Technical data

© 2012 Meru Networks, Inc. Glossary 333
J
K
L
LAN
Local Area Network. A system of connecting PCs and other devices within the same phys-
ical proximity for sharing resources such as an Internet connections, printers, files and
drives. When Wi-Fi is used to connect the devices, the system is known as a Wireless LAN
or WLAN.
LDAP
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. A set of protocols for accessing information direc-
tories conforming to the X.500 standard.
LWAPP
Lightweight Access Point Protocol. A proposed specification to the International Engi-
neering Task Force (IETF) created to standardize the communications protocol between
access points and WLAN system devices (switches, appliances, routers, etc.). Initial
authors include Airespace and NTT DoCoMo. See CAPWAP
M
MAC
Medium Access Control. This is the function of a network controller that determines who
gets to transmit when. Each network adapter must be uniquely identified. Every wireless
802.11 device has its own specific MAC address hard-coded into it. This unique identifier
can be used to provide security for wireless networks. When a network uses a MAC table,
only the 802.11 radios that have had their MAC addresses added to that network's MAC
table will be able to get onto the network.
Man in Middle
(MiM) An attack that results from the interception and possible modification of traffic
passing between two communicating parties, such as a wireless client and Access Point.
MIM attacks succeed if the systems can't distinguish communications with an intended
recipient from those with the intervening attacker.
Mbps
Million bits (megabits) per second.
MIC
Message Integrity Check. MIC is part of a draft standard from IEEE 802.11i working group.
It is an additional 8 byte field which is placed between the data portion of an 802.11
(Wi-Fi) frame and the 4 byte ICV (Integrity Check Value) to protect both the payload and
the header. The algorithm which implements the MIC is known as Michael.
Microcell
Wireless architecture in which adjacent APs must be tuned to different, non-overlapping
channels in an attempt to mitigate co-channel interference. This requires complex
channel planning both before the network is built and whenever a change is made, and
uses spectrum so inefficiently that some co-channel interference still occurs, especially at
2,4 GHz. Microcell architectures were common in 2G cell phone systems and legacy wire-
less LAN systems. They are not used in 3G cellular networks or in wireless LAN systems that
use Air Traffic Control, as these allow all access points to share a single channel.