User's Manual

05-4446A01, Rev. C Mercury Reference Manual 173
NMEA National Marine Electronics Association. National body that
established a protocol for interfacing GPS data between electronic
equipment.
Network NameUser-selectable alphanumeric string that is used to
identify a group of radio units that form a communications network. The
Access Point and all Remotes within a given system should have the
same network address.
Network-Wide DiagnosticsAn advanced method of controlling and
interrogating GE MDS radios in a radio network.
NTPNetwork Time Protocol
PacketThe basic unit of data carried on a link layer. On an IP net-
work, this refers to an entire IP datagram or a fragment thereof.
PING P
acket INternet Groper. Diagnostic message generally used to
test reachability of a network device, either over a wired or wireless net-
work.
PKI Private Key Infrastructure. A set of policies and technologies
needed to create, store, and distribute Public Key Certificates used to
protect the security of network communications.
Point-to-Multipoint SystemA radio communications network or
system designed with a central control station that exchanges data with
a number of remote locations equipped with terminal equipment.
PollA request for data issued from the host computer (or master PLC)
to a remote device.
PortabilityA station is considered connected when it has successfully
authenticated and associated with an access point. A station is consid-
ered authenticated when it has agreed with the access point on the type
of encryption that will be used for data packets traveling between them.
The process of association causes a station to be bound to an access
point and allows it to receive and transmit packets to and from the access
point. In order for a station to be associated it must first authenticate
with the access point. The authentication and association processes
occur automatically without user intervention.
Portability refers to the ability of a station to connect to an access point
from multiple locations without the need to reconfigure the network set-
tings. For example, a remote transceiver that is connected to an access
point may be turned off, moved to new site, turned back on, and,
assuming the right information is entered, can immediately reconnect to
the access point without user intervention.