Technical data

336 Meru System Director Configuration Guide © 2012 Meru Networks, Inc.
POTS
Plain Old Telephone Service. Standard analog telephone service (an acronym for Plain Old
Telephone Service).
proxy server
Used in larger companies and organizations to improve network operations and security, a
proxy server is able to prevent direct communication between two or more networks. The
proxy server forwards allowable data requests to remote servers and/or responds to data
requests directly from stored remote server data.
PSTN
Public Switched Telephone Network. The usual way of making telephone calls in the late
20th century, designed around the idea of using wires and switches. Perhaps to be
supplanted by Voice Over IP in the 21st century.
Q
QoS
Quality of Service. A set of technologies for managing and allocating Internet bandwidth.
Often used to ensure a level of service required to support the performance requirements
of a specific application, user group, traffic flow, or other parameter. Defined within the
service level are network service metrics that include network availability (uptime),
latency and packet loss.
R
Radius
Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service. A service that authorizes connecting users and
allows them access to requested systems or services. The Microsoft ISA server is a Radius
server.
range
How far will your wireless network stretch? Most Wi-Fi systems will provide a range of a
hundred feet or more. Depending on the environment and the type of antenna used, Wi-Fi
signals can have a range of up to mile.
RC4 algorithm
The RC4 algorithm uses an Initialization Vector (IV) and a secret key to generate a
pseudo-random key stream with a high periodicity. Designed by RSA Security, RC4 is used
in WEP and many other transmission protocols including SSL.
RF
Radio Frequency. The type of transmission between a Wireless LAN access point and a wire-
less client (e.g., laptop, PDA, or phone). Wireless LANs can use RF spectrum at either 2.4
GHz (IEEE 802.11b or IEEE 802.11g) or 5 GHz (IEEE 802.11G).
RFID
Radio Frequency ID. A device that picks up signals from and sends signals to a reader using
radio frequency. Tags come in many forms, such as smart labels that are stuck on boxes;
smart cards and key-chain wands for paying for things; and a box that you stick on your
windshield to enable you to pay tolls without stopping. Most recently, active 802.11 RFID
tags are being deployed in enterprise environments to provide more consistent tracking
across farther distances than traditional passive devices.
RF finger-
printing
In an enterprise WLAN scenario, RF fingerprinting refers to creating a blueprint of a
building's RF characteristics, taking into account specific wall and design characteristics
such as attenuation and multipath. This information is compared to real-time information
collected by APs for 802.11 location tracking. By taking RF characteristics into account, RF
fingerprint is the most accurate method of wireless device tracking available today.