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Network Adapter:
A network adapter is a device expansion card that provides the physical connection between a computer and the network.
There are many types of adapters. They include PC cards for laptops, a card that fits into a slot on your computer, just like you
install a sound card or modem card, and embedded cards, embedded USB adapters, USB dongle adapters, and USB desktop
adapters. Some newer computers have a network adapter already built into the system. PC cards or cards that fit into a slot in
the desktop are sometimes referred to as network interface cards, or NICs.
Network Address Translation (NAT):
NAT occurs when multiple
IP addresses
on a private
LAN
are converted to one public address. This public address is sent out
to the Internet. NAT adds a level of security because the IP address for a PC connected to the private LAN is never
transmitted to the Internet. NAT also allows xDSL/cable routers to be used with low-cost Internet accounts, where only one
TCP/IP
address is provided by the
Internet service provider.
The user may have many private addresses masked by the single
address provided by the ISP. NAT prevents denial of service (DoS) from external networks on internal hosts.
Network Name (SSID):
Access points
are grouped together by an identifier called an ESSID. The ESSID is also referred to as a Net ID. This identifier
is a combination of any letters or numbers that are appropriate for the network environment. ESSID is specifically for access
points. When you talk about peer-to-peer networks, you cannot use the term ESSID.
Service Set Identifier (SSID) is more generic and is a 32-character name that uniquely identifies all the computers and
equipments that make up a wireless network. A type of SSID is ESSID. Another type of SSID is Basic Service Set Identifier
(BSSID). The BSSID is the
MAC address
of a wireless
adapter
or access point.
Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE):
PPPoE is the methodology of authenticating or validating a user or equipment to an
Internet service provider,
usually via a
username and/or password. It is a selection or action that reconfigures a device to the default parameters, as it was originally
manufactured.
Port:
A port is a connector on a networking device, used to attach the network cable. Hubs and switches have numerous ports that
connect to computers on the network.
Protocol:
Protocol refers to a set of rules for sending and receiving information on a network. The rules determine the format of the data
that is transmitted and other aspects of networking, such as how errors are detected and corrected. The protocol driver in each
computer is software that adheres to these rules when sending and receiving information. These drivers are also often called
protocols.
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP):
TCP/IP refers to the
protocol
that computers use to communicate over the Internet. TCP determines how a computer breaks up
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data into small units, called "packets," to be sent to another computer and how the receiving computer reassembles the
packets into a single file. IP determines how the packets are routed across the Internet.
See Internet Protocol.
Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN):
A VLAN is a network of computers that behave as if they are connected to the same wire, even though they may be physically
located on different segments of a LAN. VLANs are configured through software rather than hardware, which makes them
extremely flexible. When a computer on a VLAN is physically moved to another location, it can stay on the same VLAN without
any hardware reconfigurations.
Virtual Server:
A virtual server is a device that performs Internet protocol (IP) mapping. IP mapping allows remote client access to your
network via the Internet.
Wide Area Network (WAN):
A WAN is a communications network that uses devices such as telephone lines, satellite dishes, or radio waves to span a
larger geographic area than can be covered by a
LAN.
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN):
A WLAN is a type of
Local Area Network (LAN)
that uses high frequency radio waves rather than wires to communicate and
transmit data among the network clients and devices. It is a flexible data communication system implemented as an extension
to, or as an alternative for, a wired LAN. Just like a LAN, the network lets users at that location share files, printers and other
services.
xDSL Modem:
DSL is a type of service that allows people to access the Internet via their telephone lines. This service is typically available via
a telephone company or service provider.
An xDSL connection is a high-speed digital connection to the Internet using standard copper twisted pair telephone wires.
There are several kinds of DSL; the x refers to all of them.
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Dell™TrueMobile™2300 Wireless Broadband Router
User's Guide
Contents
Introduction
Managing Your Router
Configuration Steps for Common Scenarios
Technical Specifications and Regulatory Information
FAQs
Glossary
Online Customer Support
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2003 Dell Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.
Trademarks used in this text:
Dell,
the
DELL
logo, and
TrueMobile
are trademarks of Dell Computer Corporation;
Microsoft
and
Windows
are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document
to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in
trademarks and trade names other than its own.
P/N M1683 Revision A00, July 2003
Page 24 / 178
Back to Contents Page
Wireless Networking Overview:
Dell™ TrueMobile™ 2300 Wireless Broadband Router User's
Guide
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
Identifying a WLAN
Encryption
Automatic Rate Selection and Rate Scaling
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
A
Local Area Network
(LAN) is a network in one location. Users at that location can share files, printers, and other services. In
a LAN, a networked computer that requests services is called a client. A
Wireless Local Area Network
(WLAN) is a type of LAN
that uses high frequency radio waves rather than wires to communicate and transmit data among the network clients and
devices. It is a flexible data communication system implemented as an extension to, or as an alternative for, a wired LAN.
In a WLAN, wireless adapters are installed in clients, also called wireless clients. The adapter allows the wireless client to
communicate with the WLAN without cables. Instead, wireless clients send and receive information through a path in the air
called a channel.
The standards for a WLAN are based on the IEEE 802.11b standard and proposed 802.11g standard. All Dell 802.11b/g-
compliant devices interoperate with other 802.11b/g -compliant wireless devices from other vendors. The WiFi certification logo
indicates that the wireless device has been tested by an independent organization.
A wireless client operates in either infrastructure mode or peer-to-peer mode.
Back to Top
Identifying a WLAN
An ESSID and BSSID are both
Service Set Identifiers
(SSID) that identify and control the wireless client’s access to a given
WLAN. The SSID is sometimes referred to as the network name. The SSID indicates what WLAN you are referring to. In most
cases, the user interface displays the SSID.
When installing an access point or wireless adapter in a wireless client, the installation program asks you to enter the SSID.
Dell cannot provide you with this information, as it is specific to your network; although, you may choose to use the default
SSID, "wireless", for your Wireless Broadband Router. All wireless clients and access points in a WLAN must use the same
network name.
Back to Top
Encryption
In a WLAN, wireless clients and access points send and receive information through the air. Without implementing security, it is
possible for an unauthorized person to intercept the information.
A common way of implementing security and protecting information is
encryption
. Encryption applies a set of instructions, called
an
algorithm
, to information. The instructions combine the
plain
or
clear
text of information with a sequence of hexadecimal
Page 25 / 178
numbers, called an
encryption key
.
Before transmitting information over the airwaves, the wireless client or access point
encrypts
or scrambles the information.
The access point or wireless client receiving the information uses the same key to
decrypt
or unscramble the information. The
information is only readable to WLAN devices that have the correct encryption key. The longer the key is, the stronger the
encryption.
TrueMobile 2300 supports both WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access).
WEP
WEP provides a way of creating an encrypted key that is shared between a wireless client (such as a notebook with a wireless
PC card) and the router. In Wireless Broadband Router, WEP is an optional feature that can be enabled or disabled. When
WEP encryption is enabled, you must set the WEP key in the client to match the WEP key used by the access point because
you can ONLY connect to access points that have a matching WEP Key.
Note: It is better to change keys frequently. The same algorithm is used for all the communications that should be
protected. If the same key is used, the same message will give exactly the same cipher text. Then, it will be possible
for an eavesdropper to break the encrypted data. For this reason, it is strongly recommended to change keys often.
There are two WEP encryption methods:
40(64)-bit Encryption
104(128)-bit Encryption
40-bit and 64-bit encryption are identical. Some vendors use the term 40-bit; others use 64-bit. A wireless device that claims to
have 40-bit encryption interoperates with a device that claims to have 64-bit encryption, and vice versa. A 40(64)-bit key
consists of 10 hexadecimal numbers, arrayed as follows:
Key #1: 1011121314
Key #2: 2021222324
Key #3: 3031323334
Key #4: 4041424344
A 104(128)-bit key has several trillion times as many possible combinations than a 40(64)-bit key. It consists of 26 hexadecimal
numbers, arrayed as follows:
Key (#1): 101112131415161718191A1B1C
All wireless clients and access points in a WLAN must use the same encryption method and key. The following two examples
stress how important this point is.
Example 1
The encryption method for an access point is 40(64)-bit. The method for a wireless client is 104(128)-bit encryption. The client
and access point cannot communicate with each other, even though the selected key is the same. To resolve this problem, set
the access point to use 104(128)-bit encryption.
Example 2
The encryption method is the same for the access point and wireless client. You select key 1 for the access point and key 2
for the wireless client. The wireless client cannot communicate with the WLAN. To resolve this problem, select key 1 for the
wireless client.
CAUTION: Use the same key and encryption method for the wireless devices in the WLAN. Otherwise, they
cannot communicate with each other.
The Wireless Broadband Router uses either hexadecimal digits or ASCII characters to create encryption keys. Hexadecimal
digits include the numbers 0 to 9 and the letters A to F. For example, the decimal number 15 is represented as F in the
hexadecimal numbering system.

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