38
Appendix D: Glossary
Dual-Band Wireless A+G Notebook Adapter
IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) - An independent institute that develops networking
standards.
Infrastructure - Currently installed computing and networking equipment.
Infrastructure Mode - Configuration in which a wireless network is bridged to a wired network via an access
point.
IP (Internet Protocol) - A protocol used to send data over a network.
IP Address - The address used to identify a computer or device on a network.
IPCONFIG - A Windows 2000 and XP utility that displays the IP address for a particular networking device.
IPSec (Internet Protocol Security) - A VPN protocol used to implement secure exchange of packets at the IP layer.
ISM band - Radio band used in wireless networking transmissions.
ISP (Internet Service Provider) - A company that provides access to the Internet.
LAN (Local Area Network) - The computers and networking products that make up the network in your home or
office.
LEAP (Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol) - A mutual authentication method that uses a username
and password system.
MAC (Media Access Control) Address - The unique address that a manufacturer assigns to each networking
device.
Mbps (Megabits Per Second) - One million bits per second; a unit of measurement for data transmission.
Multicasting - Sending data to a group of destinations at once.
NAT (Network Address Translation) - NAT technology translates IP addresses of a local area network to a
different IP address for the Internet.
Network - A series of computers or devices connected for the purpose of data sharing, storage, and/or
transmission between users.
NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol) - The protocol used to connect to Usenet groups on the Internet.
Node - A network junction or connection point, typically a computer or work station.