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Glossary
Wireless-G VPN Router with RangeBooster
Appendix F
Appendix F:
Glossary
This glossary contains some basic networking terms you
may come across when using this product.
WEB: For additional terms, please visit the
glossary at www.linksys.com/glossary
Access Point
A device that allows wireless-equipped
computers and other devices to communicate with a
wired network. Also used to expand the range of a wireless
network.
Ad-hoc A group of wireless devices communicating
directly with each other (peer-to-peer) without the use of
an access point.
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) A security method
that uses symmetric 128-bit block data encryption.
Bandwidth The transmission capacity of a given device
or network.
Bit A binary digit.
Boot To start a device and cause it to start executing
instructions.
Broadband An always-on, fast Internet connection.
Browser An application program that provides a way to
look at and interact with all the information on the World
Wide Web.
Byte A unit of data that is usually eight bits long
Cable Modem A device that connects a computer to the
cable television network, which in turn connects to the
Internet.
Daisy Chain A method used to connect devices in a
series, one after the other.
DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name System) Allows the
hosting of a website, FTP server, or e-mail server with a
fixed domain name (e.g., www.xyz.com) and a dynamic IP
address.
Default Gateway A device that forwards Internet traffic
from your local area network.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) A
networking protocol that allows administrators to assign
temporary IP addresses to network computers by “leasing”
an IP address to a user for a limited amount of time, instead
of assigning permanent IP addresses.
DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)
Removes the Router’s firewall
protection from one PC, allowing it to be “seen” from the
Internet.
DNS (Domain Name Server) The IP address of your ISP’s
server, which translates the names of websites into IP
addresses.
Domain A specific name for a network of computers.
Download To receive a file transmitted over a network.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) An always-on broadband
connection over traditional phone lines.
Dynamic IP Address A temporary IP address assigned by
a DHCP server.
EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) A general
authentication protocol used to control network access.
Many specific authentication methods work within this
framework.
Encryption Encoding data transmitted in a network.
Ethernet IEEE standard network protocol that specifies
how data is placed on and retrieved from a common
transmission medium.
Firewall A set of related programs located at a network
gateway server that protects the resources of a network
from users from
Firmware The programming code that runs a networking
device.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) A protocol used to transfer
files over a TCP/IP network.
Full Duplex The ability of a networking device to receive
and transmit data simultaneously.
Gateway A device that interconnects networks with
different, incompatible communications protocols.
Half Duplex Data transmission that can occur in two
directions over a single line, but only one direction at a
time.
HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol) The
communications protocol used to connect to servers on
the World Wide Web.
Infrastructure A wireless network that 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.