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Glossary
802.11
802.11 refers to a family of specifications developed by the IEEE for wireless LAN
technology. 802.11 specifies an over-the-air interface between a wireless client and a base
station or between two wireless clients. The IEEE accepted the specification in 1997.
802.11b (also referred to as 802.11 High Rate or Wi-Fi)
802.11b is an extension to 802.11 that applies to wireless LANs and provides 11 Mbps
transmission (with a fallback to 5.5, 2 and 1 Mbps) in the 2.4 GHz band. 802.11b uses
only DSSS. 802.11b was a 1999 ratification to the original 802.11 standard, allowing
wireless functionality comparable to Ethernet.
Access Point
An access point is a gateway set up to allow a group of LAN users access to another
group or a main group. The access point doesn't use the DHCP server function and
therefore accepts IP address assignment from the controlling network.
DHCP
Short for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, DHCP is a protocol for assigning
dynamic IP addresses to devices on a network. With dynamic addressing, a device can
have a different IP address every time it connects to the network. In some systems, the
device's IP address can even change while it is still connected. DHCP also supports a
mix of static and dynamic IP addresses. Dynamic addressing simplifies network
administration because the software keeps track of IP addresses rather than requiring an
administrator to manage the task. This means that a new computer can be added to a
network without the hassle of manually assigning it a unique IP address. Many ISPs use
dynamic IP addressing for dial-up users.
PCMCIA
Short for Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, and pronounced
as separate letters, PCMCIA is an organization consisting of some 500 companies that
has developed a standard for small, credit card-sized devices, called PC Cards. Origi-
nally designed for adding memory to portable computers, the PCMCIA standard has
been expanded several times and is now suitable for many types of devices.
PC Card
A computer device packaged in a small card about the size of a credit card and conform-
ing to the PCMCIA standard.
SNMP
Simple Network Management Protocol
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