to forward them as a single file.
TCP/IP
The underlying technology behind the Internet and communications between computers in a network.
The first part, TCP, is the transport part, which matches the size of the messages on either end and
guarantees that the correct message has been received. The IP part is the client's computer address on
a network. Every computer in a TCP/IP network has its own IP Address that is either dynamically
assigned at startup or permanently assigned. All TCP/IP messages contain the address of the destina-
tion network as well as the address of the destination station. This enables TCP/IP messages to be
transmitted to multiple networks (subnets) within an organization or worldwide.
TFTP
Trivial File Transfer Protocol.
TIM
TIM
Traffic Indication Map. An element in all 802.11 beacons when a client has frames buffered in the AP.
The buffered frames are broadcasted or multicasted at each DTIM, when all power-saving clients
expecting this data should be awake. See also DTIM.
TKIP
Temporal Key Integrity Protocol. Generates new keys every 10 kb of payload traffic.
Tx
Transmit.