Appendix E: Glossary - Cisco LINKSYS WUSB300N Manual

Wireless-N USB Network Adapter

Appendix E: Glossary

This glossary contains some basic networking terms you may come across when using this product. For more
advanced terms, see the complete Linksys glossary at http://www.linksys.com/glossary.
Access Point - A device that allows wireless-equipped computers and other devices to communicate with a wired
network. Also used to expand the range of a wireless network.
Ad-hoc - A group of wireless devices communicating directly with each other (peer-to-peer) without the use of an
access point.
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) - A security method that uses symmetric 128-bit block data encryption.
Bandwidth - The transmission capacity of a given device or network.
Bit - A binary digit.
Boot - To start a device and cause it to start executing instructions.
Broadband - An always-on, fast Internet connection.
Browser - An application program that provides a way to look at and interact with all the information on the World
Wide Web.
Byte - A unit of data that is usually eight bits long
Cable Modem - A device that connects a computer to the cable television network, which in turn connects to the
Internet.
Daisy Chain - A method used to connect devices in a series, one after the other.
DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name System) - Allows the hosting of a website, FTP server, or e-mail server with a fixed
domain name (e.g., www.xyz.com) and a dynamic IP address.
Default Gateway - A device that forwards Internet traffic from your local area network.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) - A networking protocol that allows administrators to assign
temporary IP addresses to network computers by "leasing" an IP address to a user for a limited amount of time,
instead of assigning permanent IP addresses.
Appendix E: Glossary 43