User's Manual

LAN-Express IEEE 802.11 Wireless Adapter User Guide
Appendix C Glossary 68
Appendix C Glossary
WCU - Wireless Client Utility (WCU); the utility that configures the LAN-Express IEEE
802.11 Wireless Adapter.
PCI - Peripheral component Interconnect; a standard bus interface found on most
desktop computers.
Access Point - An internetworking device that seamlessly connects wired and wireless
networks together.
Ad Hoc - A peer- to-peer wireless network without Access Point. A group of wireless
clients consistent an independent wireless LAN.
Backbone - The core infrastructure of a network, the portion of the network that
transports information from one central location to another central location. The
information is then off-loaded onto a local system.
BSS - Basic Service Set. An Access Point associated with several wireless stations.
ESS - Extended Service Set. More than one BSS can be configured as an Extended
Service Set. An ESS is basically a roaming domain.
ESSID – Extended Service Set Identifier The length of the ESSID information is
between 0 and 32 octets. A 0 length identifier indicates the broadcast SSID.
Ethernet - A popular local area data communications network, originally developed by
Xerox Corp., which accepts transmission from computers and terminals. Ethernet
operates on 10/100 Mbps transmission rate over shielded coaxial cable or over shielded
twisted pair telephone wire.
Infrastructure - An integrated wireless and wired LAN is called an infrastructure