Glossary; Networking Terms And Abbreviations - Extreme Networks Summit WM User Manual

Glossary

Networking terms and abbreviations

Term
AAA
Access Point (AP)
Ad-hoc mode
AES
AES-CCMP
ARP
Association
asynchronous
Summit WM User GuideSoftware Version 5.3
Explanation
Authentication, Authorization and Accounting. A system in IP-based
networking to control what computer resources users have access to and to
keep track of the activity of users over a network.
A wireless LAN transceiver or "base station" that can connect a wired LAN
to one or many wireless devices.
An 802.11 networking framework in which devices or stations
communicate directly with each other, without the use of an access point
(AP). (Compare Infrastructure Mode)
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is an algorithm for encryption that
works at multiple network layers simultaneously. As a block cipher, AES
encrypts data in fixed-size blocks of 128 bits. AES was created by the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). AES is a privacy
transform for IPSec and Internet Key Exchange (IKE). AES has a variable
key length - the algorithm can specify a 128-bit key (the default), a 192-bit
key, or a 256-bit key.
For the WPA2/802.11i implementation of AES, a 128 bit key length is used.
AES encryption includes 4 stages that make up one round. Each round is
then iterated 10, 12 or 14 times depending upon the bit-key size. For the
WPA2/802.11i implementation of AES, each round is iterated 10 times.
AES uses the Counter-Mode/CBC-MAC Protocol (CCMP). CCM is a new
mode of operation for a block cipher that enables a single key to be used
for both encryption and authentication. The two underlying modes
employed in CCM include Counter mode (CTR) that achieves data
encryption and Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code (CBC-
MAC) to provide data integrity.
Address Resolution Protocol. A protocol used to obtain the physical
addresses (such as MAC addresses) of hardware units in a network
environment. A host obtains such a physical address by broadcasting an
ARP request, which contains the IP address of the target hardware unit. If
the request finds a unit with that IP address, the unit replies with its
physical hardware address.
A connection between a wireless device and an Access Point.
Asynchronous transmission mode (ATM). A start/stop transmission in
which each character is preceded by a start signal and followed by one or
more stop signals. A variable time interval can exist between characters.
ATM is the preferred technology for the transfer of images.
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