134
OGU 930500105-A1
Glossary
802.11b
The IEEE specification for wireless Ethernet which allows speeds of up to 11 Mbps. The standard provides for 1,
2, 5.5 and 11 Mbps data rates. The rates will switch automatically depending on range and environment.
802.11g
The IEEE specification for wireless Ethernet which allows speeds of up to 54 Mbps. The standard provides for 6,
12, 24, 36, 48 and 54 Mbps data rates. The rates will switch automatically depending on range and environment.
10BASE-T
The IEEE specification for 10 Mbps Ethernet over Category 3, 4 or 5 twisted pair cable.
100BASE-TX
The IEEE specification for 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet over Category 5 twisted-pair cable.
Access Point
An Access Point is a device through which wireless clients connect to other wireless clients and which acts as a
bridge between wireless clients and a wired network, such as Ethernet. Wireless clients can be moved any-
where within the coverage area of the access point and still connect with each other. If connected to an Ethernet
network, the access point monitors Ethernet traffic and forwards appropriate Ethernet messages to the wireless
network, while also monitoring wireless client radio traffic and forwarding wireless client messages to the Ether-
net LAN.
Ad Hoc mode
Ad Hoc mode is a configuration supported by most wireless clients. It is used to connect a peer to peer network
together without the use of an access point. It offers lower performance than infrastructure mode, which is the
mode the router uses. (see also Infrastructure mode.
Auto-negotiation
Some devices in the range support auto-negotiation. Auto-negotiation is where two devices sharing a link, auto-
matically configure to use the best common speed. The order of preference (best first) is: 100BASE-TX full
duplex, 100BASE-TX half duplex, 10BASE-T full duplex, and 10BASE-T half duplex. Auto-negotiation is defined
in the IEEE 802.3 standard for Ethernet and is an operation that takes place in a few milliseconds.
Bandwidth
The information capacity, measured in bits per second, that a channel can transmit. The bandwidth of Ethernet
is 10 Mbps, the bandwidth of Fast Ethernet is 100 Mbps. The bandwidth for 802.11b wireless is 11Mbps.
D