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Glossary
WLAN
FRITZ!Box Fon WLAN 7270
ready existing analog telephones to be used even when the
computer is switched off. Various Internet Service Providers
and telephony carriers provide SIP fixed-line gateways for
this purpose. Such a gateway is used to produce voice con-
nections between the Internet and conventional telephone
networks. In principle VoIP conversations are possible via
every DSL line, but for convenient use with existing terminal
equipment, and for conversations with the fixed-line and
mobile networks, it is important that the DSL provider sup-
port what is known as the SIP standard. SIP is the current
standard defined for VoIP by the IETF (Internet Engineering
Task Force).
abbreviation for Wireless LAN, or Wireless Local Area Net-
work
The term WLAN designates the industry standard for wire-
less local networks passed by the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 1997 under the title
IEEE 802.11.
By means of WLAN technology, individual computers or net-
work devices like printers or DSL access points can be
linked wirelessly to an existing cable-connected local net-
work (LAN), or LANs can be converted completely to a wire-
less structure. A further useful purpose for WLAN technolo-
gy is to link segments of existing cable-connected net-
works.
Although WLAN was actually developed only for short-
range connections, by cascading WLAN access points or im-
plementing transmission networks with high-power point-
to-point radio transmission, even network segments locat-
ed further from each other can be linked or network partici-
pants in relatively remote locations can be economically
and easily integrated into an existing network.
WLAN access points often also serve as access points to
the Internet in private or public institutions. Many airports,
hotels and cafes, for instance, make WLAN hotspots avail-
able to their customers, either free or subject to a charge.
Ultimately this has maneuvered WLAN into serious compe-
tition with mobile UMTS technology.
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