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Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome
Wireless-G VPN Broadband Router
Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome
Thank you for choosing the Linksys Wireless-G VPN Broadband Router. The Wireless-G VPN Broadband Router
will allow you to network wirelessly better than ever, sharing Internet access, files and fun, easily and securely.
How does the Wireless-G VPN Broadband Router do all of this? A router is a device that allows access to an
Internet connection over a network. With the Wireless-G VPN Broadband Router, this access can be shared over
the four switched ports or via the wireless network, broadcast at either 11Mbps for Wireless-B or 54Mbps for
Wireless-G.
To protect your data and privacy, the Wireless-G VPN Broadband Router can encrypt all wireless transmissions
with up to 128-bit WEP encryption and supports the WPA standard, which provides greater security opportunities.
The Router also has a powerful Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall and Network Address Translation (NAT)
technology to protect your PCs against intruders and most known Internet attacks. Its Virtual Private Network
(VPN) function creates encrypted “tunnels” through the Internet so up to 50 remote or traveling users can
securely connect to your office network from off-site, or users in your branch office can connect to a corporate
network. All of these security features, as well as full configurability, are accessed through the easy-to-use
browser-based utility.
But what does all of this mean?
Networks are useful tools for sharing computer resources. You can access one printer from different computers
and access data located on another computer's hard drive. Networks are even used for playing multiplayer video
games. So, networks are not only useful in homes and offices, they can also be fun.
PCs on a wired network create a LAN, or Local Area Network. They are connected with Ethernet cables, which is
why the network is called “wired”.
PCs equipped with wireless cards or adapters can communicate without cumbersome cables. By sharing the
same wireless settings, within their transmission radius, they form a wireless network. The Wireless-G VPN
Broadband Router bridges wireless networks of both 802.11b and 802.11g standards and wired networks,
allowing them to communicate with each other.
With your networks all connected, wired, wireless, and the Internet, you can now share files and Internet
access—and even play games. All the while, the Wireless-G VPN Broadband Router protects your networks from
unauthorized and unwelcome users.
nat
(network address translation): NAT technology
translates IP addresses of a local area network to a
different IP address for the Internet
802.11b
: an IEEE wireless networking standard that
specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 11Mbps
and an operating frequency of 2.4GHz
spi
(stateful packet inspection)
firewall
: A
technology that inspects incoming packets of
information before allowing them to enter the
network
802.11g
: an IEEE wireless networking standard that
specifies a maximum data transfer rate of 54Mbps,
an operating frequency of 2.4GHz, and backward
compatibility with 802.11b devices
vpn (virtual private network)
: A security measure
to protect data as it leaves one network and goes to
another over the Internet
lan
(local area network): The computers and
networking products that make up the network in
your home or office
wpa
(wi-fi protected access): a wireless
security protocol using TKIP (Temporal Key
Integrity Protocol) encryption, which can be
used in conjunction with a RADIUS server
ethernet
: an IEEE standard network protocol that
specifies how data is placed on and retrieved from
a common transmission medium