Terms You Should Know - Gateway WGR-250 User Manual

Appendix A: Glossary

Terms you should know

adapter (network) - A circuit board that plugs into a computer to let the computer connect
to a network.
beacon interval - A beacon is a periodic broadcast by the access point/router to keep the
network synchronized. The interval indicates how often the access point/router broadcasts
the beacon.
broadband - When multiple signals or channels (such as voice, data, and video) share
the bandwidth of a single medium.
browser - A program running on a computer which makes it possible to view and interact
with the Internet.
cable modem - A broadband device that uses a coaxial cable to connect to an ISP to access
the Internet.
CAT 5 - The minimum standard of twisted-pair cable suitable for data transmission over
a computer network.
data packet - A unit of transmitted data. For more information, see packet.
default gateway - A routing device that forwards data over a local network.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) - DHCP lets a router or access
point/router temporarily assign an IP address to a computer on the network.
DMZ (demilitarized zone) - DMZ hosting lets a single computer on your LAN expose all
of its ports to the Internet. When you set up DMZ hosting on a computer, you bypass the
security provided by a router. Consider port forwarding as an alternative to DMZ hosting.
DNS - A database that translates and stores domain and host names as IP addresses.
domain - A set of IP addresses usually owned by a company. For example, in an e-mail
address the name of the domain comes after the @ symbol.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) - A broadband Internet connection that uses an ordinary
telephone line to provide a fast, always on connection to the Internet.
DTIM (Delivery Traffic Indication Message) - A message sent by the access point/router
to a wireless network device to indicate when the next broadcast or multicast message will
be sent. This parameter is necessary to accommodate devices using power save mode.
dynamic IP address - An IP address that is temporarily assigned by a DHCP server. Many
ISPs use dynamic IP addresses. When a computer connects the Internet, an ISP provides
an IP address. When the computer disconnects from the Internet, the ISP reassigns the
dynamic IP address to another computer requesting Internet access.
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