Terms

2.4 GHz range -- the frequency spectrum assigned to WLAN systems by the IC Organization.

Access point -- a device which connects wireless LAN terminals to a network, relaying signals between wireless devices or serving as a bridge between wired and wireless networks.

Ad Hoc mode -- a mode that allows wireless LAN terminals to communicate directly with each other without using a wireless LAN access point.

AES -- Advanced Encryption Standard, an encryption standard for WPA that is replacing WEP. AES provides stronger encryption than TKIP.

Configuration -- a prepared set of conditions for proper operation of a device. Configuring the network interface prepares it to work with protocols available on a network.

DHCP -- Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. It is a protocol that assigns dynamic IP addresses to devices on a network.

EAP -- Extensible Authentication Protocol, an authentication protocol used in the IEEE 802.1x standard.

EtherTalk --the communication protocol of AppleTalk governing Ethernet transmissions.

ftp -- a TCP/IP application protocol for file transfer.

IEEE 802.1x-- an IEEE standard that provides authentication for wired/wireless networks. IEEE 802.11b and IEEE 802.11g are standards for the 2.4 GHz range of WLANs.

Infrastructure mode -- a wireless network mode. It allows both wireless and wired computers to send print jobs to the device through an access point.

lpd -- a TCP/IP remote printing protocol application.

Open system authentication -- a wireless access point authentication protocol in which the wireless node submits an authentication request to the wireless access point that accepts the connection, essentially without authenticating it.

Pre-Shared key -- the basic key used to generate the encryption keys for WPA-PSK (TKIP/AES).

Print queue -- a location where a print job is stored as a file, until the network interface sends the job to the assigned device.

Protocol -- a set of rules that controls how data or information is exchanged through a network. Computers and software cannot communicate with each other using different protocols.

Roaming -- the ability to move the wireless station from one access point to another without losing the connection or interrupting the service.

Security type -- allows selection of a security level in Infrastructure mode appropriate to the user environment.

SSID (or ESSID) -- Service Set Identifier (or Extended Service Set Identifier), a unique identifier to specify a WLAN. All devices and access points connected to a specific WLAN must use the same SSID. An ESSID is used for a network that extends throughout multiple access points.

TCP/IP -- Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, a layer of protocols that provides communication between nodes on a network.

TKIP -- Temporal Key Integrity Protocol, an encryption standard for WPA that is replacing WEP. A distinctive feature is that the shared key is changed at specified intervals.

WEP -- Wired Equivalent Privacy, a security protocol for WLANs defined in the IEEE 802.11b/g standard. WEP provides security by encrypting data over radio waves.

WEP key -- a shared key algorithm for encrypting data. Transmitted packets are encrypted with a shared key called the WEP key. Decryption of encrypted packets by the recipient requires the same WEP key that was used for transmission.

WLAN -- Wireless Local Area Network.

WPA-PSK (TKIP/AES) -- a Wi-Fi encryption protocol with a stronger encryption algorithm than WEP. The devices and access points have to share the Pre-Shared key. The protocol that uses AES is called WPA2-PSK and has stronger encryption than TKIP.