Appendix B: Glossary - TP-Link archer t4u User Manual

Appendix B: Glossary

802.11ac - IEEE 802.11ac is a wireless computer networking standard of 802.11.This
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specification will enable multi-station WLAN throughput of at least 1 gigabit per second. This
is accomplished by extending the air interface concepts embraced by 802.11n: wider RF
bandwidth, more MIMO spatial streams, multi-user MIMO, and high-density modulation (up to
256 QAM).
802.11n - 802.11n builds upon previous 802.11 standards by adding MIMO (multiple-input
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multiple-output). MIMO uses multiple transmitter and receiver antennas to allow for increased
data throughput via spatial multiplexing and increased range by exploiting the spatial diversity,
perhaps through coding schemes like Alamouti coding. The Enhanced Wireless Consortium
(EWC) was formed to help accelerate the IEEE 802.11n development process and promote a
technology specification for interoperability of next-generation wireless local area networking
(WLAN) products.
802.11g - Specification for wireless networking at 54 Mbps using direct-sequence
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spread-spectrum (DSSS) technology, using OFDM modulation and operating in the
unlicensed radio spectrum at 2.4GHz, and backward compatibility with IEEE 802.11b devices,
and WEP encryption for security.
802.11b - The 802.11b standard specifies a wireless product networking at 11 Mbps using
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direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) technology and operating in the unlicensed radio
spectrum at 2.4GHz, and WEP encryption for security. 802.11b networks are also referred to
as Wi-Fi networks.
802.11a - Specification for wireless networking at 54 Mbps using OFDM modulation and
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operating in radio band at 5GHz.
Ad hoc Network - An ad hoc network is a group of computers, each with a Wireless Adapter,
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connected as an independent 802.11 wireless LAN. Ad hoc wireless computers operate on a
peer-to-peer basis, communicating directly with each other without the use of an access point.
Ad hoc mode is also referred to as an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS) or as
peer-to-peer mode, and is useful at a departmental scale or SOHO operation.
Infrastructure Network - An infrastructure network is a group of computers or other devices,
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each with a Wireless Adapter, connected as an 802.11 wireless LAN. In infrastructure mode,
the wireless devices communicate with each other and to a wired network by first going
through an access point. An infrastructure wireless network connected to a wired network is
referred to as a Basic Service Set (BSS). A set of two or more BSS in a single network is
referred to as an Extended Service Set (ESS). Infrastructure mode is useful at a corporation
scale, or when it is necessary to connect the wired and wireless networks.
SSID - A Service Set Identification is a thirty-two character (maximum) alphanumeric key
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identifying a wireless local area network. For the wireless devices in a network to
communicate with each other, all devices must be configured with the same SSID. This is
Archer T4U AC1200 Wireless Dual Band USB Adapter User Guide
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