User's Manual

Glossary
Ethernet - A networking standard using cables (Category 5) to create a network.
Network Adapter - Also known as a NIC (Network Interface Card). Used to provide PC’s or
laptops with an Ethernet port or wireless access to the network.
Broadband Modem - A device that allows broadband connection to the internet. Broadband
connections include speeds faster than 56k (dial up modem speed). The two most common types
of Broadband connections are DSL and Cable. Cable modem relies on the bandwidth of cable
television lines while DSL modems rely on the telephone lines operating at DSL speeds.
Router - A device used to share internet access from one user to multiple users. By taking one IP address
(Addresses used by ISP’s to assign broadband services to your computer) the Router distributes the services
of your broadband access among multiple users and IP’s.
Wireless Device – Any WiFi device (802.11b/g) that communicates wirelessly using the
IEEE802.11 wireless standard. These devices can range from wireless access points to wireless
routers to wireless PCI client cards.
IEEE 802.11 – Wireless Network Specifications
• 802.11 -- applies to wireless LANs (Networks) and provides 1 or 2 Mbps transmission in the
2.4 GHz band using either frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) or direct sequence
spread spectrum (DSSS).
• 802.11b (also referred to as 802.11 High Rate or Wi-Fi) -- an extension to 802.11 that
applies to wireless LANs and provides 11 Mbps transmission (with a fallback to 5.5, 2 and 1
Mbps) in the 2.4 GHz band. 802.11b uses only DSSS. 802.11b was a 1999 ratification to
the original 802.11 standard, allowing wireless functionality comparable to Ethernet.
•
802.11g -- applies to wireless LANs and provides 54 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band.
Backwards compatible with IEEE 802.11b products.
Hi-Gain WiFi Antenna – High powered antenna to increase the distance of your WiFi device.
SMA Connector – The standard antenna connector for WiFi devices. This is the most popular
connector and comes standard with most wireless networking equipment.
dBi (decibel) - A unit of measurement used to determine the gain level of wireless antennas.
mW (MilliWatt) - A unit of measurement used to determine the power level of wireless devices.